For me a lot would depend on my budget - and other considerations like how long I will be in the house etc

I would really want new flooring, simple fresh white counters, and would want to get that fridge recessed and out of the aisle - I’d also want improved lighting (the hanging cord by the sink would make me crazy) - so if it were me and budget were a consideration, I’d be tempted to leave the cabinets and work on other elements to make the space work better for me, but it’s personal

Depending on budget/cost, I too would be tempted to leave the cabinets as-is.

A good cabinet paint job can be expensive. The cabinets need to be properly prepped including sanding them until smooth. I can’t tell from the photos how smooth the wood surface is.

Restaining cabinets also requires good time-consuming prep. Realistically you may only get good re-staining results if you go with a darker stain.

I know there is a part of you that wants to keep vintage things but my opinion is we do not live in 1962 when it comes to kitchens and bathrooms . We live differently now and to spen huge $$$$$ having those painted to last is IMO a waste of money . So if you want to keep them then improve your lighting first then see how it is. THat means some pot lights for good oveall lighting . I like LED 4000K for the bulbs. That backsplash has to go IMO the counter looks fine but I have no idea what it is. The cabinets can certainly lean MCM no problem but how does the kitchen function is the question . Having those painted properly will cost as much as na brand new Ikea kitchen still in the same MCM feel but SO MUCH better . New counters on a poorly functioning kitchen is IMO throwing money out the window.This is kitchen 1956 original with a gut and redo in Ikea went from poor function to amazing function , maybe just new lighting for now and see what else needs to be done to work for how you use the space .

vintage in this case is synonymous with simply OLD ..to be polite. You have old appliances / lack a dishwasher/ old counters / old simple cabinets with interiors not equal to modern day stock cabinets. I would leave everything alone exept a good cleaning maybe some poly top coat on those/change hardware. Then save for a full remodel. You'll frustrate yourself doing too much without really accomplishing anything. The nice thing is , if you accept the simple galley layout , a full Ikea kitchen installed will be reasonably priced, so much nicer, you'll be glad if you wait for a replacement of everything.

At almost 65 years old those cabinets have done thier time. Putting money into updating this kitchen without replacing them would be a waste IMHO. A couple of the drawers look broken, the top handles are too high the bottom ones too low, not enough drawers etc. You could paint the backsplash a light color similar to the counter to lighten the look while you wait to redo kitchen.

Try looking through the 21 photos of 1962 kitchens on this page (link below) to see what the differences are between the way your kitchen looks today and kitchens back then. The photos are ads where cheerful, colorful, patterned informality is on display. What's happened to your kitchen is that it has lost its original zing: its finishes have gone drab, the lighting is inadequate. If you want to aim for an early 1960's look, page through these photos.

https://retrorenovation.com/2011/09/12/decorating-a-1960s-kitchen-21-photos-with-even-more-ideas-from-1962-kitchens/comment-page-2/

I also recommend looking at websites such as Atomic Ranch.

https://www.atomic-ranch.com/

What I did? Gutted the kitchen. Replaced everything; did not move plumbing, so dishwasher is next to sink. It was the soffit which did me in....

Have you allowed a budget that enables you to redo this kitchen? It is time to gut this kitchen. You have plywood boxes there. Nothing worth saving.

If it isn't attainable now, wait and save and do it the right way.

The condition and type of wood/how it will take staining might be a good first step. I’d take one door off, strip and test different stains as the wood type will make a difference (do you know what it is?). Only head MCM if it suits adjoining spaces; but there are happy mediums.

If you decide to paint, there are all kinds of colors other than white and if interested, take a look on line for ideas that appeal to you/feel coordinated with your adjoining spaces and if keeping flooring, be sure they are complementary.

No matter what you choose to do, fill the holds/sand and place new hardware elsewhere. If budget allows, choose new countertops, backsplash, lighting, and add molding if feasible.

Photos of an updated galley kitchen that is a similar size to yours.

Cabinets to the ceiling, no soffits, mostly drawers, range instead of cooktop & wall ovens, counter depth paneled fridge, DW added.

Comments/answers from the designer say that the kitchen is 8 ft wide.

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If you cabinet boxes are in good shape, then consider just getting new door fronts for them. Instead of removing the soffit add molding to extend the look of the cabinets to the ceiling. Add a new countertop and backsplash, hardware and faucet to refresh the look. The green is a nice mid century modern color that isn’t too overwhelming.

Flat wood like yours is a time consuming but pretty easy DIY to strip, sand and re-stain and poly!! But it would be worth the time and soo cost effective!! What you have is blotchy and tired. Painting is just not cost effective. It's not DIY and it will cost most of the cost of what new cupboards would. Yes to new hardware. Something lighter. I would not remove the soffit. What you want is to the ceiling cabinets and unless you replace what you have..you will just have open space above. Adding crown to give the illusion of to the ceiling cabinetry and painting it all out is a great faux look but then you have to paint the cabinets--and the cost/ value is just not there. As far as counter and back splash...I love the newest matching stone for both. Could you do this look with MCM laminate??? Not so sure. I know it looked horrid in my kitchen when we purchased this home. It was super dark wood grain laminate.

