The cabinetry looks more like a re-do in the 50s to me, so going with something vintage and modern would seem about right. When we redid our 1929 kitchen (which has a wall of original cabinets and had a bunch of horrid cabinets added in the 1960s) the first thing we did was remove all the upper cabinets from the 1960s set--it really opened up the kitchen. Although we did not add any open shelving (didn't really need it), I love that look assuming you are wiling to keep it clean.

I'd also remove the wall stuff and raise the range hood. Replacing the counters doesn't have to break the bank and can make a huge difference--you could go with some 1950s styled laminate if you really wanted to get the mcm feel, or go with something more neutral, either butcher block or laminate.

Good luck and have fun--we did our kitchen in two phases over 5 years and taking our time really helped us to learn what would work for us.

Dark grey walls, put up your shelves, change the knobs on your cabinetry and lay a large Chilewich mat with a grey tone in it (they are a woven plastic material, easy to clean and padded for non-slip). Maybe look in the basketweave collection.

http://www.chilewich.com/category/woven_floormats#/textures/basketweave

ps: assuming you wanted to keep all of the yellow

You have to redo those walls! Painting the cabinets and replacing the countertop will do wonders for the room and you are right on target with the shelves. New hardware! Then as budget allows upgrade the appliances. New stainless steel sink would be nice and relatively inexpensive but I kinda love the vintage sink.

There was a post a few days ago about stainless steel tiles that are inexpensive and easy to install. I think they would work great at covering the plastic backsplash things and look great with Grundtal shelves. That and a coat of paint and your kitchen will be looking good. If you're willing to spend a bit more $ I'd look into taking down the uppers that you have replacing them with ones that cover the whole back wall and around the corner like the ones you have now. I'd still leave the area above the sink as open shelves, but I'm sure others would suggest differently. I love open shelving in the kitchen!

oh, and because it looks like you only have 1 run of countertop I'd look into replacing that too. There are some great affordable options out there.

I love love love the sink!

I would remove the yellow laminate backsplash, put in some tiles (maybe white hexagon) I think that exposed shelves would look great, but I would remove the one upper cabinet you have and do ALL shelving on top, I would also get a new vent for your stove, some thing like this http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50092016

Also, a friend of mine started a blog and one of her posts was all about open shelving it may be a good resource for you: http://olivesanddaisies.blogspot.com/

I like the counters/backsplash, I would leave them. I think you're on the right track with the Ikea shelves and the light blue walls, though I would be sure to go extremely light, so that the yellow is the darker of the two. I really don't recommend painting your cabinets- I would only do that if you have a really ugly laminate and you can't afford new ones. Your white cabinets look clean and make the space look bigger and brighter.

Once you get your appliances in and your shelves filled and a rug or two on the floor, this kitchen is going to look darling. I wouldn't do any major renovation at all! I do agree with the comments about the stove vent though, it's a little weird.

Lots of open shelves with pretty dishes! Cabinets on the bottom look fine, maybe you could paint the walls in a contrasting color to the yellow laminate if you can't redo that. Or some fun wallpaper that would modernize that 70's color. Agree with N.L.M.S - just go for it and take down that lonely upper cabinet. That sink is amazing! I would die for that kind of sink instead of an old boring stainless one that is in every household.

I have that same backsplash in my apartment, and you can absolutely paint it. Just use a good adhesive primer! I would leave the stainless steel trim as it, it's a cool detail and will go with your open shelving.

As for the counters-if you want SUPER CHEAP, you can paint them, Seriously. I have done it, (adhesive primer, paint, seal with poly based sealant) and it has been in awesome condition *for the last 8 years*. You could paint it charcoal grey, with the light blue walls and stainless it would look amazing. OR if you had a little bit more money IKEA has butcher block slabs for inexpensive that I have used that absolutely are worth it. (And very 1920s.)

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40057396

Fresh coat of paint on the cabinets, new hardware and it will look awesome for cheap.

Something no one ever seems to say about open shelving: be prepared to dust, wash, and degrease every item on them and the walls and shelves themselves. Every kitchen I've ever had has acquired a thick layer of aerosolized grease on the cabinets after a while, and it's not like I'm pan-frying chicken wings 5 nights a week. Even with a range hood, this still happens (although it's arguable that NYC rental exhaust hoods are just as likely to be a) fake, b) broken, or c) vented back into the room).

