The appliances will stay and all are white.

My daughter and her family moved into a house with a kitchen that looked SO MUCH like this four years ago.
The wooden curlicue feature over the sink/window area was the same. She HATED that kitchen but with a child due there wasn't time to do much. They removed the hardware from all shelves & drawers, painted everything a light blue-green and it looked like a new room. Helped them live with it all till they could afford to remodel with new shelves, counters & sink a few years later.

Here is another picture showing more of the walls.

Thanks Imelda. I think that she really loves the Revere Pewter for the cabinets but I'm sure the blue-green color was pretty. I think that she would like to use this grey color in other rooms also. Too much?

In the example you have shown from Houz it looks like they painted the walls a very similar (possibly lighter) color of grey.

Those walls are so dark right now with the chocolate looking paint on them. I would wait till the get the cabinets painted first, then pick out a subtle color that compliments it for the walls. Any lighter colors they add to this kitchen/dining area will improve the look and feel tremendously.

Imelda, do you know the name of the blue green color your daughter used? I'm thinking maybe I should use something like that for brown dining room.

Will you change the countertop to wood or black granite? And install a backsplash similar to the picture (as in: some color, green or blue, some black maybe)? If so, paint the cabinets pewter grey. Otherwise wait with painting until there's budget to do so. I like the idea of romantic industrial, so please keep the black handles.

What's up with the added cabinets in the main picture, by the way?

Could you reconfigure the cabinets so a 2' fridge will fit right next to the window?
And remove the upper cabinets on the sink wall and add some shelves there for an open look? This way you'll have some cabinets and doors to replace and/or fill in the gaps.

Thanks everyone! She is getting overwhelmed since the entire house is older and they have one month after closing (Sept.15) to get the house ready to live in. I think that if she can decide on colors for the walls, cabinets and a few other items, she will feel better. (sort of like "how do you eat an elephant.....one bite at a time!"

Ringreation, you're absolutely right! Some of her budget has to go toward basics like electrical, etc.

What about the Revere pewter for the cabinets, a lighter shade for the walls, blue-green tile backsplash. Then bring in blue-green color in drapes, etc. Add black accents and a white footed bowl with lemons. What color for the dining room adjoining kitchen? Oh yes, the kitchen floor must be changed. Any ideas?

I'd paint all walls the same color for coherence (and budget-friendly), an offwhite (but no cream) is a good color when you still need to grow into a house. A wooden table with black and/or white chairs and colored deco will give it a warm look. Remember to use woods and maybe some orange/coral/pink to liven up all the grey, white and blue/green.

A vinyl floor in wood pattern is a good choice when you don't have tons to spend. But don't pick the cheapest one, proper quality costs a little more, but is worth it.

Find curtains and floor first, then paint colors (more choices in paint, thus easier match).

Thanks ringreation for the suggestions. I live in LA. and she lives in Ne. so it's not always easy to help. Do you not think that she could use a grey as a wall color? It seems to be the choice of the younger generation now.

Really pale grey walls and white trims are fresh and timeless, I think. And together with a wooden (look) floor it fits right into many styles. From retro to barn chic and modern to traditional. Might be the reason young people choose these colors, they're easy and they make other colors stand out nicely.

Thanks for the examples! I'm getting excited about the grey now and thinking of all the ways that she can liven it up!

Big challenge here. Does your daughter have all the missing doors? It looks like someone may have moved cabinets around to get that tiny hood above the larger gas stove. I'm curious: what is holding up the oven and microwave? Replacing the whole shebang with a standard range and vent hood over it might be somethign to consider. The current odd vent could be replaced with a microwave shelf. Then all new laminate countertops in a clean modern pattern.

I hope the electrical and gas are in good working order.

Rinqcreation gave some excellent inspiration photos. I agree that painting the whole thing a very light color such as off white or very pale gray would be a good start. Often, paint completely changes a fixer upper from dark and dingy to fresh and new. Starting from chocolate brown paint and going to nearly white would be a game changer for this house. A pro spray paint job would be worth getting a couple of estimates for: it is so much faster and gives better coverage than most homeowners can achieve.

The classic Colonial style hardware can be soaked in trisodium phosphate overnight to get it cleaned up painlessly. It can be spraypainted any silver color, white or even copper to give it a new look. The spraypaint finish may last a year or two before it needs redoing.

