In the kitchen I would simply strip the wallpaper, remove the ruffled curtains, and get a faux sisal rug big enough to cover most of the floor in the room. When I saw your saloon doors, I smiled! Yes, remove those, too. Strip the wallpaper in the dining room, too. Your living room has great potential! Stripping wallpaper, if the walls were prepped properly, is therapeutic. Instant gratification! Then paint…at this point, neutral colors. And live in the refreshed space until you can take on a reno. Congratulations on your new old home!

So, inexpensive, quick fixes for now. The house is in great shape for its vintage.

Floors: Wouldn’t it be great if there were hardwood under the shag carpet? Short term solution - consider removing the carpet and having sheet vinyl flooring installed throughout (kitchen too, right on top of what you have) for now. This sells for $1/sf at HD, and they have installation services. Longer term - vinyl plank costs 3x as much as sheet vinyl, so if you decide to go that route you will be keeping what you pick - buy extra boxes! If walls move in the future you will never be able to find the same floors.

Walls/Doors: You will not want the paneling or the saloon doors in future, so remove them now along with the border in the kitchen as @arcy_gw advises, and paint the walls one pleasant, neutral color throughout.

Kitchen Cabinets: Paint them. It is a lot of work, but it will make a huge difference. Do it properly, use good prep and quality paint. By the time you are done you won’t want to do it again. I like color in a kitchen, but you have a white oven and vent hood. If you will have a white fridge, you might consider painting the cabinets white.

Appliances: You are going to think this is a ”later” thing, but measure the space around the sink and find a spot to install an 18” dishwasher, even if it means having a smaller sink. You have face frame cabinets, and this is doable. If you don’t do it now you will live for the next decade without a dishwasher.

Counter tops: For now, you are likely to keep what you’ve got, but you can DIY re-laminate your counter. This is Wilsonart and it is $25/sf at HD.

Living Room: I actually like this space a lot! With a new flooring, no paneling, and some paint on the walls (and maybe eventually some beam covers) it’s going to be your favorite room. Look at how much light pours into that space. I would just clean the brick for now. Don’t paint it until you know what you are going to do

Get the floors done before you move in. Soooooo much easier. same floors over the entire first floor.

Obviously get rid of those curtains.

In the kitchen, remove wallpaper and paint the walls all one color. If budget allows, replace countertop, sink and cooktop. Cabinets look in good shape.

P.S. I would totally buy this house. Great, spaceous rooms in a good location with land. Good buy.

You've got a plan: systems first (HVAC and water), roof, and unify the flooring (fingers crossed for hardwood under the carpet that you can match/extend in all spaces except baths/laundry).

For the kitchen: once the flooring is done, it'll look better. I'd remove the curtains and wallpaper border, fix damage if removal messes the drywall and paint to match what's already there. I'd stop there since you already know the layout isn't functional with the dishwasher across the room from the sink. Looks like you need a fridge so that would be the only other expense for now. Save up for a gut reno. I wouldn't open up the wall between the kitchen and living room.

Since removing tht wall is not going to happen right now if the flooring is being tackled make sure you get enought to that kitchen later just store the extra flooing in the basement or even the garage but will acclimating when ready . I think this house will be awesome when done so take your time and honestly clean that kitchen and just leave it for now .

Wow, your house is really a time capsule, and in a good way!

Before you do anything, move in and live in it for a while. Then slowly start developing a plan for how you want to live there and what your renovation budget is. The plan should reflect how long you want to stay there.

You specifically asked about the kitchen, that you can't live with it as is. Do all the appliances work? If so, you're lucky in that you have time to plan. For the time being, I'd just remove the wallpaper and the curtains, paint the walls, and place a neutral rug on the floor. Maybe get a new light fixture. Anything else is just a waste of money and effort.

Gotta love the floor vent right in front of the countertop between refrigerator and sink, prime sandwich and cereal crumb-dropping area!

But oh, the saloon doors. When I was 8 years old I’d have thought those were awesome.

@eam44 gave you a perfect plan. Doing the floors before you move in is a great idea (and yes, get a lot of extra for the future). Then you need to remove all the wallpaper and paint, paint, paint! If you feel you can tackle it, paint the kitchen cabinets (it’s not that hard, just remember prepping is key).

Then enjoy your house. Make long term plans and a schedule for what and when. If you really, really need a dishwasher, choose which finish you will want for your future kitchen (stainless? white?)

Congratulations on your new home!

In the kitchen and back hall and that bathroom by the back door, I would replace the floor with a vinyl sheet flooring. Even if it will be replaced later, it will be less distracting. We did that in our 1959 time capsule split level. We ended up not getting to a full kitchen remodel before we moved, but the fresh floor was nice to live with. and we took down the kitchen wallpaper and painted.

