Linoleum - genuine, not plastic - is the perfect solution for your floor. It's period appropriate, eco-friendly, easy to stand on and clean. Perfect choice!

Tile countertops and backsplashes were very much in use at that time. You just need to choose the right one. Marble or soapstone would also work for the countertops. No quartz, please.

What style do you like? What is the floor if not the wood? Would you want to get more wood (may require refinishing the existing to match)? Are you keeping current cabinets? What are they? (Pictures would help.)

You don't have to have a decorative backsplash ... you could go simple, or you could do a short backsplash of whatever your counter is. If you don't like wild veining, don't get that. Do you want any pattern, grain structure, etc.? If not, perhaps Corian could work well for your kitchen; it comes in nice solids and patterns that read solid. Or soapstone could be nice if you like a dark counter.

Lucky you, houses built in the 1920s are my favorite. Subway tile would be my recommendation for keeping age appropriate and is affordable as well. My sister’s house was built in 1909 and had the original subway tile. Keep in mind that you don’t actually want to duplicate a kitchen from the 1920s as kitchen workflows weren’t optimized for the lifestyle we have now. I would keep it simple with hardwood floors. My previous houses, which were built in 1924 and 1928, both had flat panel partial overlay drawers with an eased edge, but with Shaker inset cabinet doors. Hope this helps.

be careful w upgrades while leaving very old cabinets. If its a small space you can for instance use some Ikea white traditional cabinets [w the details around to keep the aesthetic] and this way , "modernize" the functionality. Formica can be very cooperative as far as an aesthetic when you see how many options there are. Four inch square tiles , very simple, can be a good backsplash if you don't like many others. Lighting and hardware can really help with keeping it special and in synch with other details in the home.

I would need to see the rest of your home and what your style is like. I am not a beleiver in having to keep the interior true to the exterior. IMO we live in a different time and honestly very old kitchens really do not lend themselves to life in the 21 st century . You can do nice simple shaker cabinets , linoleum is a nice homage to the era subway tile was IMO not used for backspalsh very often but certainly would work but where you get into issues is our appliances now and things like all drawers for lower cabinets .Time moves on and so do we .IMO lighting was never good in old kitchens and I like LEDs in 4000K to give properlight but those bulbs can certainly be put in more traditional style fixtures.

This is a great website for old homes:

https://www.oldhouseonline.com/kitchens-and-baths-articles/1920s-kitchen-done-right

Wooden floors, butcher block counters...a cast iron sink with a built in drain board. A marble slab for rolling out pie dough. Look at 1920s homes online and see how to adapt! I suggest wooden floors. The REAL deal. I have had them in my kitchen for 30 years and love them. Butcher block is easy to care for. Subway tile for your backsplash, as has been suggested, or even 4” square tiles. Do access This Old House for advice. A wonderful resource!

Not a pro, but seems an idea -- sheet vinyl floor from Armstrong.

Westmount Pink Fridge Condo · More Info

Marmoleum is made with natural ingredients -no harmful VOCs or toxic chemicals.

Have you been googling 1920s kitchens - this ones good:

http://www.antiquehomestyle.com/inside/kitchen/1920s/gallery/index.htm

Find pics you like and use one of those online tools which tells you what paint colors match the colors in the pic. Nothing evokes an era like COLOR! Youll see from the pics that the white cabinetry looks a lot like that which is popular now, but the walls, floors and other decor from the 1920s is quite colorful...... Floors - it might take some looking but you can find some vinyl flooring that has a more retro look - have seen the classic red brick pattern around.

I just remodeled the kitchen in my 1910 house and put in linoleum, a 4x4 tile backsplash (white), and Corian counters (Glacier white). I was able to have minimal uppers, so I kept the color (chartreuse) to wall paint and art.

Marmoleum flooring and Formica countertops. Also look at soapstone countertops to see if they appeal.

I'm in the midst of the same process! Definitely agree that trendy stone countertops, etc. are too much for a modest 1920s kitchen. I just love the old colored tile, so landed on 4x4 tile backsplash and countertops with a contrasting colored edge in this style (tho I'm still debating whether do 3" hex tile on the counters, rather than the diagonal squares):

(Photo from this article)

But also thought hard about colored laminate countertops with the charming metal edge. I like the look of butcherblock/wooden counters, but decided against out of worry about maintenance and the risk of water damage around the sink.

For floor, the original wood floors are salvageable, so I'm just going to refinish those to match the rest of the house. If they hadn't been, though, would have gone with Marmoleum.

thank you! I really like what you've done.

Thank you. I appreciate you describing your choices!

Our former house, which we just left 2 weeks ago :'( was built in 1914. It wasn't a small bungalow but was loaded with patina and we found that soapstone counters fit right in. Fortunately we had the original wood floors but found wonderful 8" square ceramic tiles that looked just like cement tiles, in black and white, for the mudroom we added. They looked like they were original to the house.

Another resource to check out:
www.oldhouseguy.com