The yellow is lovely in there! I'd consider painting the front of your oven - you were looking low-budget, right? - in white with a yellow border to match up with the rest of the kitchen.
I like the previous suggestion of painting the countertops in grey - grey would be the perfect counterpoint to yellow and blue.

You could also get a pot rack over the stove, and I'd keep the hardware because it matches the shelves you plan to add.

Looks like the range hood is one of those lovely, recirculating kind (meaning it sucks greasy air through a filter and then spits it back out in the room instead of venting to the outdoors). I'd consider replacing that if you can (you could do a cabinet above to run the ductwork through - easy to do if it's an exterior wall, less so if you have to go up through the roof). You might also consider doing a full heigh pull-out pantry (IKEA) to the left of the range. This would provide a "book end" to the kitchen and hide the exposed side of the range. We just put one in and they are a great pantry alternative for these old houses that don't have a lot of storage. It's hard to tell the condition of the backsplash and counters but we had a similar yellow laminate and it was bubbling and peeling in some places and had to go. Not sure if it's still going on, but IKEA was having a 40% off countertop sale so you might check that out and their butcher block is always a great deal. Also, it's not imperative that you have a backsplash. To save on costs we're just doing paint (with a slight sheen for better wipeability) and a piece of back painted glass at the range. Other than that, I like the idea of open shelving (keep the existing uppers if they're in good shape...you'll have plenty of kitchen items that aren't "pretty" enough to display) and paint, paint, paint!

Depends on the amount of work you want to do and the budget. If you don't want to remove the wall laminate (and the uppers right now that may or may not be on top of the laminate), don't worry - once you put up those stainless shelves they won't stand out nearly as much. New hardware on the cabinets is a must but that likely means repainting if you want something with different hole sizing (and I'd suggest larger, longer simple stainless hardware). If you can afford it a new range hood AND a new range would really make the space. Stainless would be my pick on both.

Some pendant light fixtures would also be nice. And a floor cloth or rug. The color of white you choose for the cabinets can make a huge difference.

I'm not sure if blue would mix with yellow in this room unless you like the "nursery" look. Why not let this room stand on it's own? Blue is usually not the best color for a kitchen but there are exceptions as always.

Redo the counters but do not, do NOT, get rid of that sink. And if you do, tell me. I'll take it in a heartbeat.

I like the idea of blue, myself. For a vintage look, try a more turquoise blue or a gray-blue to get that older feel.

Love the stainless steel shelf idea on either side of the cabinets. Open shelves on either side were my immediate thought. They'll look cute, provide storage, and help that range hood not to look so obvious.

You could paint the base and upper cabinets white, but paint the doors on the base cabinets black, it would pull the black from the oven across the bottom of the room. The walls you could paint a light to medium shade of grey to clean the space up. I wouldnt take down the laminate wall paneling unless you were planning on replacing the countertops, but either way you should use the countertops and backsplash as an accent color in your kitchen with white, black and grey. Another good idea would be under-shelf lighting.

We just updated our old kitchen. It looked very similar to yours in terms of cabinets, old sink, and laminate back splash. We didn't have the $$ to rip it all out and wanted to keep the vintage look.

We painted the cabinets F&B shaded white and painted the walls F&B blackened. We replaced the cabinet hardware.

The counter is Boo's butcher block. We were able to buy it from a lumber yard for less than $400 and had someone else cut the hole for the sink and install it. That saved about a grand.

We replaced the laminate back splash with subway tile and did hex tiles on the floor. We kept the old sink and stove and went w/ a white fridge.

Those ikea shelves are fantastic and would look neat in your space. Your kitchen will look great when it's finished. Have fun.

