What a beautiful house! I agree with Nikki T to live in the space for a while before doing anything, and especially with a stricter budget, because you need to prioritize.

That budget will not be enough to take a wall down. I would keep with your original priorities.

Thanks Nikki T & C D! It will definitely be a while before we remodel because we don't have the $$ currently anyway. We have been here about 6 months already and my hope is that we can do this late this Fall or Spring next year. I agree with both of you we definitely need to take time to figure out what we want and prioritize accordingly. Every few months I have a different thought on what to do, lol! That's why I'm hoping fellow home owners and Houzz Pros can take a look and help me brainstorm so I don't lose my mind. Thanks!

Thanks pdjh. And you are right it is so hard to wait! That said, I do love the brightness of the kitchen, especially the window looking into the deck and backyard..makes doing dishes a bearable chore. There is also a bay window to the left of the stove. wanting to keep these two windows is what challenges me on where I'd move the fridge if I was able to remove the wall where the fridge is.... I'm definitely not in a rush, I just want to get ideas of what is feasible or not at this point.

I agree with all of the above .... live in your house for a year or two ( or 3 + ). I’m sooo glad I waited for five years on a major remodel of my current house. I just completed cosmetic changes when I first moved in. Some of my initial thoughts on what I wanted to do in the house changed dramatically after living in it for a few years.

Thanks Val, I see what you mean, it is hard to visualize it without a floor plan. The wall with the nook seems like the most viable option for the fridge to me too. My concern with it is that the fridge would be kinda far from the rest of the workstations. We haven't consulted a designer yet, mostly because we are not ready to get the work started, I just wanted to put the pics here and get people's thoughts on what they would do with this space. thx!

That's great advice, Marion Harris, thank you! And I'm so glad you love your kitchen after the remodel I hope to have the same at the end. I have started an ideabook but currently its is very random and really widespread (the only theme currently appears to be white kitchens, lol!). I will start looking at specific items instead of overall room and maybe this will help me focus my thoughts and identify what i love. Thanks again!

The only thing wrong with your tile, given your current budget in the near term, is the color of the walls. Paint is cheap. I think you should consider painting the walls a tone somewhere between the cabinets and the tile on the color wheel in some fashion. Any trained eye at a paint store, should be able to direct you,-- if not you will find it on line somewhere. I would not call your tile avocado at all. I think I would call it grass green, and it seems to have some blue hue on the monitor .... If the walls could be painted SW9108/Double Latte color, and than place black appliances in it as they need to be replaced, keeping the white in your wood trim around doors and windows... your kitchen would be a much less contrasting place and I think you would get by with money to spare. It's worse to have cabinets that are just plain wore out, with a beautiful tile countertop. :D ...Now, in person you may find another shade of brown that suits your tile better, but there is nothing more calming than the right shade in a busy work area and it would be a cheap fix while you live there and consider options.

First off . . . based on the title of your post, I was expecting to see a wreck. Instead I was thrilled to see your place has a lot or inherent charm - emerald green tile and all.

Depending upon handy you are, I have a few suggestions that would be affordable and spruce things up while you plan and save for a major remodel.

1. Replace the almond colored electrical outlets, switches and covers with white ones.

2. Replace the recessed can light trim rings with new LED ones. The ones you have looked yellowed with age.

3. Update the hardware on the cabinets.

4. Repaint the ceiling in a matte or flat sheen

5. Depending upon your remodel horizon and budget, you may consider replacing the countertops with a nice laminate. There are some very nice laminates. It's affordable and durable. And no, regardless of what Counter Snobs say, it doesn't have to look low rent or cheap. It wasn't all that long ago that Corian and Granite were considered high end. Now it seems to be that your kitchen would only be worthy of double wide if you have anything but quartz. Anyway, you could most likely remove your existing countertops without damaging the tile going up the backsplash and have the new laminate butt into the wall. Or if budget allows, you could remove the backsplash and retile.

I have a friend that a few years back was faced with a situation similar to yours. Her dream kitchen wasn't in the budget at first and she didn't want to compromise on her dream. So she opted to take the time to save for her dream kitchen and went with an an interim facelift - new laminate counters, new cabinet hardware, and some new lighting. . She had originally figured they would gut and redo the kitchen in 5 years. Instead she was pleased enough with her interim updates that they waited 7 years. In that time, they'd socked away enough to pay for a small addition with a mudroom and laundry. Something they wouldn't have had the funds to do if they'd done things earlier.

Just something to think about. Your situation and mileage may vary.