We also took up the carpet (yep, some shag!) and the ceramic tile by the front door (after an hour working away at the tile ourselves, we let the flooring guy take it out, totally worth the cost) and had the wood floors refinished and cured for two weeks before we moved in.

Just those cosmetic changes made the house much nicer to live in while we tackled the remodeling, room by room.

Agree with floor, paint, curtains. Your house will be FABULOUS when you are done. It sounds like a wonderful find. Congratulations!!!!

You could apply epoxy paint (like they use for garage floors) over the kitchen vinyl. That would go a long way to calming things down. My next priority would be getting rid of the wallpaper (?) border and painting the walls one color. I could live with the counter and cabinet color indefinitely.

I really like the white brick in the living room. Hopefully that wasn't part of your "don't get me started." I could live without the spindles, though.

Chiming in to suggest cosmetics for now:

--Curtains, wallpaper, saloon doors removed.

--New vinyl flooring for kitchen and hall. As suggested, get extra in case you want to keep flooring when you redo kitchen down the road. Match slightly varieted flooring to your countertops so they echoeach other.

Daniels Design Kitchens · More Info

--Get a color consultant to advise you on all-house white paint color that harmonizes with dark wood. Remove wainscoting in dining room and saloon doors, of course, and the wallpaper in there. Get a great dining room pendant.

--Check what's under the shag carpeting. If wood, remove carpeting and refinish floors.

--I really like the living room. Nothing drastic there until you live with it for awhile.

Oh you have my sympathy! We have been rehabing this 1973 ranch for 24 years so i know your pain. Kitchen has had 2 refreshing so far. You have already gotten alot of the advice I would give.

My extra warning is check your homeowners insurance about those cast iron sewer pipes under the house. when they rust out it can ruin your new floors and if you don't have the right rider on your policy the insurance company doesn't cover the underground repairs.

Save scraps of all that wallpaper you will strip. It will be a trip through the decades. I got lime green, burnt orange and brown on silver mylar. count your blessing if you don't have chocolate brown faux marble tub and sinks. Yes epoxy paint will be your friend but wear a good mask and use fans.

it will be awkward at first but you will learn to appreciate some of the quirks so live when it a bit. welcome to the swinging seventies ranch rehab.

Oh, gosh, thanks @RedRyder 😊

If you will be removing walls, don’t do the floors, except for replacing the carpet.

What's the budget for flooring? How many square feet?

A thought for the future. There is a wall next to the door in the kitchen to accomodate a refrigerator. When you do a gut renovation of that area, you can locate a counter depth refrigerator on the wall opposite the sink. Then the wall can come down and the dishwasher moved next to the sink. Get rid of the diagonal corner cabinets.

I actually think the vinyl is retro cool. I would paint the cabinets a color that complements it and looks ok with the white oven. I wouldn't paint the same white as the oven - it's much too bright a white for a whole kitchen. I'd take down the curtains as all have suggested and remove the wallpaper. I can't tell what the backsplash is, maybe it's just wallpaper, too? You can get peel and stick tiles that are easy to apply and look good enough until you do a gut job. It's going to be a fun house to improve.

Dark wood cabinetry is in again so I wouldn't waste the $$ on that and to do it right it would be a major investment plus, the design on the cabinetry isn't going away with paint! Sooo not worth it. I think the idea of a large flat rug to cover the flooring is genius! Go with all the other suggestions that are the same, remove wall paper etc and it will be good enough for now.

@houssaon - pretty close to the idea I have in mind - I would like to relocate the stove to the wall where the fridge used to be, I want to keep that wall by the outside door because there is a half bath in the hallway (which I do not want in my kitchen area) with the stove relocated and the fridge on the wall across from the sink - I will be able to open the wall where the stove and oven are currently placed and put an island there - the corner cabinets will be gone and the dishwasher will be by the sink!

Three products can make your countertop and vinyl flooring much easier to keep clean.

For countertops, the original formula Gel-Gloss https://www.gel-gloss.com/ or Jubilee Kitchen Wax https://www.amazon.com/Malco-Products-Jubilee-Kitchen-Wax/dp/B00CBSRIWM will clean and shine beautifully. Both are long-lasting.

For vinyl flooring, good old Mop N Glo works wonders https://www.amazon.com/Mop-Glo-Citrus-Multi-Surface-Cleaner/dp/B005SRVNRO The floor needs to be cleaned thoroughly the first time before Mop N Glo is applied, then it's smooth sailing.

Thank you everyone such awesome and super helpful advice!

