apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Paint the cabinets. Get refrigerator paint and paint it too. NO ALMOND COLORED APPLIANCES!

You could stencil in a faux tile backsplash. Pick a great geometric or something. I am in favor of leaving the cabinets wood myself, but that is personal preference. A great unusual color would zip them up if you want to go that way, and add some ( a few, not too much) decorative elements. First question you should ask yourslf is if you like the wood cabinets as is or not. You could also change the hardware if you don't like it I like it because it's vintage and a bit different--but again, personal taste.
Even with a permanent redo, for me I would leave the cabinets and rip out the horrible cheap counters and backsplash and spend your money on something really cool, and replace the floor with a great tile. I believe in being green. I like vintage and I am the unusual designer who likes to preserve as much as possible. Too many perfectly good cabinets are ripped out. If the kitchen is not functional for you, that is another story. If you hate the dooors you might look into replacing just the doors. Most old cabinets are wood rather than the dreadful melamine covered particle board you get today. Just my opinion.

Painting is indeed probably the best bet, and you might even be able to choose colors that harmonize the kitchen. Don't try to be too matchy-matchy - bring in a third color that pulls it all together.

Maybe a bright off-white on the upper cabinets, and a complementary darker blue on the lower ones? I am a huge fan of the light/dark cabinets in Rena Tom's kitchen:

• Kitchen Tour: Rena and Derek

Also, This Old House has an awesome tutorial on painting cabinets. Very thorough:

• How to paint kitchen cabinets

Hmm. Now you have me thinking about painting my own kitchen...

Oh, and of course new hardware goes without saying. New hardware makes such a difference, with relatively little money.

The appliances don't bother me too much. . . but I would definitely repaint the walls and its easy (and cheap) to slap down some new vinyl tiles on the floor yourself.

Plus if you really wanted to go crazy I would for sure, hire someone to replace the countertop and backsplash.

The kitchen is not terrible in terms of layout and general condition, and it has the potential to be a lot cuter.

The east expensive change with the most impact would be to paint the cabinets (white) and replace the handles.

You'll want to leave the countertops and backsplash as they are to stay under budget. They don't look to bad, and the color is only boring (rather than outrightly offensive). Floors are not too bad, either.

After painting the cabinets, you can decide if you want to paint the wall, too. Choose a wall color that will help the counters and floors.


Paint the appliances too, with special appliance paint, but take them outside to do so. The smell from that stuff is killer.

I'm not sure I agree. There is no way self-painted appliances are going to look good for any length of time. There's a reason most people don't do it. If it was one piece, like an antique stove, maybe.

I would rip off the linoleum backsplash if it's possible. That adds a lot of beige that you can then work around. You can patch up the walls and then paint the kitchen a color that works with the cabinets. I don't think you should paint the cabinets, either. I would spend the money on some pretty pitchers or vases you can put above the cabinets and keep after the renovation in a few years.

1. Paint the cabinets. Cream might work if you can't replace or repaint the almond appliances - they'll disappear amid the similarly colored cabs. Don't skimp on prep work. You'll see the difference in the end.

2. Replace the cab hardware and hinges. Ikea and the big box home improvement stores have deliriously cheap options. If all new hardware's out of your budget, spray paint what you have now, either a matte pewter or an oil-rubbed bronze color.

3. Paint the formica countertop and backsplash. It's a labor intensive process (http://www.naturalhandyman.com/qa/qapaintlaminatecountertop.html), but if you hate what you have now, it's worth it.

I'd leave the floor alone. Even the cheapest peel-and-stick will eat a huge chunk of your budget. Get a machine-washable rug that coordinates with your new cab or wall color.

Enjoy! Frankly, I love the challenge of a bargain-basement resurfacing like this much more than a large-budget redo. There's less at stake, and if you know you're going to do a gut reno in a few years anyway, you can try something new and go wild.

definitely paint the cabinets (different colors below and above) and some new hardware if budget allows. your kitchen will feel much brighter and it will distract from the appliances.

