Exterior quick fixes:

--Remove the shutters altogether.

--Add a bright blue door and blue Adirondack chairs.

--Get a landscape designer from a small nursery to help you plan an extended mulched front garden bed with the brick walkway to link to your brick façade. This will give you more pleasure than just about anything else you can do.

--Paint only after you get a new roof so you can tie the roof color to a new siding color. White is too stark with the brick. Here's a very pale gray with black trim:

Brucewood · More Info

--Beef up the support posts.

Kitchen:

--If you decided to embrace the pine, here are some updated looks for it--some open shelves and stainless apppliances along with lighting from the late 50s early 60s

Kitchenette · More Info

If the cabinets are in good shape, then paint them with a hint of a retro look:

Happy Lil Retro Kitchen · More Info

Case Design and Remodeling of San Jose · More Info

remodeled kitchen · More Info

Farmhouse Kitchen · More Info

Traditional Kitchen · More Info

I'd remove most of the shutters, most importantly the shutters that flank the door. Here are a few house colors.

The kitchen cabinets look more like classic red birch than pine. Pine kitchen cabinets usually have lots of knots. Can you upload a close up photo of a door and one showing drawer front (dovetail or not) inside? Take a drawer to a local cabinet shop to see what they say. The slab style was very popular in 1961, so look at that style if you want to stay in tune with 1961.

You may have better quality cabinets than are standard today. Take another look at keeping them if you like the floor plan.

I don't know if the OP is still following, applepieorder, but you're right about the cabinets likely being red birch slab--solid, vintage, and better than anything now. Here's a link from retrorenovation with similar cabinets. So I take back what I said about painting cabinets. She probably has the real deal.

http://retrorenovation.com/2011/02/28/a-1965-kitchen-updated-with-red-checkerboard-linoleum-floor-tile/

Here's another link to vintage laminate countertops. We rented a place that had these, edged with stainless, and they were great looking, fun, and indestructible. The OP could go that route if she checks back in.

http://retrorenovation.com/2011/09/19/8-places-to-find-retro-laminate-for-kitchen-or-bathroom-countertops-my-researchtips/

The cabinets also have the nice deep drawers for pots and pans. I'd keep them for sure. I'd change the hardware, looks like it was added in the 70's.

would you be opening it up on the stove side or fridge side? Are you doing this soon or do you want to paint the cabs and get countertops now? with a few tweaks and some painting, I could make this kitchen look very retro chic. you have the perfect cabinets for it already.

any chance of getting a counter depth fridge or can you push back that one into the wall a bit? whats to the right of fridge? stand at the sink and take a photo too.

Those look like birch plywood cabinets. We have 1964 birch too. The grain is both straight and curvy. Also, to cure the squeak --- rub the side of a candle stick on the drawer glide. The wax will make it stop squeaking.