@eam44 - Thank you some awesome advice and very usable info! IF Only there were wod floors under that carpet - we think it's just a slab -

@housegal200 THANK you some great ideas! IF ONLY we had wood under that carpet - but alas - I think it may be particle board over a cement slab - we were planning on doing ceramic floor tile that looks like wood (which is what we have in our house now and love well because - DOG- but not sure if it will go with the dark beams in the living room. I do like the living room image with the light wood flooring with the white walls and the dark beams you posted above. I think the bricks in thw living romm may have gret grout though - not sure.

@arcy_gw YES!! the losing traction on "THE PLAN" is what I worry about - I have gotten some great ideas on this forum and realize I may be able to live without the redo for a while so should focus on getting some ideas for the flooring and the living room paint and decor.

More than one person suggested to just use vinyl flooring - that is actually a great idea - we can just get extra of whatever we use on the rest of the main floor and save it for when/if we remove the wall in the dining area (that has the saloon doors) - Dark cabinets are in again? I am so out of touch ... I was thinking of doing that two toned painted cabinet thing - maybe, eventually.

I just had a thought - maybe I could just remove the cabinets over the cooktop and just do a cut out to the dining area and put a counter and some stools on the other side ... I dunno - my kitchen where we live now (which by the way I got lots of help from everyone in these forums with) is open to our family room now (photo of when it was recently finished is below) so I think I am going to feel a little isolated.

This place is already landscaped and is beautiful outside with two patios in the back, the reason we went with this house in the first place and just overlooked all the cosmetic stuff - it is literally the worst looking house (on the inside) in the best neighborhood we could move into - it has a lot of property in the front which my husband uses the flat part on the bottom as a garden - we shall see - I do not garden - hahaha but the huzz likes outside and we both felt super comfortable and at home as soon as we walked into that back yard. I posted some pictures so you can get an idea of the outside .

Just wanted to say congrats on the house - what a fabulous find!

Such great advice above - this process (while sometimes frustrating and tiring) can be special, so try not to feel rushed - i know that’s easier said than done but one day you will look back on this time really fondly ❤️

(we fixed up a neglected 1920’s home and i get so nostalgic looking back at the original pics)

Haha, lalaGirl! I'm still fixing up a 1920s home! Can't believe the old girl made it to 100!

You have correctly followed the Golden Rule of Real Estate- location, location, location. Bravo! You can always change the interior of a house but you can’t move it.

Start a plan. I know that sounds hokey but if you have a plan, then you can start to shop and figure out what things will cost, how to possibly lower some and what you really, really want. If your kitchen is older, you might have solid wood cabinets and a refacing job can be considered. Or do you want to change the whole layout dramatically? Figuring this out means looking at kitchens and saving photos of what you love. “Window shopping” appliances gives you a good idea what those will cost.

This can be a fun process for you. And now you have free advice and a cheering section!

@ Diana love it! i call our house ”the Mrs.” 😍 i have sons so i like the house being female

You definitely made a good choice! I could live with the interior if I had that property! Having morning coffee on that back patio would be a dream!

I agree with the first post about the kitchen, but sisal rugs are expensive. I would go on YouTube and see if there is a product to PAINT the vinyl flooring. It is the gorilla in the room and needs to change for your sanity. You are doing great by being patient and going from there. Well done. And you are not alone as many of us Houzzers have had ghastly first homes, but so cozy to live in. Win win.

Just chiming in to say i LOVE the brick in your living room. OMG so jealous. when you remove the rug and do a different floor, it's going to look amazing. something so expensive looking about solid material instead of the standard drywall.

Sisal rugs are expensive? Those natural fiber rugs (sisal, jute, abaca) are just about the least expensive floor coverings you can buy. I got an 8x10 hand braided jute rug with a latex backing on Amazon for $300.

Made by Safavieh, no shipping charges.

Maybe I’m thinking incorrectly here but a sisal rug in a kitchen just sounds wrong. All those crumbs? Nah.

Painting the vinyl, or just covering it with a plain piece of finished carpeting, is maybe a solution. Or just live with it - knowing you’re making a plan to redo the whole space.

I wouldn’t put sisal in kitchen. It feels wrong….Maybe a bound piece of very low pile carpet (?)

I would just live with it, knowing you are starting a plan to redo the whole space.

Hi Itza,

We feel your pain about this current look, but you’ll be able to make your space completely yours by remodeling it, which is a huge advantage.

You have two options: go for color (green or blue) or keep things neutral (light wood and white). Here's an idea I put together:

Reach out to me on my Houzz profile if you need more professional help.

So happy there are so many people here with such great ideas and advice - found this and it gives me an idea of what the space could look like with new flooring, hardware, some paint and painting the soffit to match the cabinets and adding some crown molding - I could live with this ...