I had the EXACT same cabinets, and painted them. My boyfriend and I ripped off the center wooden panel, filled any holes with wood putty and painted them an offwhite/cream. We probably only spend about $90 to redo the cabinets but everyone thinks they're new! :) Check them out in my own AT home tour.

We also had a very very similar backsplash and mounted mosaic tiles directly on the formica-ish backsplash. I have before and after pics - hope it helps!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/house-tours/house-tour-lisa-and-ryan-demo-build-and-build-againnew-york-059587

if you don't mind wooden cabinets, which i don't mind them (i think real wood can be nice). I would update the pulls-maybe put in some cute new door knobs and pulls, anthropologie.com is a nice place to get them.

I would paint the fridge; there was a post for painting the fridge with chalk board paint..looks really neat.

I would defiantly paint the walls a different color; maybe a neutral white of off white till you figure out your kitchen scheme.

have fun!

try to go for a vintage modern look:
paint the cabinets a white (not too bright white, but not almond either). Keep the hardware, i like the vintage feel, with white, it will stand out more too! Consider white washing the cabinets which could be a fun experiment. basically dillute your paint with some water. let it dry for a bit and wipe some paint off to achieve desired look.

After you paint cabinets, then decide if you really need to paint the appliances. I don't recommend doing it. In the end, you will be saving the most money when you aren't re-doing things, or covering up things you will just be getting rid of in the future. so think in terms of stages. Try to do as little as possible to live with until you are financially ready to rehab the whole thing.

Hardwood cabinets are much to be desired. Keep em, paint em, or tile them like in this link:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/tile-stone-countertops/quick-easy-update-tiled-kitchen-cabinet-diy-magazine-079427

save your money for getting new appliances, refinishing the floor, and counter tops...

I too have been saddled with almond appliances in my rental...

...I think that the best way to deal with them in your situation is to add crown mouldings to the tops of the upper cabinets, then paint the cabinets, doors and window trim throughout the room a nice creamy ivory - perhaps even follow up the paintjob by randomly wiping on a brown glaze in the mouldings and panel edges to give the kitchen an aged/antique appearance to go along with your vintage home - The goal of this color scheme would be to unify the cabinets and floors with appliances and make it feel like Almond was chosen on purpose rather than as a default.

If you do this, you might find that your existing handles will fit in with this antiqued look - so that's an expense that you wouldn't have to deal with - the only thing left would be the countertops and backsplash which you could use as a substrate for Skimstone to give the appearance of aged stone - if you like the blue walls, you could layer in some blue in your contertops and backsplashes to again tie everything in.
http://www.skimstone.com/

Oh, man, this is easy....give me a hard one...

1. Don't paint the cabinets. replace the handles instead with something modern, like steel or nickel. (later when you redo the kitchen, save the cabinets and use them in the garage OR you can donate them to Habitat for Humanity OR sell them). Home Depot has these for about $2.00 apiece.

2. Recover the countertops. Go to home depot and get the melamine coversheets that are just like what you've got on the counters. You can get it in several colors or variations. cut it to rough size and glue it right onto the existing surface; it'll be just fine. Then, rent, borrow, or steal a router and trim the melamine to the right size (use a sharp bit). PRESTO: new counters. Be sure to silicon the corners. This is really a lot easier than it sounds. AND you can do the same with the counter splash backs. ($150-200.)

3. The lino is actually okay if you stick with a blue/nickel scheme, OR if your floors are concrete, you can strip the lino and paint the concrete with garage paint ($50 w/ sprinkles). Staining the concrete is good too. Or you can just leave it grey and seal it with a clear sealant. Buy a scraper ($30)

This should be about 2 weekends work max for 2 people. Depending on how handy you with cutting the sheets, this could be done in a weekend.

Good Luck!

Replace sink hardware, for sure. Cabinet hardware if it's in the budget. Paint cabinets and track down suitable remainder'd tile for backsplash. Throw an IKEA mat down, unless you have luck with remainder'd lino or floor tile as well.

