"this the house i am buying, I am keeping the footprint and the red brick floors. "

Typically best advice is to live with the kitchen as is for 6 months to a year to truly determine if you can live with the layout long term. If you decide the layout is horrible and you cannot live with it your "refacing", new tops are all money out the window that may prevent you from doing the reno you truly desire.

The problem with those cabinets is it looks like the brick floor was added on top of another floor which is why there is no toe kick on any of the cabinets. That might also cause a problem switching out any appliances. And the counters may or may not be a bit too low for you.

Additionally those cabinets look to be a minimum of 40 years old. And look very inefficient.

You are just moving into the house. I would highly suggest you don't do a thing for the first 6 months - 1 year you're in the house. Save your money because once you're in, you'll see how the kitchen works for you and you'll discover things that do and don't work. I know that every house I moved into, I had ideas of what I wanted to do and once living in the house for a few months, my ideas changed completely based on how the house lived.

I retract my advice and agree with @cpartist. Move in, do nothing for a year and then reconsider your ideas. You don’t live there yet. You don’t know if everything functions properly. Hold off doing anything for now.

I am going to jump on the bandwagon here, and say that I would NEVER spend the money to reface those cabinets. Nor spend the money to put that modern-look black Quartz on that kitchen's old-style partial overlay cabinets (partial overlay is the way they built them 40-50 years ago, with little interior space and intrusive stiles in every cabinet). You will also curse that brick floor every day as being hard to stand on and hard to clean.

Another problem: those base cabinets are likely so out of level that it will be impossible for them to support brand new Quartz counters. I also think @cpartist made a good point that the lack of toe kick is a red flag.

That kitchen would look great with cabinets that meet the ceiling, the dated desk gone, new cabinets that are frameless construction or full overlay, and the cooktop off the island. Perhaps a range instead of the cooktop/wall oven combo for a more efficient use of space.

I realize it would be a big spend to re-do the entire kitchen. However, it would be a worse use of your money to throw it onto this old kitchen and kitchen floor. I agree with comments that say live with the kitchen for a few months, though I don't think it needs to be 6 months at all. I am betting that within 3 months you will be very eager to rid yourself of those cabinets and brick floors.

Thank you, the kitchen aid frig is mine already, the owners have agreed to remove the old frig. The cooktop and ovens must replaced , and dishwasher added. To due this cabinets will have to be replaced. This is how I started down the rabbit hole.

Don't let this comment just above mine^^ make you afraid of re-doing your kitchen. People re-do 50-year-old kitchens all the time. Really, most people moving into a home with a 50+-year-old kitchen will have plans to re-do it in the near future. You get a good contractor, and they handle the electrical and plumbing needs (I am not sure I agree with the comment that the plumbing will be "extensive"). Anyone buying appliances today, who has a kitchen of your vintage, must upgrade the electrical. So think about the millions of appliances sold to people with older homes with old electrical panels, and they all are upgrading their electrical for that. What I am saying is that these are common improvements, not out-of-the-norm or unusual, so do not be intimidated by the comment just above mine.

This forum is very helpful in advice and layout. When you are ready, you can ask for layout advice to help you so that you have knowledge in hand.

This house is perfect for me, it's in a rural area in NM, Jemez Springs. It sits on a hill with 1.3 acres surrounded by red rock mountains. I live alone with 3 German Shepherds, I am 58. My needs are simple, the black quartzite is my splurge. But functionality is a must.

The black countertop can be your splurge, but first move in and figure out what you’re dealing with. The kitchen, from your photo, looks like it’s not in great shape. You need to assess the systems in your house (HVAC, electric, plumbing) and the actual work-in-it layout of your kitchen. What everyone is saying is to not throw good money at a kitchen you haven’t cooked in yet.

I agree with waiting - I had a kitchen very similar to yours when I moved in - after a few years, we ended up moving the kitchen and it improved the flow of the entire first floor. If you had told me that when I moved in, I would never have believed you -but it improved the functionality of our older home by 1000% - it is hard to be patient for sure, but there is only upside to waiting -- GORGEOUS property by the way!!