Great news - no major expenses on the table - roof can be repaired, hot water heater is fine, electrical and plumbing issues are minor, soooo - we can concentrate on interior - this is the flooring we have in our home now - would love to use it in the new place as well at least on the main level - I think our style is like a global rustic is that a thing ?- LOL I don't know ... I just made that up I think

I do love this tile would love o use it somewhere - maybe downstairs powder room behind sink or maybe in kitchen as backsplash - it comes in glossy or matte can't decide what I like more

love the colors in these drapes - we have them now in the family room and they are sort of my inspiration piece

considering paint in all rooms a light tan cream color - we have SW Row House Tan through out my current home but that may be too dark for this house so considering BM Natural cream and the brick work BM Swiss Coffee. Would all this work with the dark kitchen cabinets, or will I need to go forward and just re-do the kitchen?

Also my husband does like the retro floor in the kitchen - it is in REALLY good shape - but it is so much gold in it - I don't know how that could work - is there a way to tone it down or make it work with what all else is going on?

You are planning to tile the entire main floor in porcelain wood look tile? Where are you located?

When I had the beach cottage in CT I chose tile for my entryway. The tile is maintenance free, but grout isn’t. You have to re-seal it every 6 months. That’s an awful lot of grout to maintain, and re-seal every year. I tired of that very quickly. You’ve lived with it before, so you know. Are you sure that’s what you want?

@eam44 yes - it's ok - this house is in Marion, VA - the tile was installed pretty much flush with very little grout and a dark epoxy grout was used - very vey low maintenance!

ditto ShadyWillowFarm and also remove the wall paper strip from around the backsplash area as well as the decorative wooden valence hanging over the top of the kitchen window.

Carpet on kitchen floor? Doesn’t sound good to me. I’d live with the floor pattern until it’s time to make big changes. A smallish washable standing mat , maybe.

Try to super- streamline things on counter, declutter aggressively so you make the most use of storage and can easily put things away. Efforts to reduce visual overload.

so making progress - and we did decide not to do anything MAJOR until we are using the kitchen on a regular basis - flooring was installed in the entire main level ( this is a tri-level), after discussing with the guy that was going to paint the cabinets, it was decided to strip the kitchen cabinets and stained them, the soffit was removed and stock cabinets placed over the existing - don't love it but I don't hate it and can live with it until the kitchen is re-done, since eventually we will get new cabinets and granite counters - going for a cozy kinda laid back rustic Puerto Rican country with a little Spanish colonial humble home with a Moorish influence (like Spain and Portugal) look and feel in this home -

Next steps for the temporary face lift (suggestions welcome)

1. I would like to add SOME of this tile for personality and color - we will paint and add some tile maybe behind the cooktop and not sure where else ( a border?) or wallpaper - can't decide,

2. replace the counter with a laminate or butcher block, install a new sink (the double stainless is just not working for us)

3. choose some type of window treatment

and

4. figure out what can go along that large wall where we currently have the small counter height table - I would love to have some sort of narrow cabinet on that side for a coffee maker mugs etc but I do need a spot for us to have breakfast or lunch -

ALSO - is there any way to minimize how WHITE that oven looks without changing it out - it sticks out like a sore thumb - we will get a new one eventually - but not until we get new cabinets - so it may be a while

we ended up painting SW Shoji White (35 darker) and the downstairs looks so clean - no personality - yet - this room is narrow so need to be careful - I will be adding curtains in here - and getting the chair cushions re-upholstered to lighten the set up - need some artwork or something - love the dishes - Fitz & Floyd - Carissa Paisley pattern - they are sort of an inspiration

Congratulations, that's a big jump to the modern world. The paisley plates are good inspiration.

We spray painted our white dishwasher when we bought new ss fridge and oven. It is not perfect, but it is way better than the startk white. The dishwasher was only months old when the fridge crapped out, so we didnt want to replace it again.

I was so glad to see your posting today, Itza! You are doing a great job, and it certainly doesn't look like everyone's white/gray boring kitchen!

I love those tiles--they have a great homemade look and the colors are perfect for the look you want. Butcher block would look good, but don't go too dark. Laminate gives you lots of options, and is budget friendly. Pick a light/bright color from your tile. Love the plates, but do those colors appear in your tile? The turquoise would be great for a counter top.

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC sadly no, I was looking for a tile in the colorway but came across the one shown above and fell in love, the dishes will be used mostly in the dining room so could use those colors in there - I love that aqua/turquoise and own some solid colored serving pieces, I picked up a set of the Fitz & Floyd dishes on FB marketplace - lots of them including covered veggie dish, meat platter, berry/fruit bowls - for $40 so couldn't pass them up - they remind me of my curtains - which I plan on using in the dining room

Love the colors!!

I think the first thing I would do is remove the texture from the ceiling.

I love the tile inspiration!!!

I’d also consider changing the hardware.

Oh yes, I remember the curtains--amazing how the dishes work so well with them! I love those colors too--such happy colors!