Sometimes you can be lucky and score great hardware and tiles at places like "The Restore" (Habitat for Humanity). If you scrounge a bit, you can do alot for $300!

Good luck and I hope that you get back to you with the results of your undertaking. Would love to see the outcome!

The expensive thing to fix is the cream coloured appliances. I think they will look worse painted so I would not touch them. Try to work with the cream instead.

My Tips:

1. Rip out the backsplash, its dated and the walls will look better in an inexpensive matt mosaic cream tiles or even painted.

2. Take the handles off all the doors, fill holes, sand and paint the top cabinets cream, and the bottom cabinets in a dark mushroom.

3. Paint all walls a paler mushroom than the bottom cabinets.

4. Rip up flooring and replace with cheap, fresh, very plain vinyl tiles.

5. Accessorise with bright, fun accessories that will match your brand new kitchen when you can afford it!

I would tear off that backsplash and then paint the walls and lower cabinets with a medium tone blueish gray. Then I would paint the upper cabinets with a lighter gray. I think this will pull everything together. New cabinet hardware too....the cool palette should tone down the beigeyness of the appliances and countertops. Then a new modern faucet for the sink, and a few good accessories...the place will be stylish before you know it.
Good luck!

Love the way Dreamwthin's cabinets turned out after... definitely an inspiration.

My initial feeling was to do the top cabinets white or almost white, and to stain the bottom ones dark dark brown (wenge). Definitely lose the nightmare pulls and the curvy tging above the sink. Something very minimal (matt chrome bars or knobs) would bring it all right up to date. As someone already said they are really cheap at Ikea or Home Depot.

With grayish/beige walls and the fabulous backsplash tiles Dreamwthin used you probably wouldn't have to change the kitchen for years.

I quite like your appliances by the way... they have a nice almost retro feel. Scrub them up and maybe retouch any chips and they should be fine for a few years.

Painting the cabinets will be a pain in the... If it's only for a few years I'd say to embrace the oak and almond and have fun with it. Don't kill yourself redoing a room that you will be redoing again soon. An old house needs enough work without doing things twice (believe me I know!) The blue walls and base trim are too cool for the warm wood and they clash with almond. I would paint the walls a fun warm color to distract from the stuff you don't like. Maybe a pumpkin or a yellowy green color. If you really don't like the door style of the upper cabinets you can take off the doors to make them into open shelves which would help "lighten" the space. You could use a fun wallpaper or contact paper to line the insides to add a bit of fun.

Definitely paint the cabinets and get new hardware. You can make a floor mat by painting canvas and can tile a backsplash yourselves right over the formica (just sand it first.) Your kitchen has great potential...I would LOVE to move into a kitchen like this that didn't have loads of cherry wood and granite counters.

Oh yes, rip off the hideous center parts of the cabinets and paint them white like dreamwthin did! It will drastically improve the look of the kitchen at minimal cost.

The only thing to think about is when you do remodel, sometimes your carpenter can use the cabinet "skeletons" and just replace the doors (even if you totally relocate the cabinets). If that is a possibility, you may not want to paint that part of the cabinets. The other thing I saw somewhere was a do it yourself stainless steel backsplash, although cold easy to keep clean.

I'm in a simular situation (same cabinets almost) with a nightmare of a kitchen but no funds for my dream kitchen. I'm going to try to do as much as I can with paint, new lighting and other superficial stuff until we do our full demo and remodel.

I'm going to try is to paint my linoleum. Pee colored floors is not the most inspiring in a kitchen (or anywhere)

StyleNorth has a great budget kitchen makeover today, very similar to the challenge at hand: http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/03/do-it-yourself-budget-kitchen-makeover/

I'd paint the cabinets. If you don't want to go white for both, I'd do a light gray on the bottom and white on the top. This Young House (blog) has some color suggestion for that kind of thing.

I'd choose a good color for the walls to really make the cabinets pop. Maybe something more modern than the color there now.