Thanks for your comments, Apple pie order. I agree with you that something is strange with the built in appliances. The owners must have gotten a deal and then rigged up the cabinets to install. She does not close on the house until mid Sept. so the only pictures are the ones taken by the inspector. What do you think about getting new cabinet doors with the hidden hinges? Those hinges will always be a problem! She will be hiring someone to paint so I agree that the cabinets should be spray painted.

The blue-green my daughter & husband used was similar to the Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue (HC -143), which is actually listed in the same "family" of colors as the Pewter on their website.
The closest to the one they used is Drizzle by Sherwin Williams.
They had to use whatever they could get in the small town where they live because of time constraints.

I think your ideas about backsplash, drapes, etc. are Great.

I had it wrong - she emailed me that it was B. Moore's Picture Perfect 743, which is a much lighter blue. I would just paint everything shades of grey and then add in other colors later via drapes, furniture or decorative items.

The photos look like the existing doors are in pretty good shape. I counted 18 cabinet doors, 2 hinges each, skipping the missing ones. Drilling out the holes for new hidden hinges and setting them will take maybe an hour per door, my guess is somewhat less for a pro (a Houzz pro would know more than I do about how long it takes). Is it worth the money? Not in my opinion.

I'd replace the door handles (as low as $2 each) and ignore the hinges after painting them in some unobtrusive finish. An alternative is to buy new black knobs or new black handles, then leave the hinges black. But do check to see if the hinges are standard 3/8" partial overlay hinges with standard screw hole spacing and can be replaced with shiny new ones (in any finish) for a pittance ($3 a pair) and about 15 minutes per door.

I would probably decide about replacing all the doors after analyzing if the current kitchen configuration is best and if the cabinets are good quality. They look pretty good, actually, like maple or birch from the 1960's. The odd placement of the major appliances is a red flag that someone has moved some cabinetry. If the old doors are completely missing here and there, new ones can be ordered in a similar style, though this might be a case where swapping doors around until she is happy with open shelves here and there would work. Swapping parts is very common solution in old house restoration.

From the photos, I 'd ask the inspectors if the gas burners are safe under the existing vent. It doesn't look like the vent hood is wide enough or high enough. The inspector would have more to say; photos may show distortion in the images.

I've seen all the upper cabinets retrofitted with glass inserts in the doors, with some care, the right tools and time it could be done yourself. Then she bought a few sets of those wee puck lights that just plug in, not hard-wired, and she has an amazing place that she displays beautiful coloured glass dishes, on stands from the Dollar Store so they stand up. She has glass , heirloom dishes she doesn't ever use, and plain white platters etc. quite breathtaking at night when the lights are on.

Here are the before & after pics of a similar kitchen (my daughter's). They did some of the work themselves & had custom cabinets built. But plain old paint allowed them to live with the old ones for 3 years.

Old kitchen upon house purchase:

New Kitchen: custom cabinets, paint, installation of built-in microwave over stove. The original kitchen upon purchase had no microwave. Also - custom installed counters of some composite & tile backsplash. Simulated wood flooring added.

Beautiful and fresh!

Wonderful ideas everyone! I think that I will buy a paint sample tomorrow and see what backsplash looks good with it. My son rehabs houses and it was his idea about new cabinet doors. He also tells me that glass tiles in a sheet can be placed over the existing tiles. Has anyone done this? It is not easy to try to help from long distance but y'all (you guys?) have made it easier and fun! We will post pictures as the work is done.

Tiling over tiles is possible, but needs a special glue.
Make sure to thoroughly degrease the existing tiles!

Thanks ringreation! That's what my son said but he didn't mention degreasing the existing tiles.

After a thorough clean with a dishwashing soap, degrease with something tacky (as degreasers mostly are..). I've even used car-break-degreaser. Remember to open up some windows when you do.

http://www.bhg.com/kitchen/remodeling/makeover/budget-kitchen-remodeling-kitchens-under-2-000/

Thanks marchmain, that was a great find! I will send this to her right away since she has been told that the remodel will cost more than she had budgeted.

@marchmain: I wish Houzz had articles like the BHG one you brought up. It's inspirational.

Perhaps we will have one with this redo! We will submit photos and cost when completed. If it works well it will be because of all the wonderful ideas and thoughts that we received from all of you who responded. Thank you for your time and consideration.