Not sure if these links will work, but here's a pre-reno and mostly finished reno pic of the kitchen.

pre-reno <http://www.box.net/shared/fv22ycbtub>

mostly done <http://www.box.net/shared/nsfp5juh35>

You don't say whether or not you rent or own, and "budget" can vary wildly. This is a potentially very charming vintage kitchen, or a gut re-do. To maintain the vintage look, keep the yellow top and backsplash. Keep the awesome sink. If you wanted to acquire one big thing to make it pop, I would search for a vintage range. Remove that useless range hood (is that actually plugged into the wall, not hardwired?). A shelf above the range with a vintage fan will probably be more effective than that hood, and look a lot cooler. If there is space, add a metro cart with butcher block top to the left of the range, or metro shelving, depending on your needs. Please do not paint blue. Blue and food do not go together (try to recall any restaurant you've ever been to with a blue scheme), and the blue and yellow will look overly precious and cliched. If you want a cool color, try a lavender with a fair amount of gray (Martha Stewart's Wampum). Then add your stainless shelves and accessorize with vintage things. Jadeite green, red, and golds would look great with the yellow/lavender combo. Add a hooked rug.

Are those cabinets not wood but 1950s metal? If so, I wouldn't paint them but if you like the industrial look and are willing to put in the womanpower, they could look awesome stripped.

Keep the sink--it's wonderful.

If you do pull down the backsplash white subway tile is a classic (and cheap) look.

Honestly, I wouldn't be in a rush to part with the sink or the hardware, or paint the cabinets. The open shelving will make a big difference. You could paint the walls a pale turquoise/blue which would make both the white cabinets and the steel shelving pop. If your countertop is in bad shape ( read: gross and beat up) you could change it to 50s style laminate as another poster suggested. Laying down some dark brown "floating floor" would also work with the color scheme I mentioned and, in addition to being incredibly affodable ( monitor Home Depot, etc for sales) it can easily be done yourself as a weekend project. It's hard to tell by the picture how much room there is to the left of the range, but if space permits it would be a good place to put a kitchen cart (additional storage and would make the kitchen look less tiny). If there isn't room there you could put one in the middle of the space ( 2 little rectangle carts pushed together make an affordable square island).

Anyway those are my 2 cents :)

That sink is fabulous.

To complement the blue in the rest of the house I would pull in a gray with blue undertones for the wall. Either a light gray with the existing white of the cabinets or a darker gray walls with light gray cabinets. I also rather like the yellow counter and backsplash.

Be careful if you choose to change the cabinet hardware - we had almost identical cabinets and the old pulls were a different length than the new and we had to fill in the old and redrill new holes in every drawer and cabinet.

I LOVE the sink!

I think if you put a hutch or tall cabinet next to your oven/stove top it will look more built in. It will also start to look more like a kitchen from that period. This is one from IKEA that is reasonable and you could paint it: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40033862

Or craigslist usually has stuff like that.

Ideally you could buy an AGA or similar retro looking replacement for your stove/oven but that pretty much falls under the "Break the Bank" category.

It would be great if you could redo your floors using marmoleum. I like this kitchen which seems similar to the color scheme you have going on in your kitchen:

http://retrorenovation.com/2009/02/17/dianas-early-60s-oak-kitchen-with-plank-doors-and-colonial-hardware/

A new, more modern, hood would look great. This is an inexpensive one from IKEA:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50092016

Laminate, or stainless steel countertops. Inexpensive at IKEA. I would do one would wrap around open shelf above the paneling (at that level) on the wall to the hood.

You could use the ones from IKEA or do it in wood, painted to match the trim and or cabinets.

I agree that you should rip out the paneling on the back wall and replace it with inexpensive subway tiles.

Fresh coat of paint on your cabinets. Retro accessories and lighting.

Buy a used dresser and paint it blue and put butcher block on top to use as an island.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/kitchen/painted-dresser-as-kitchen-island-097355

Your kitchen is so cute, I'm glad you've decided not to gut it.

Backsplash wise I'd go for a simple white cermaic tile, perhaps in a hexagon or octagon shape or just some white subway tiles (the white will make it timeless) and throw in a retro strip of colour like a yellow or teal. Price-wise as long as you're getting a ceramic tile, your cost should be in the $3-5/sq.ft. range depending on where you live and what company you're looking at.

I've got the same sort of backsplash in my kitchen AND bathroom (a remodel dating from the late 70s). Hate it, but it's durable.

Whatever you do, KEEP that gorgeous sink! Update the faucet to match the spiff stainless shelving and I think you'll have a great start!

egpub - I love what you did with your kitchen. Nice job!

