I didn't think the before was so bad. Unfortunately, I don't think the after is quite my tastes.
I really like the open shelving, but somehow the cabinet over the fridge isn't working for me. Maybe I just need a more modern eye!

I agree 100% Lemort1, I love the before.

I prefer the after. The before kitchen isn't too bad. I could live with it. But, those wood furnishings have a clunky feel to them. I guess I'm not a fan of traditional furnishings. I love the lightness of the after kitchen.

not really into the lower cabinets in the after. too ikea---hate the pulls.

The before is much more with the style of the house. I like the remodeled kitchen, too, but between the two, I like the before.

wow. the before has great bones. i would have done some updating, but it's great!

after is so blah and looks like ikea.

sad. i wish i had a before like that to start from.

the layout of the kitchen looks incredibly impractical. the sink, fridge and stovetop are awkwardly placed relative to each other. and, though neutral, there is something unattractive about the "after" kitchen that i can't quite put my finger on... maybe just the way it is photographed. the cabinets look very yellow, and the wall color seems to have some red to it.

I don't think the "before" was terrible or out of date (especially in a 100 year old house), it's just cozy and traditional instead of contemporary. For instance, my house is a 90 year old craftsman bungalow and the kitchen is styled to suit the house- sleek fixtures and cabinetry would look redonk. I definitely like how bright and airy the after is, but I just prefer cozy quirky kitchens myself.

In another five to ten years everybody's going to look at these sleek cabinets, fixtures, and trendy subway tile backsplashes and go "woah, totally 2010".

I think the after is a nice update, but one that will need to be revisited again soon-ish. The kitchen went from one version of (admittedly outdated) trendy to a current, but still trendy, style. Hopefully the owners enjoy re-doing the space every 10-15 years.

I agree with many commenters, there is nothing wrong with the original kitchen and today's "modern" decor is quickly considered outdated with the passage of (not much) time. There's nothing wrong with the new kitchen either, and if the owners love it, more power to them, but I hate this idea of "outdated" that's geared to doing away with perfectly good items/decor so somebody can make money selling us something new that we really don't need.

Though I agree the original kitchen needed help, as it looks very 1991-country-style to me, it sure would be nice to see a kitchen remodel in an older (pre-midcentury) that respects, or at the very least, gives a nod to, the architecture of the time. Sick of seeing sleek, tight, modern in old, cozy settings. really sick of it. It's just as noxious as "country clutter" in a 1960's modern house.

WOW! This update sure got a bashing! If the homeowner's happy, I'm happy...

Hmmm. I agree, the "before" kitchen wasn't so bad, though not exactly to my tastes. Those backspalsh tiles and counter-top scream mid-90s. (I can just hear the opening theme song to Friends!) I do like how they turned the island around... gives a nicer sense of flow to the kitchen, rather than the "barricaded-in" feel from the before. And I do like the extra light that seems to be shining in (was an extra window added off to the right side?) Not so crazy about the fridge placement... my eye was drawn to it right away, in a bad way. Anyhow, it looks like this kitchen was re-done 15-20 years ago, no way is it original, so who cares if they do it again in another 15? Nice job, I say!

The new kitchen is so much brighter and has a more open feel. I don't think a home's "date of birth" has to dictate all future remodels.

Consider the Europeans, who often put very sleek and modern kitchens into centuries-old homes.

I like this kitchen, but not in home that is 110 years old! What were they thinking?

There was nothing outdated about the kitchen before - it had the Viking Restaurant-Style stove, a farmhouse sink, great cabinets & integrated freestanding furniture, a chandelier over the island, lovely tilework and plenty of cozy traditional style.

Now it's bland and cold - How sad.

Hmm. Torn on this one as I agree that a simpler refresh of the original might have achieved the stated goals and with a bit more character.

For whatever reason I'm really having a hard time connecting with the upper cabinets. They just look like institutional wood boxes to me. Perhaps they give off a better vibe in person. Photos can be deceiving.

I don't dislike either de before or the after. I just think maybe it wasn't the case for a full remodel. A few little changes might have made the kitchen lighter and more fluid without all that expense. But hey, it's their money, their kitchen and as jimc said, if they are happy...

Doesn't anyone else wonder what happened to the door?

Renovations always seem to go in one of two directions. Either they're updating to the current fashion, or they're restoring original fixtures. (What exists is either not modern enough or not retro enough.) Sometimes it's laughable. In a house like this, one can imagine that the next renovation will be to restore a semblance of the original c. 1900 kitchen. Like other posters, I am unimpressed by the idea that a kitchen that is okay should be totally renovated... seems wasteful of resources. Here the new decor seems kind of institutional and the colors are somehow off. Just removing the fussy blinds and replacing the colored backsplash tiles would have achieved a lot.

I just don't see the before as "seriously out of date." I wish my kitchen looked that great! Modern kitchens feel cold and lifeless to me, too. Give me warm and practical any day.

I totally thought the before picture was the after picture. Whoops! I would love to have a kitchen that looks like the before. It looks so cozy and inviting.

Do you think they'd want to send me some of the salvaged materials?? ;)

Mh. The before loks a bit dark, needed something fresh, but I think I still prefer it over the after. After is not bad though!

Wow, I never realized how many people seem to want to live in purist museums.

I LOVE the new kitchen. I think it looks classically modern, not "2010" and I think it's easy to dress up with accessories and/or wall color. I didn't like the "before" at all, especially that garish backsplash. Those were unpleasant at best when they were popular, and worse now, and ugliness is never in style!

I have no problem with people wanting to retain period architecture and details, including museum kitchens, for themselves. But it's a standard nobody else is obliged to live up to. This IS 2010. There is nothing wrong with your home interior reflecting that.

I think it's the styling of the 2nd photo--it looks like an ad for something, rather than an actual home. Not my taste, but whatever.

okay so both kitchens are fine depending on your tastes but (and this is what my husband and i are facing with our impending re-do) changing the original kitchen was kind of a waste, no? i mean it looked almost brand new! at least it was done within the last 5-7 years. i feel terrible saying 'do it again!' since there is nothing really that wrong with it other than aesthetics (our current kitchen is county and we want modern like this kitchen). anyone else feel that way? it's all a little wasteful... or should i give up the guilt and redo?

I think both look nice enough, but the layout of the appliances in the "after" photo would bother me, after time.

The after looks sleek and modern but I have to agree that it looks very Ikea. I liked the original - it had character - which a lot of modern kitchens lack in my opinion. I like warm and cozy, but to each their own taste. If we all had the same taste the world, and interior decorating would be very boring
kitchen window treatments
kitchen window valances

Those cabinets are not Ikea. TIGER MAPLE people. Pretty amazing. I love it!