Dang, you're living in my old Aunt Alice's kitchen! Add a round table in the corner, and I can see the bunch of us cousins at lunch -- bologna sandwiches and Koolaid.

But, to your question:

- The cabinets are in good condition -- a refinish would make them good again? If so, then refinish. I've done that, and it is A WORLD OF WORK, but it is cheap. I did it when we moved into our house, and I think I worked on it for months -- one cabinet at a time (because I had a toddler and a kindergartener at the time), but it only cost something like $30 total. That was for sandpaper and new stain. I like the current shade -- it's mid-tone /vintage /simple. Doing this will be substantially less expensive and not a lot more work than replacing the cabinets.

- You say the countertops are bad and have to go? Choose something simple and white -- maybe laminate or Corian? I wouldn't go with a stone -- it wouldn't mesh with the vintage look. You have cutesy-cottage, and that's not a stone kitchen. You wallet says thank you.

- I would not go total re-gut for a rental.

If you are happy with what you have, and it all works well, just keep it.

Replace the old laminate countertop with a new laminate countertop to keep the vibe. A slight pattern (speckled) is easier to keep nice looking than plain colors.

What location is the house in, roughly? Mountains, beach, historic town? What attracts renters?

The kitchen looks 1950s to me!

@Meghan W

i believe you are correct because of the metal counter trim.

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC

You are correct. I apologize as I definetly misspoke and have corrected the age of the kitchen. The house was built in 1901. The kitchen was an add on probably in the 1950s. We believe the back porch was converted into this kitchen. The house is located in a historic town in PA. The laminate is no longer glued down which is causing the need for what to do next.

@apple_pie_order the house sits within a historic town in the mountains of PA. The area is the heartbeat of the PA Grand Canyon along with a 62-mile rail to trail through the Canyon.

I like your speckled idea. Thank you.

If you have the funds for it, I’d do a total remodel that includes replacing all floors and the ceiling tile. I’d agree with making it look more traditional. Maybe check out devol kitchen Instagram for inspiration. Emily Henderson is redoing a building on her property that is the same vintage so follow along with that as well.

The floors are very distracting. So if you’re going to keep the 50s cabinets I’d at least replace those.

Well they still make the metal applied banding for the countertops. I'd just replace those. Since they will just be flat (no post forming involved) they can be done in the field if necessary.

https://eagle-aluminum.com/retro-trim-nostalgic-50s/?srsltid=AfmBOoo2LGloLIRFeAJzRHPy_dnsBHBMrFJGuGoHPtjBGYK1kWIausf_

https://www.richelieu.com/us/en/category/moldings-corbels-and-components/metal-and-pvc-moldings-profiles-and-rails/protective-and-finishing-moldings/counter-edge-snap-on-molding/1061060/sku-MRBSS806B

https://www.wilsonart.com/laminate/virtual-design-library/retro

WilsonArt has a collection of retro designed laminate patterns.

I'd suggest replacing the floor and maybe painting the cabinets.

So what you do will depend on the budget and what style you would like to have. Do you want to make it 1950s? or a 1901 replica? or farmhouse/craftsman? Being in Pennsylvania you might consider a country-style kitchen. Looks like you have room for a table and chairs, or an island if you want it to look like anything from 1980s to the present.

If you like the layout and want to keep the cabinets, you might consider doing a 1950s style. New laminate with new metal edging could be very nice. How about the appliances--do they work well? Or could they be on their last legs? Whatever you do, make sure you have a well thought-out PLAN before removing or replacing anything.

I love your cabinets. They are pure retro/vintage. To bring out the best of your cottage's vintage kitchen, change the flooring to black and white checkerboard or red and white checkerboard. Change to plain off white countertops and white subway tile backsplash with undercabinet lighting. Paint the walls a bright creamy white. Add a red island with overhang where people can sit and gab--you have the room. As you replace appliances, go for some of the retro vintange lines out there. IMO, a vintage cottage doesn't need to be turned into a H&G generic farmouse.

Go for this feeling:

Forget what I said about white countertops. I love the banded retro linoleum countertops Beverly posted. We once rented a cottage with those. They were tough and soft at the same time. It's worth investigating and will save you a bundle.

Just adding a PS: Paint all the adjacent walls a creamy white as well for a bright open feeling.

930 Stratford · More Info

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This is one of my favorites:

Retro Kitchen · More Info

Note the retro range:

Retro Kitchen · More Info

Closeup of laminate counter top edged in metal, alongside a butcherblock top:

Retro Kitchen · More Info

And retro fridge:

Retro Kitchen · More Info

This is another early 20th century-style kitchen:

1920's Historic Kitchen · More Info

1920's Historic Kitchen · More Info

What condition are the cabinets in - both interior and exterior? It's difficult to tell from pictures b/c sometimes pictures hide or exaggerate issues. (Plus, we haven't seen the interiors of the cabinets.)