The grundtal shelf consists of bars, no? That may or may not make it easier to clean, but it will certainly determine what you can store on it. Jars of food items, pretty bowls, etc., but mostly stuff that is frequently used to cut down on the cleaning issue.
What IS your budget? AT people give amazingly helpful suggestions, and knowing that will make a big difference in the quality of responses you get. Like, a can of paint, a rug, and accessories budget, or ???
I rather like the laminate backplash. I think your goal should be to repaint the cabinets white (IF necessary), and then find the right shade of blue for the upper wall that will tie in to your other rooms as you mentioned.
I envision a wooden antique hutch, painted white, showcasing colorful dishware (bringing in more of the blues you mentioned). Please post after pics!

I can't tell from your picture if your floor is tile, parquet, or vinyl. If it's anything other than wood, I highly recommend putting in black and white checkerboard floor.

I put one into a similar kitchen and it made the whole room look instantly vintage and sharp. I used 18x18" peel and stick vinyl squares (they had two black and two white squares each.) They were super inexpensive, simply to lay down and I loved the way they looked. You can tile it yourself with black and white porcelain for the same look and little more money.

I agree with the white subway tile on the backsplash/walls. You can even look into a retro light fixture from school house electric for a true 20s feel.

I agree with finding a light gray wall color with cool undertones, or a bright white that will make the yellow look fresh/bright.

Invest in a few quality, functional items that also add color and contribute to a vintage look:

1. I also agree with another comment about finding a vintage range, if you were to splurge I'd go for that above all else.

2. Belmont kitchen series at Crate & Barrel. I have this in my 20's kitchen and it adds vintage character, storage, counter space/butcher block, drawers, and it's on casters so I can move it around. A few pieces to choose from in black or white.

3. Kitchenaid stand mixer in cobalt, light blue, or white; extremely functional, especially with all of the attachments these days, also a vintage look.

4. A few Le Creuset pots/pans on the open shelves can also add color, style, and are extremely useful.

5. Smaller accessories like a ceramic or glass soap dispenser, vintage containers for flour/sugar/salt/pepper. Fiestaware has many great colors and adds to a vintage look.

Thank you, everyone, for the wonderful comments so far!!

Just to answer some questions:
- My budget is ~$500.
- I own the house.
- The cabinets are made of wood.
- Yes, that hood is plugged into the wall. And yes, there is no cabinet above it. Can you believe it?
- There is about 1 foot of space to the left of the oven.

So far, I've stripped all the paint off the cabinet doors, filled in all the holes, and sanded the cabinets down ready to paint.

I really like the idea of white subway tiles. Do you think I can tile on TOP of the laminate backsplash? I'm afraid to take that backsplash off because it's literally glued to the drywall.

Also, do you think painting the cabinets black would look ok?

Thanks again for all your comments. I'll be sure to post "after" pictures for you all.

Unless you're doing a complete redo, don't look for ways to spend money. Forget about a vintage stove, or painting the cabinets, or trying to put subway tiles over the laminate. If I were you, I'd leave everything EXACTLY AS IS. Seriously. You'd be amazed at how easy it is to change things up with only paint and accessories. If you like black, how about chalkboard paint on the walls? I think the IKEA steel shelving would look awesome against black (especially if you have white dishes). Maybe a few cool black and white photos? I think that this could be a really artsy/funky space. Just go with it.

The first thing I thought of when I saw your picture was open shelving! You can display your nicer dishes with those IKEA shelves. IKEA also has this retro-style tulip table, which would be adorable in there:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40063632

Since you want to bring in some of the blue, I'd get rid of the yellow altogether. Black countertops would look really pretty, and I like the idea of blue walls with white or black cabinets.

For the backsplash, I would get some of those small black and white tiles and pattern them however you want. If you replace hardware, you could get some of those old-fashioned glass knobs from Anthropologie.

ALSO: If you can afford it at some point, a SMEG refrigerator would look gorgeous in there. They're pricey, but beautiful.

I don't think a $500 budget will allow for a tile backsplash. You'll need to remove the panels first and depending on what you find behind it you'll need to replace or repair drywall and or concrete backer board.

I'd spend money on paint, lighting, and a few new items like:

Window treatments, a rug to cover up most of the floor, maybe you could paint that vinyl?

A small kitchen cart to put between the wall and the stove.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70011793

I was going to suggest a narrow pull out pantry but those are probably too expensive.