Sorry I wrote above "Quartz" when it's quartzite. But quartzite will still need level cabinets with the ability to support its weight. Your home looks beautiful, and the dogs are also beautiful. I understand you want the quartzite as a splurge, but if it won't be able to be installed in your kitchen due to the age of your cabinets, you should consider new cabinets, new layout and new electrical before the splurge may be feasible.

its a large home for one person. You have to be realistic....when its time to sell you will want appeal for a household of people to be interested...... get the kitchen right....because if you spend money and the function /appeal is lacking you will be disappointed at the outcome when you have to turn it over....in 20 yrs this space will be way beyond its life.....it is already , in truth . If you really dont care then spend on something as you seem to want to......it wouldnt be counters if this were mine but that is irrelevant...... but if you have capital you can design a bigger/ better project and do it in phases which might work the best.

i agree , the kitchen is going to be a lot , the house is only 1600 sq ft.

going to hire a kitchen designer!

“its a large home for one person.”

@herbflavor - I just saw that the drawing states the home is 1620 sf. You are again making snap assumptions. Who are you to judge whether a home is large for one person or not?

OP - do not listen to the advice above about “appealing to a household of people…in 20 yrs”. The only time you think about potential buyers is if you are planning to sell in 3 years or less. And even then, who the heck knows what a mythical buyer in the future will want. Certainly no one knows what a buyer 20 years from now will want.

Your home is lovely. How serene and beautiful it looks! Get the counters you love, but I do agree that the purchase would not make sense with the existing layout and existing cabinetry. Those cabinets have given their all for 50 years. Time to change them.

And note that hood exhausts are more important these days because indoor air quality has received a lot of attention in recent years. If your new kitchen has the range placed against an outside wall (i.e. not the island), it will be fairly straightforward to install a hood exhaust duct that exhausts the hood to the outside. You’ll be able to cook without lingering smells and without setting off the smoke alarm.

I think you'll be much happier. the slab is gorgeous, but you need everything else around to match.

Live w/it for awhile and figure out what you'd like changed. I'd for sure redo the island and the cooktop (by moving it elsewhere) If you don't have a large family, you prob don't need that 11X11 dining room, so use some of it for the kitchen.

lose the desk area too. It has a lot of potential.

since you like the black and the brick, this one fits in w/the southwestern style. Try a copper farmhouse sink too.

and I love something like this blue or even a green color for the larger island.

looks great w/the black and your brick. (if you must keep it. flooring is expensive. if you do the demo yourself, you'll save thousands)

I have nothing to offer about the kitchen per se, but wanted to chime in and say congrats on your new house, what a spectacular view!!

(side note: You should delete the floor plan in your above post, it has your address on it; repost one without the address)

Re: snap decisions about sizes of homes..and appropriateness.. A sole occupant can reside in 1600 sq feet and casually ..do nothing or anything they like....and not be concerned about the future at age near 60 if they choose that mindset ..... but that is not the norm....and people make mistakes they realize later.... a house has a suitability as part of its design... I think it would be absurd if I moved into 1600 sq feet/ alone.....near age 60 and casually did whatever I wanted with no regard of the infrastructure / what the property actually needed to maintain function/ correct flaws. etc. Geez .....gimmeee a break..who would be that casual.

floor plan

the light green would match with the rest of the house!

you can easily find the "norm" or common living arrangements and sq foot designations for various groups/individuals in the population. But just thinking logically..with common sense What do you think a single person approaching age 60 should think about M Miller...no planning for the future? okay great don't plan.. in fact spend just SPEND and SPEND MORE to go back and correct the lack of planning/ muddled situation created...no sweat.... Plannning is always key and nearing age 60 is not 38. OH FOR HEAVENS SAKE!!!! Darn if someone is trying to be in another's shoes and offer suggestions about a prudent wise approach for the long run. You think 60 yr olds shouldnt be especially mindful of budgets for discretionary things like this? Glad you're not my advisor / I do get advice and watching spending / stayng within a budget is a big thing. She ought to have realistic goals.....they are not present yet....and then the specifics of how to get the goals accomplished with the details laid out...As said she hasnt even lived there yet so that about summs up the nature of this.

If you love the black granite for your kitchen, get it. But….don’t get it polished. Just returned from a home with beautiful black polished granite in the bathrooms. Every. Single. Drop. Is visible on it. Dust from Kleenex shows. Hair. Yikes! I found myself constantly, repeatedly wiping and cleaning. I hated it. Would never do black anywhere unless, perhaps, it is honed. I had it in the bath. Perhaps it is different in a kitchen. Others who have polished black granite in their kitchens????? Please weigh in. Perhaps I am a neat freak! (Probably!!)