The house I grew up in was built in 1959/1960 (we moved in in 1960). The cabinets are still there, but they are not very functional. They are also built in-place with the back wall of the Kitchen serving as the back "wall" of the cabinets. The drawers stick (wood-on-wood, not drawer glides like today's drawers) and the shelves, while full-depth, are stationary and are very worn. The counters are original with the metal strip and while they are badly faded now, they're still in remarkably good shape! (They're the speckled brown Formica.) My mom still lives there and talks on & off about redoing the Kitchen (although, we've been trying to convince her to move in with us since she's alone now and 90 years old!)

If you're budget allows, I would consider replacing them with partial overlay slab fronts, external hinges, and reproducing the pulls that you have now. You could do mostly drawers - my mom's Kitchen has a 4-drawer stack, so I know they did drawers back then.

I would also get laminate for the counter, maybe with the metal strip, or if they still make them, Formica. I think they're more built-proof than laminate! (We were a household of 8 - 6 kids! They lasted throughout our entire childhoods and are still usable, even if they're no longer "pretty".)

My mom's Kitchen also originally had a scalloped molding b/w the upper cabinets flanking the sink with small open shelves on the side of each cabinet flanking the sink. (She used to grow African Violets on them.) The molding hides the light over the sink - it's an older style tube-style light.

@Buehl The drawers and cabinets are EXACTLY as you described. The paneling back wall is the back of the cabinets and the drawers are wood on wood slides. (We painted the wall paneling - hence the room wall color is blue but the cabinet back wall is brown paneling.) The drawers drop when they are opened. The shelves are nonadjustable. Openings are various sizes. They all show their wear.

Thanks for info and photos. If you are interested in a livelier, less sedate look, check out the photos in this Retro Renovation article:

https://retrorenovation.com/2015/08/04/restore-1950s-wood-kitchen/

Notice that the floor in both your kitchen and their kitchen is a dominant element: it can either rule the kitchen like yours does or it can let the wood cabinets rule.

That is a fabulous article applepie!

You have a charming vintage kitchen that has retained its beauty for over 60 years. Anything you replace will be dated and torn out again in 10 to 20 years. Just replace what needs to be replaced. Take down the window treatment and remove the stuff you have on counters. The counters can be replaced with new Formica with metal edge. The floor could be replaced with Marmoleum for a vintage vibe. The drawers can be put in glider rails to open and close more smoothly. The appliances can be replaced by vintage looking Big Chill or Smeg. These changes could be replaced again in 10 or 20 years as needed and the kitchen would retain its charm for future generations.

I always have an issue with vintage kitchens and bathrooms . We live ina different century and need different things form those spaces so a good plan first for funstion then some style thta suits the house maybe I am not saying you should go crazy but really make this work for how we live now but keep the ambience with the right choices . BTW this was my kitchen in a 1905 house becuase I needed to be able to love the space. We actaully replaced all the molding , baseborads that had been ripped out earlier but truly we needed to live how we live I do agree thta kitchen is not from 1901 so already moved on for function last time

I've said it before and I'll say it again--you CAN keep to the period of a home AND add modern conveniences. It's not an either/or decision. It is entirely a matter of personal preference as to whether you want a kitchen that honors the 1901 era of the home or makes it look ultra modern. You can still have a refrigerator, cooking appliances, a sink, garbage disposal, venting system, central heating, microwave, speed oven, air conditioning, state-of-the-art storage, or any other modern convenience. There's a difference between bad design and personal preference. Any style can be done well or poorly.

@apple_pie_order Thank you so much for sharing that article and your insights! We really appreciate all the advice and support from everyone. After considering the suggestions, we’ve decided to keep the cabinets and go with a new Formica countertop, which will free up funds to replace the floor so it complements the cabinets. Everyone's input truly helped us feel confident in this decision, and we’re excited to see how it all comes together. Thanks again for being so helpful!

^ agree 100% - the key is to figure out your own priorities for the space

FWIW when we did our kitchen in our 1925 house we had all the wood elements consistent with the original home (trim, baseboards, windows, doors, hardwoods, paneled appliances) but all the metal/or non-wood elements in the space leaned modern (hood, faucets, hardware, pendants) seemed like a nice balance and easy to change down the road if someone else wants a more period space

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC Thank you for all your insight. This has been extremely helpful in our decision to try and keep the cabinets.

I'm looking forward to seeing your progress and finished product!

Please post an update when you are ready.

Really hope you come back so we can live vicariously thru your progress ☺️ I see carpet in the next room, if it were me I’d be tempted to see if I could get continuous flooring thru the whole space - will go a really long way

We had a very similar kitchen at our cabin, the built-in-place, veneered kitchen cabinets. We lived with it for many years. The cabinets were fine until they were not. For some reason, the veneer started to seperate from the wood below and the countertops followed shortly after.

For a number of reasons, we needed to rip the former porch-turned 1950's kitchen down to the foundation.

I replaced the cabinetry with plain, locally made cabinets and gave the kitchen a woodsy vibe that suits the location. I'll try to post before and after pics.

@pennfire Thank you for sharing. We would love to see your renovation pictures. We are honestly afraid the same situation may occur here as we all know how one thing leads to another in rennovation. However, we are remaining hopeful.