I would hunt for items on craigslist that you can convert into kitchen pieces like an island or a dinette set as well as lighting. I'd go for the island because it looks like you could use the extra surface area.

I like the white on the cabinets. One thing to keep in mind is that black/dark colors show dust, and grime even more than white.

Your best bet is definitely to paint just the doors black (on the base cabinets). It will give a very vintage/checkerboard pattern look, but with a slightly modern feel and it won't make it feel too small or dark. It will also provide a dramatic contrast that you can easily tie into other parts of the space with kitchen towels, plates, placemats, etc. Black, white, grey/steel, and yellow is definitely the easiest and most affordable way for you to decorate this space!

I think the kitchen is lovely. I would only consider new knobs, and paint. I believe Benjamin Moore has a product that will seal the plastic wall covering so that it can be painted. Then I would paint the walls and covering the same color. I'd leave the cabinets white. I think the open shelving will look great, especially with the stainless steel oven vent. I'd consider white knobs, and white handles. Benjamin Moore also has a product that will seal Formica, allowing it to be painted. But I think if you do the walls in a light blue, the yellow counter will rock! Good luck!

Another backsplash idea to replace the yellow laminate sheets is faux tin ceiling tiles. Some of the designs aren't as ornate as others and could work in the space. Lowes sells the Armstrong brand tiles for ~ $70 a box (box has forty 12" x 12" tiles). A tin backsplash would pick up on the stainless steel open shelving and new cabinet hardware suggested by others. I would also go for painting the laminate countertop, it gives you some great color options and you can go for the Ikea butcherblock if it doesn't work out. Good luck!

A previous workplace of mine had the grundtal shelving and it kind of dipped down. If you weren't careful, items tended to just slide off onto your head when you reached for them. I would suggest *very* careful installation (into studs if possible) and keeping the weight of what you put there close to the wall- also, putting lighter/less frequently used items on any high shelves. I don't mean to be negative, only I think that those shelves can work, if care is taken, but have some problems if you're not forewarned. I agree with everyone that it's an awesome sink and I think that blue and yellow are cute together, so possibly starting with paint on the walls could help you decide if you still wanted to prioritize changing the back splash.

I don't kow what your definition of "breaking the bank" is, but, in my opinion, given the small size of your kitchen, you should consider just demo'ing it and installing a brand new ikea kitchen.

If you keep the same cabinet layout, I think you can do the whole thing for about $1000 (1 wall cabinet on each side of 1 corner wall cabinet, and 3 or 4 base cabinets). Laminate ikea countertop will help keep cost low.

If you don't want the sink, I want it! Seriously, keep it if you can. They are totally back in style.

We're redo-ing our kitchen too, it can be super hard to figure out what is worth it and stick to a budget for sure!
Personally, I'd get that paneling off the walls. It definitely opens up the room to have it gone and doesn't bind you to the yellow as much, even if you keep the counter top. We were able to get scrap counters from Home Depot for super cheap--like $40 for all of it I think. Whatever you do don't forget to paint in at least a semi-gloss, otherwise any food splatter will stain and not clean off well. Personally I think grey and white walls make a great backdrop for a modern/vintage marriage, and noticed that accents in primary colors (teapots, counters, etc) tend to really lend themselves to a vintage feel, even if they're not actually vintage items. Plate racks are great vintage pieces for an open shelving feel, and a great rug can always tie a room together!

I would get rid of the backsplash and put in something else (I'm not a huge fan of subway tile, but that's more of a personal preference thing.).

I would also get rid of the three upper cabinets that you do have. They look sort of silly and out of place to me. I'd do those Ikea shelves across the board. I'd even hang one above the oven and the hood to use as a pot rack.

Play with paint - I'm a huge fan of white cabinets. With white cabinets (and possibly subway tile), don't be afraid to go dark!

Oh, and I love your sink!

In the gap to the left of the stove, a microwave maybe? Not sure how that's working into your plan at this point.

Love this kitchen!!! I think if anything, this can be a renovation you can do in pieces:

- First continue with the cabinet repainting, that will not be costly since you are doing it yourself. And get new hardware, etc.

- Next, if you feel adventurous you can tear out the backsplash/wall and repair with new cement board. It might be easier if you know somebody handy who can help you. You might want to do the demolition, buy the board, and hire someone to install the new board and do the taping/spackling part, which is the trickier part, and usually best left to professionals. This in and of itself might cost your whole budget, but if you own the place and want to do things permanently, it may be the best choice.