I’ve never had a black polished countertop but I’ve heard EXACTLY what you said - every little speck if anything shows.

i wonder if they could do the leathered or honed in quartzite

I have leathered Belvedere quartzite in my basement bar area -- so yes, quartzite can be leathered.

nice

I have Brilliant Black quartzite and love it. It is holding up great and has never been sealed. The only thing with dark counters is if you have hard water…this can leave mineral deposits but if you don’t let water stand there it is fine.

Hi, Tena, congrats on your new home! To spend money wisely, think Aging In Place - at some point you will want to sleep in the 1st floor BR - but 12x9 is too small for a queen bed, closet 2 eats up floor space, door to outside eats up 36” floor space to swing open and needs 36” wide path through room to walk to it, and the bathroom has no shower, enlarging BR into the DR requires moving the door to back porch so guests don’t walk through the BR.

Nancy how is your brilliant back finished?

I am sorry I meant black!

@tene miller It is polished. i love the polished black look. Very elegant IMO. i thought polished was more durable too although I could be wrong. I did a different kind of quartzite on the island which is leathered but the island takes less abuse.

You say you're 58. After you've lived in the house for a while, you may discover that those cabinets are not conducive for using. New cabinets normally have drawers for lowers which is so much easier for those of us headed into the golden years.

I wouldn't do anything for the first three-six months until you decide if the cabinets are good to use long term. That quartzite is fabulous and you may decide that it's time to refresh the whole kitchen which may mean replacing the floor too if they were put in on top of another floor.

yes reface the cabs is a must I am hoping to keep the rehab around 30,000

Again with the way those cabinets look, I don't think just refacing them is the way to go.

I would instead look into maybe doing Ikea cabinets which are a really nice quality and with your kitchen, you should be able to keep it under the 30k.

And honestly, 1600 sq feet for a single person is not a too large house. Sheesh. It's a just right house for Tena and those views are fabulous.

Tena, when you look for a Kitchen Designer, don't just find someone who sells cabinets. Look for a certified kitchen designer.

Heck, my partner and I built a 2870 square foot house 4 years ago and I just turned 68 last week. And we had moved from a 1920 square foot condo. I guess by herbflavor's rules, we don't fit the norm and aren't planning wisely. Sheesh.

@herbflavor - get ahold of yourself; your ^^comment to @cpartist is an overreaction. My mother is in her 90s and her condo is 2400 sf. My friend's father is 95 and still teaching at a college, and lives in a good-sized house. Your statement that 1600 sf is not for a 60-year-old is and inaccurate and inappropriate here. Please accept with grace that different people age at different rates. Some people feel old and limited at 60. Some people never feel limitations even when they are 95. Let's get back to topic.

hey perfect let's get to that topic.....namely the kitchen . how is that condo kitchen by the way? 1600 sq foot w projects needing undertaken and maybe more than she knows as she hasnt moved in.......all requires eval and planning . how is that condo kitchen by the way / since you brought it up. And I do have hold of myself Mr. Hobbs..I own 3 properties so I have 3 kitchens....the properties have had various projects and appliances replaced in one..another of the kitchens was a new build so that was to specs.....but no full kitchen remodel as I am ware of the involvement a full project entails and we are now closer to downsizing and have been taking on some other infrastructure projects. I would never under renovate a space like hers....the burden and long term outcome would be poor. What does she perceive as outcome for cost and effort ?? I avoid areas where efforts maybe go unrewarded. I'm a hardworker and it's important to be selective because of that.....But my traits are irrelevant/ and you can rest assured I have a hold of myself..... Good Day.

"Tena, when you look for a Kitchen Designer, don't just find someone who sells cabinets. Look for a certified kitchen designer."

For people who live far from dense populated towns, a certified kitchen designer may not be available. Or if they are, they are not independent, but indeed work for a cabinet company in a kitchen showroom. It is not possible for a certified KD to make a living when the population is not there to support that business. Also, many independent KDs (i.e. not part of cabinet showroom) will not work on a kitchen that is less than $75k or more.

@tena miller - when it comes time to seek out a KD, do not think that all designers in a cabinet showroom are there to sell you huge blocks of cabinets that you don't need. That is the line given on this Kitchens Forum by, well, kitchen designers posting here, but it is not real life for much of the country outside of the HCOL densely populated areas. You can find good KDs in kitchen cabinet showrooms too. Talk to a few, and you'll get a good feel for which one clicks with you. What would be good for you to do is once you have a layout, is post it here, and people on here will improve upon it if need be.

so your mom moved to a condo and planned a full reno and had it executed. hmmmm . and she even moved in and had a look around at the original shape of things.....hmmmmm. I think you're making the exact point Mr Hobbs. could you tell me what comment you find odd or "out of whack" Mr Hobbs. I'd like to know rather than permit your criticism without you explaining yourself. A poor or inadequate approach to an old kitchen can turn out a problem....poor flow in terms of a working space/ money poorly spent as inefficiencies arent corrected.......you dont think those outcomes could burden someone? I certainly do think those are instances of a burden as more would have to be done as the opportunity got missed in the first place. this sort of a thing can be avoided.

cooking at the ikea solid wood cabinets they have a 25 yr warranty, they might work,

would it be possible to still hire a kitchen designer and use Ikea cabinets?