You need much better lighting no matter what. The big shadow cast from the cabinets on to your floor is a larger problem than the tone of the cabinets. Solve that and you will find yourself with a much brighter kitchen.

Does the kitchen as is function adequately for you? Do you have enough drawers? Are the cabinets easily accessible for you? Do you wish you had a dishwasher? How long have you been in th house? Painting is expensive. It won't fix the functionality issues. If replacing the entire kitchen doesn't work for you, I would consider replacing the countertops with a fresh new laminate, leaving off the 4" backsplash, and replacing the mosaic backsplash with something that matches the new countertop. Chrome hardware was more suited to mid century modern kitchens. I think what would really help in your kitchen is replacing the single overhead light with new led pot lights.

Palimpsest's post on what to do suggested some excellent tactics.

The pale blue cabinets and fabulous turquoise tile in Chispa's example photos would be lovely in this kitchen. If fancy tile isn't in the budget, you could wallpaper the backsplash instead.

The 1962 cabinets look like red birch, a very popular wood used with a clear finish back then. The oil-based finish has yellowed with time. They would probably be relatively easy to strip and refinish, but then you'd end up with knob and pull holes in the current inconvenient locations. Fresh paint could be a more versatile choice.

Perhaps one of the designers who does simulations will post a photo.

I think it would be hard to lean into MCM here, because most of the MCM elements have already been replaced. The fridge, sink light, floor, and smooth cooktop can’t be original, and I suspect the formica-style countertop is also a replacement; it’s in too good a condition to be 64 years old. The cabinets and backsplash are the only truly vintage elements, not enough to carry the whole room. Therefore if you change them in any way, you’ll lose only one feature, and you won’t lose the entire vibe, which is already gone. Keeping those cabinets means living without a dishwasher, microwave drawer, more drawers below the counters, and without a heat-resistant countertop. If it were me, I’d push my budget as far as I could to replace the cabinets. I agree that there’s no point in painting them.

I like your kitchen and think that if it’s only in the budget to do a small refresh then go for it. Painting cabinets does not have to be that hard. Clean, sand, prime and use Benjamin Moore Advance paint. Take your time and you can give those old cabinets a lift. They won’t look brand new, but I don’t think that’s what you’re going for anyway. Add new laminate countertops, if stone or solid surface isn’t in the budget. New lighting, wall color and accessories will help freshen it up.

Are your cabinets all real wood? They appear to be in the photos. For myself, I would strip them, sand and get them into shape to receive a new finish whether that would be paint or stain. That would be no easy task but if you are handy it is certainly something you can do yourself.

I admit, the cabinets need some work. Regardless if you stain them, or if you paint them, they need to be sanded really well. If you decide on paint, then fill in those holes for the hardware, so when you are all done, you can drill new holes, and put the handles in the correct place. They will also need to be cleaned very well, for either paint or stain to work well. If its painting you decide on, then once they are cleaned and sanded really good, wipe them down well, so no dust, and prime them with a top quality sealing bonding primer, and follow directions for drying time, for both the special cabinet paint, and primer, between coats. It may take you 3 coats of paint, but, for sure it will be 2. Its not something to do in a hurry, its something you take your time with. Prep is the most important thing, so you wont end up with a peeling chipped mess after you have used them a short while. Painting cabinets takes time, and no rushing. It could take a month to get them all painted. Its a lot of hard work too.

Updated black hardware, faucet. Simple white subway backsplash or could be just painted wall.

Cabinets painted in taupe- and it could be this dark or lighter taupes. Burnished brass hardware. I left the backsplash for the artistry and mcm- but could of course alternatively be changed.

New dimmable ceiling lights, under cabinet lighting. I think wall paint color could also be a bit lighter/brighter. But hard to tell from your pics, with the shadows, etc.

Some affordable upgrades to spiff up current kitchen:

--plain white subway tiles backsplash and very lightly patterned new countertops.