- You can leave the wall/backsplash just painted for a time, and save money for a professional tiler later on, or you can tackle the tiling yourself. You can even run the tile all the way up the wall, to the top of the cabinets (this would look great with white subway tiles!). You can paint the upper cabinets white to blend with the white subway-tiled wall. And the lower cabinets can be a grey color, or black. Just throwing out a suggestion! I think a lot of the other ideas are great too!

- And then a new counter top. You only have the one stretch of counter so you might be able to find a great remnant of something. I know you know you have a bazillion options.

- Then you can save up for a new oven/range. And wait for a big sale before purchasing.

-If the sink is looking a little dull, you can even have that re-ceramic-ed (is that a word?).

- I think as long as it doesnt interfere with the traffic flow, you can add an island. It doesnt have to match, it can be an interesting table, or dresser as someone suggested.

I think you have lovely bones and if you spread your projects, and money out over a year or so, you can still have a functional kitchen the whole time without breaking the bank. You can probably do the whole thing for a couple thousand and make it look like a major kitchen reno.

I would like to add, it would be a good idea to get an electrician in while the backsplash wall is opened up, in order to upgrade the electricity, possible add another outlet towards the right side, and also add a light under the upper cabinets. This might seem extraneous, but right now, you really only have enough plugs for a microwave and a coffee-maker.

I think a cute vintage look would be great. Blue walls and some cute vintage dutch 50's stuff would look great. I have a collection of embroidered tea towels from the 20's and 30's that sort of thing would look great.

I think paint, some rugs, open shelves and new hardware for the cabinets and it will look adorable.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/29853805/modern-retro-bird-hand-embroidered-tea

http://www.etsy.com/listing/29853805/modern-retro-bird-hand-embroidered-tea

oops the second link should be:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uneekglassfusions/2722990381/

Oh and the sink is great I'm so jealous!

Hey,

For what it's worth, I had the same strange plastic backsplash in my kitchen. (In aqua, which coordinated with the plastic aqua horizontally-striated-at-12"-intervals BEADBOARD on the bottom 5' of wall!) I believe it was a late 50s/early 60s thing. I saw it again at an open-house for a 1950s ranch when I was looking for my house.

Anyway... I cleaned the backsplash area up really well, then primed it well, then painted it to match the walls in my kitchen. It's not a brilliant backsplash, and at some point when I have cash I may pay to have a good one installed, but it's unobtrusive and cleans well. (I used high-gloss paint.)

I painted right over the metal stripping between panels and all. It looks like one solid surface, now.

So... all I've done thus far to my so-tacky 60s-meet-80s kitchen is: cover the weird aqua plastic paneling with beadboard, paint cabinets white and backsplash wall color, throw down unobtrusive linoleum. It looks like a whole different space. It didn't cost much (had the walls and floor done with the NECESSARY bathroom redo), and the visual relief has been highly therapeutic. :)

I also had the same weird on-the-wall stove hood. I just took it down, and now don't have one. (I can't afford to have someone install the vent and all, and honestly, I don't cook so much that it's really necessary.) They are super-ugly, when there's no cabinet over them.

Good luck!

Mary

I saw this kitchen on Design Sponge yesterday and thought of your kitchen.
http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/10/sneak-peek-kate-schintzius.html
For inspiration.

is it me or is this kitchen kind of already adorable? Love the sink. Add some open shelving, a different paint color and maybe scour Craigslist for a butcher block island to add counter space. Booyah: cheap, functional and different looking.

love this....great suggestions: the black/white tile...repaint with 'martha stewart' vintage colors....take a look..gives you inspiration and the feel of that era. This redo def does NOT have to cost a lot...just paint/shelving and imagination and getting the feel of that fun era!...

I got this idea from looking at today's kitchen makeovers. Beaded board or bead board. It could go right over the vinyl panels. It the boards are a little short, use trim to make up the difference. Beaded board is a good look and where I live a 4' x 8 panel is twenty bucks.

If you like the vintage look, I would do nothing but paint the walls the pale blue discussed above. Then ponder putting up open shelving. Save the cabinets until last. I like this kitchen and would keep all the original elements I could.