There are people at Ikea who can help with designing and laying out the kitchen and choosing the proper cupboards for the job. There are lots of really nice Ikea kitchen choices.

If you are handy, you can join some groups (Facebook has groups but there are others as well) for people who do "Ikea hacks" and customize cabinets and or other Ikea pieces for their spaces. There are some amazing ideas on those forums.

And you don't need to stick with Ikea if their door choices don't work for you. There are other companies but this one is popular Semi Handmade.

If you want to customize or mix and match colours etc, these might be options for you.

Start by finding someone who can do the work that will be needed for plumbing and electrical. Good contractors are often booked up for months in advance.

And find someone either at Ikea or otherwise to help with planning and layout. That person may be the same person who is going to do the plumbing/electrical work, or maybe not. Lots of people can "do a kitchen" but not all of them have the imagination or experience to make it a really functional kitchen that you will love. Talk to friends/ neighbours and ask them for references and before you hire someone with a contract, check their references.

Your contract should clearly state the scope of work and a payment schedule with milestones for completion worked into it.

Read through the forums here - there is so much good advice to be found and things you may not think about on your own (lots of people put their frig in a corner and then find the doors won't open all the way). Start with your homework and talking to friends for references for someone to do the trade work. Then start thinking about the pretty stuff.

Good luck with all of it.

thank you! a Ikea store is not around Albuquerque.

You may want to read a study I did a few years ago. The prices are about 40% higher now. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5647040/white-shaker-battle-ikea-vs-the-rest-of-the-cabinet-world

Not all independent kitchen designers are confined by geography. 🙂 I’ve been doing online design for around 8 of my 27 years in the field, well before the pandemic forced others to develop alternate interaction strategies. If you can’t find local, look further afield!

I would also add that even if you get layout help for a CKD, posting the design on this forum will help. Several people had professionally designed kitchens that got improved from comments by some seriously talented, generous people on this forum.

Can we bag the dumb conversation about age and square footage? I am typing from my over 3,000 square foot house thinking this is probably the most ridiculous argument I’ve heard in my nearly 70 years on the planet…😉

i started a little early, all I have is the floor plan I posted, I will not be in NM til January.

It is never to early to start planning.

i agree, waiting on my house to sell in Montana. I have a new job and a new house waiting on me!

Congrats on your new job and new house! Wise to live in house 6 mo to see what really needs changing and it is never too soon to consider Aging in Place/Universal Design when planning renovation/remodel.

Can you request access to the house to do measuring? I have done that after negotiating a home but wasn’t moved in. Having the measurements allowed me to do floor plans and consider where furniture would go.

You will look at that kitchen with new eyes based on the comments on this thread. Bringing back accurate photos and dimensions will move you further along with what needs to be /can be done with your kitchen.

I am in Montana till my house sells

how is that condo kitchen by the way

I sold the condo in 2016 for almost double what I had paid for it 6 years prior. The condo hadn't been updated since 1982, so we gutted it.

For people who live far from dense populated towns, a certified kitchen designer may not be available. Or if they are, they are not independent, but indeed work for a cabinet company in a kitchen showroom. It is not possible for a certified KD to make a living when the population is not there to support that business. Also, many independent KDs (i.e. not part of cabinet showroom) will not work on a kitchen that is less than $75k or more.

Roy, Good points. And assuming that is the issue where she is, I would then suggest that once she gets a layout from a KD, even if from someone in a store, she post the layout here.

cooking at the ikea solid wood cabinets they have a 25 yr warranty, they might work,

would it be possible to still hire a kitchen designer and use Ikea cabinets?

Yes

i started a little early, all I have is the floor plan I posted, I will not be in NM til January.

You are starting at just the right time because it's allowing you to research and learn what you'll need to know to create the best kitchen you can.

Congratulations on your new job.

BTW: Linda posted above. She's a talented KD and also she is well versed in aging in place.