--updated overhead light in white

--paint walls white

--new sink with black faucet

--more modern black hardware

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--consider black and white checkerboard vinyl floor

We have a similar 60s (40s?) kitchen that was pretty trashed when we moved in 40 years ago. Immediately we stained the cabinets reddish brown, put in new laminate counters, tiled the floor and installed the backsplash, all ourselves with the help of my mother and grandfather. Fastforward to 2026, we were ready to tackle the kitchen. We had a company give an estimate for new doors, drawers, refacing, countertops. The price was way too much in our opinion and decided to begin upgrades ourselves. The doors were flat plywood with very dated hardware. My DH began to redo the face of each drawer and cabinet by adding a 2" rail/style of wood (mostly used an old maple cabinet that was in our garage for ages). There wasnt enough wood for every door, so the upper cabinets got MDF since no chance of water damage up there. He filled and sanded, got them prepped for the professional painters. Painters were able to come in and tape off and spray everything. With new hardware (hinges, drawer slides, knobs/pulls) the kitchen feels so fresh and new. Added lights inside pot cabinet. Undercabinet light. Extra shelf inside my spice cabinet so I can get a row of jars up high. New pendant lights on the way. It all looks so great to us that we have put on hold plans to redo the flooring, backsplash, counter. Those can wait longer, as I love my kitchen just fine as it is. Going from brown to BM edgecomb gray made such a change! You just might find your kitchen is much improved with these kinds of cosmetic changes. New drawer slides make a huge difference, as ours were at least 45 years old, maybe more.

^ wow that looks so great @teckelhound ✨

That made a huge difference.

It looks very nice. That was a big job! I’m glad you are happy, @teckelhound. :)

You posted two different angles on your kitchen ”before and after”. But I can still see that you may have also changed the wall paint color; and I see you changed the window treatment, and cleared the window sill and counters a bit for the picture. You also mention that you added undercab lighting. Did you change the ceiling light? If that is a fluorescent box in your original pic- I hope you change it and or change the tubes, too, if possible. It would make the space look and feel even better. And something that is dimmable would be the best option.

If minimum change, then I would replace the sink, hardware and microvwave for a black ones to fit oven and cooking plate - in this way you will get harmony through all euipment. I would repaint only the upper cabinets under the soffit - in this way you will get more lighter feeling, you will reach optical effect of minimalization of upper wooden cabinets by its uniting with soffit, you keep other wooden vintage pieces, and .... you eliminate the tunnel effect that you have right now (dark cabinets on both side of narrow space) and change backsplash.

To Freedomplace1: good observations and I like your suggestions. The flourescent fixture is hideous but its been there 40 years, hiding some bad damage in the ceiling. We are going to take it down and repair ceiling when it comes time to paint walls and ceiling. The wall color was not changed recently (RH silver sage). The window valence was removed and not coming back. The window sills cleared off and minimal items put back...convenience VS clutter. We are working on installing recessed lighting over the counter and main work triangle. The peninsula will get pretty West Elm pendants, and a new coordinating one over the sink to replace the present utility one . Once pendants and 2 recessed lights installed, then we will know better how many more recessed (and type) the remaining space needs. Since we do our own work, we can take our time.

If on a budget, keep the cabinets as they are, replace all hardware (fill left behind holes with wood filler and touch up with matching stain marker. On darker wood like yours the repair is usually nearly invisible.) Paint the walls in a warm white. Replace the ceiling light, light above the sink, and faucet. Also install under cabinet lighting. You can find nice melamine for countertops in plain white or with very subdued veining. Install a white subway style tile backspash. Install a roman shade on the window and find a washable runner in a colour you like.

@lisedv has it! Her rendering looks fantastic.. Her approach will give you a real refresh on a small budget and less hassle. Save up for a full redo way down the road.

I posted something similar up thread, using the OP’s actual cabinets. In fact, looks like same exact black faucet as in the more recently posted sketch. I used white subway tile, etc.

@teckelhound - You will definitely notice a difference when you change out the fluorescent lighting. The whole space will look and feel very different.

Sounds like you have a good plan in the works for adding recessed lighting and pendants.

@Jana Addison: I also like @Jana Kadlicová - JK DECO’s idea of possibly just painting the upper cabinets that are flanking the windows. Painting those cabinets- or alternatively just removing those cabinets- could open up the space. And of course, would be a lot easier, as well as potentially more cost effective, than painting all of them. Plus, you keep the majority of the vintage.

I know you said that you do not want a white kitchen, and I don’t blame you. I used white in this visual to show the concept; but it would not have to be a bright white like this. It could be a warmer white, or beige, or a light taupe, etc. But there is a benefit to painting them the color of the walls and soffit, so that they disappear.

I like your kitchen as it is. I think with a change of backspash tile, or just paint on the backsplash wall area- plus, a few other minor changes and lighting changes/adjustments, etc. - the wood cabinets all work fine. I like the vintage look. And as @palimpsest wisely noted: these cabinets will outlast any ”new” cabinets that you would bring in. And slab cabinet doors are ”modern”. And really- who needs to see another new, supposedly modern/ essentially cheaply made- version of the shaker. So what you have as far as cabinetry is good; I can definitely understand why you would keep the cabinets. The idea that was offered, of only painting the upper cabinets on the soffit wall, is just another option for you; and I think it’s a good one.

So, you have lots of options!