It’s quirky and has potential. Not sure what your budget is. Sounds like you want to do something cheap and relatively easy. I’m not usually for painting cabinets white, but I think that’s the direction I’d go with this kitchen. I like the idea of white and black checker flooring. They make peel and stick vinyl tiles you can put right over linoleum. I’d take down the window treatment. Put some artwork on the empty wall. And I probably paint the walls white as well. Are the counters damaged? If they are in decent shape I would leave them. You could do a peel and stick contact paper makeover on the fridge in that retro teal you are talking about. If you look up contact paper fridge diy, lots of tutorials come up.

Then I would probably do a tulip table in the dining area

there are tons of retro kitchens..... in all various forms. take a look and get inspirations together. The black fronts to the cabinets would take a nice white quite easily.....I'd probably stick with that and find the other "spots" for the visions of charm you are toying with. Old fridge such as yours in that spot doesnt meld too well as every detail counts and the sink/fridge/stove in a more coordinated pallette is a big part. you can get a dishwasher hopefully. But before you replace the counters and lay in new floor...are the cabinets good for another cycle of 15 years or more ??? Cabinets have a life and just looking casually I think I'd consider a total renovation as perhaps the wisest route....replacement of cabs in other words.

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Can you do a better/neater/bolder drawing? Before ANYTHING I'd want the fridge to move to a new location. And certainly before any change of counter tops.

Oooh swoon! please post your finished project. i think white cabinets or green would look great with round concave pulls. and simple vtc armstrong flooring in black and white or other pattern. and i would do a fun wallpaper. for dining tables these are made in canada but a little pricey. you can still find vintage sets on ebay: https://www.anmarcos.com/cool-retro-dinettes.html

Are you actually going for a retro look? If so, I would search the internet for inspiration photos.

Where does the stove go?

Can you give an idea of budget? Many options but all budget dependent.

This thread might be of interest/inspiration:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6267628/countercultural-1940-s-ish-kitchen-restore-before-and-after#n=75

IMO mac tac on a fridge would be a horrible idea. I love the checker floor , are the counters in good shape? I think this could bea bit of fun but the fridge is too big and if you go witha counter depth one with freezer on the bottomit will fit much better where you have it now. I think moving the fridge will open up a whole can of worms . So unless a full reno is the plan I would not touch the placement of the fridge just the size .I would paint all the cabinets and the walls white take awy that window curtain and that little shelf and the trim. Hang a fun piece of retro art where that shelf is and be done.

Read the thread Jinx linked too. Your kitchen has such potential! It's fabulous that you're thinking along interesting lines, instead of "lets do everything in white" :-)

If you haven't found your way to the retro renovation website, she has a nice series on 1940s kitchen inspiration that I found useful when planning our 40s house reno. .. https://retrorenovation.com/2015/03/04/1940s-kitchen-design-style/

The kitchen in the thread Jinx linked is near perfection but I could see red instead of the aqua too. Do a true black and white square, not the tumbling blocks like in that Miami photo...

Thanks to @Pat Reddrick for asking ”Where does the stove go?”! I looked at your post before anyone had replied & was hoping it was on your floorplan but I just couldn’t enlarge it enough to find it. I was hoping I wasn’t the only one missing it & someone would ask. I’d love to know the answer & though you’ve already received some great input base on your two pics, it’d be so nice of you to post two more. One with the window behind you to show the length of room to the dining area end & the other with the sink behind you showing that little room through the doorway. Maybe the stove /range lives in there?

I love all the comments.  The stove goes under the little shelf.  I was going to go with a full remodel but I feel in love with the solid wood cabinetry and drawers.  They are in excellent shape. The countertop is not bad but has worn and faded spots.  We will probably put a dishwasher in place of the refrigerator and move the fridge to the end of the counter or mini island that will affect seating in an already small space.

@Margie Phipps - stove mystery solved, thanks! That explains the random looking shelf too. Two immediate questions on moving frig & adding dishwasher - to end of which counter? You mean on other side of one of the rounded end counters? Would you be cutting off those ends so you wouldn’t feel like / look like walking into another room? And, do you reall want the dishwasher across kitchen from the sink? Maybe I’m misunderstanding your plan but I cannot imagine how that would work well.

I get a real diner feel from your kitchen. I like your kitchen a lot. As a big fan of black, I do think your idea of a nice turquoise or teal, is a better look. Is there anything wrong with your countertops, that a good cleaning cant fix. I like them. I am hoping you will keep that retro diner look. Love it. As for seating, is there room for a diner type booth seating? If not, then, I would look for a retro chrome dining table and chairs. A round table.

If the countertops need to be replaced, what about some Boomerang Formica? (Although admittedly that's a few years later than your 1949 kitchen so....)

I think for a retro kitchen, turquoise is a very good color for that kitchen. Kitchens of that era were often, red, turquoise, and yellow. ( Ya, I am old, and yes, I do remember 1949 kitchens very well.

You are well on your way to a 50s diner vibe!! That could be really fun.

I like retro with a modern twist...

I would go white for the cabinets and keep the colour as an accent:

- Black & white floor tiles

- Retro red formica countertops

- Retro red refrigerator

- Tulip table and chairs with red cushions

- Red pendant

- Retro chrome faucet and cabineet hardware

The area can be more functional by adding extra chairs, a workstation, or even a table that folds down on hinges so that it can be utilized and then put away. Floor having black and white tiles and on the kitchen counter wall, little square colored tiles can be used to create contrast and layering to the design.