Missenigma, I can't thank you enough for your detailed response! I can see how number 1 - 3 above could give the place a small face lift. Interesting thought on the matte/flat finish on the ceiling...I never even thought of that. Is flat/matte a better look than the currently shiny paint? (forgive me, design is really not my strength). I also have to say I like your thought on #5 on just replacing the counter top. Given that the tile is what drives me crazy the most, I wonder if we could just fix the counter tops, with the other minor items you mentioned on 1-5 and leave things that way for a couple of years. I realize that most pple don't think this tile is that bad but I have a really hard time living with it. Additionally, its not very functional either because the counter top is uneven and when you are chopping something, the chopping board keeps moving around. You've definitely given me a lot to chew on, so thanks a lot!

kaninik - You're so welcome!

I think matte or shiny for ceilings comes down to personal preference. I don't see too many shiny ceilings in my neck of the woods (New England and NY). Personally, I prefer matte. Lower sheens have the added benefit of masking undulations and other imperfections in the plaster.

One other thing to add to the list, you could either replace the ceiling fan in your eating area with a more stylish model or replace it with a nice hanging fixture. The one in your dining room by the way is lovely. Your space has good bones and there's a lot there to work with. I'm excited for you.

I love all the natural light you are getting from those windows and the gorgeous view of the yard! I also like the cozy eat-in nook area. What a nice house! Have you had people over? Where do they hang out? How does traffic flow when you have a party? Would it help if the wall was gone? Or are they hanging out in the kitchen/deck area and that dining room wall doesn't matter? Honestly, I like your original plan of keeping the layout and just making a few updates when you are ready. Your kitchen already has a lot of charm. Don't overspend on your kitchen because you will want/need money for other things down the road.

Live there awhile & see how u feel. It took me awhile to get my idea/furniture right with $.

Thanks apell2000, we love all the natural light too! Great question about where we hang out with company. We are in Cali so its nice enough to be on the deck most time of the year. A few times I've had friends hang out at the nook while I cook. However, I'm really just not into the green at all so I try to not hang out in this kitchen much ...hence wanting to change it. I have to say also having the W/D in the kitchen kinda kills the kitchen vibe, lol. Plus the fridge that juts out a bit into the kitchen creating unevenness in the line of vision - that whole wall is kind of messy - That's why I wanted to remove it, and create an actual hanging out area in form of an island. But given the expense of that, I agree with you and others, in keeping the current layout and making changes to the things i can't live with ( i.e. the counter tops) and then making the other face lift ideas offered above. I just saw on another thread someone with a fridge that juts out and there was a suggestion to buy a cabinet depth fridge. I think if i take W/D out of the kitchen and get a new fridge this already would be an improvement. Thanks again for taking time to respond. "Don't overspend on your kitchen because you will want/need money for other things down the road." - great advice! Thanks!

kaninik, I agree on getting the w/d out of the kitchen. I also have a counter depth fridge and it makes a big difference. I love green and when I saw your kitchen I went "oooh! so pretty!" LOL You could do laminate countertops as a place holder till you're ready to redesign.

I clicked on your post because I love seeing vintage kitchens and avocado is just about my favorite (in terms of "what the heck were they thinking!?"). But yours is actually kinda funky and cool! So I would definitely agree to live in it for a while and maybe bring in some cheap and fun art to play on the green. Like a big graphic succulent print for instance. I would immediately paint that seating area all white so it disappears into the wall. And I can't tell without a floor plan, but I don't think opening up the dining wall is going to help you much. But taking out the seating area and instead having a big island with seating would be great.

Emily McCloy, thanks for your response! I think you are right we may not get much value from opening the wall especially given how much it is going to cost. Regarding your thought to "paint that seating area all white so it disappears into the wall" we've actually already removed the bench and table from the breakfast nook sitting area and put our apartment dining set there. Its a white round table paired with these chairs https://www.pinterest.com/pin/122512052339912858/?lp=true

The bench and table were just too heavy looking for my liking and and the area looks much more open and airy now. We are trying to work with what we have on hand for now as we figure what we like. Thanks again for your advice!

Just to give you an idea, I did my kitchen in May of 2016. New cabinets, granite counters, backsplash, sink, faucet, and appliances cost me $21,000. I didn't change floor plan, knock down walls or replace my flooring.

Replace the countertops with a laminate for now if you really don't like them and take whatever other suggestions work for you at this time. I do agree that painting the ceiling in a flat paint is a good idea. The ceiling in your dining area is flat, I think it would be nice if the kitchen was the same. It's a bright, sunny space and your dining room cove ceilings are amazing!