I'd also get rid of the pulls and replace them (same placement if you want) with the long metal bar pulls. I've seen them everywhere: Home Depot, IKEA, etc. Or you go to the Anthropologie way too, depending on the look you want.

You'll want something attractive for a backsplash. I just saw a kitchen done with vintage-like tin tiles as one - it looks awesome. Silver would work with any off-white color and I would think you could adhere them without them being permanent.

Other than that, I'd leave the sink alone unless you have something in mind that you really want. Sew up a quick, cozy cafe curtain for the window, add some artwork and some personal touches and I think it will all make a HUGE difference!

I like the wood, so I wouldn't paint the cabinets, but I really don't like the hardware, and I imagine trying to open a cabinet door by pulling on the MIDDLE is kind of a pain in the neck.

Maybe take the hardware off, fill/patch and sand and stain the holes, and put on bright new pulls in a more sensible corner location on the doors. The drawer fronts aren't as bad, but I'd change the pulls there too. If nothing else, new door hardware would at least break up the blocks of the same color and draw the eye upward away from the appliances and linoleum.

If you have space between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling, you can also add lights up there, again to pull attention up.

It looks like dreamwthin had the exact same cabinets and hardware as you. I say follow her lead. Her new cabinets look great. If you don't mind all the work. If you like a more modern look some long nickel-like pulls would look nice. I think the appliances are fine. If your cabinets look great no one will notice. And then you can save your money for the eventual overhaul you mention and really go all out with the appliances, floors, counter, etc.

Replace the hardware and keep the wood cabinets. Also, choose a paint color that is darker than your appliances to make them look brighter. A nice soft green is my favorite in a kitchen, but terra cotta, orange and red are also pretty nice.
Consider a backsplash, but that is better as a part of the reno. New flooring is also really nice, or at least a kitchen friendly rug.
Finally, GET PLANTS. Plants seem to help make the ugliest of kitchens bearable. Trust me- mine is worse than yours- Shiny white laminate cupboards with cappucino colored appliances, cream counters that have been used as cutting boards by previous tenants, and a horribly stained, peeling laminate floor! My basil in the window is just about the only bearable thing!

Elissa has the right idea. And I've been where you are now -- 4 times. So here's my advice:

You just bought a 1930s bungalow. I KNOW that there are so many other things that need your attention right now. You may not even know about them yet. (Maybe the gutters are falling off, the 80-year old shower pan is going to start leaking next month, tree roots will wreak havoc with your plumbing, or your roof leaks and you don't know it becuz the previous owners slapped up some paint to hide the stains, and on and on...). There will be time-consuming projects and unexpected expenses in your near future. It is part of being a new homeowner.

I'm not being negative (buying a house is wonderful and exciting!). But waiting and watching and living in the space "as-is" for awhile is a wise thing. Don't get too eager to start making cosmetic changes. Just live in the house for a year.

Painting the cabinets is a tremendous project (if you want it to look good). And painting appliances is a bad idea. You already know you are going to remodel. So why throw good money after bad?

Just paint the walls, like Elissa said. Accessorize the room a bit. And live with it. And SAVE SAVE SAVE for the remodel you are planning in a few years. (You'll need all the cash you can save, becuz you need to gut this kitchen!)

I'm starting to get conservative in my old age. The ktichen seems perfectly usable as is.

I wouldn't do a thing until you plan to renovate. If you keep it fairly uncluttered, neat and clean,

Okay, I can think of one exception...if you have really yucky dim overhead lighting...then I'd change that.

save your $300, start a monthly fund and put it towards the kitchen you really want. The biggest mistake I made was to do these temporary renos to "tide us over" because they prevent you from addressing what really needs doing. Painting cabinets is hard work and time consuming. Live with it as it is, and start saving.

Whatever you do make sure you like it. "Temporary" solutions that aren't horrible have a way of becoming permanent.

For $100 you should be able to pain the cabinets and the walls white (be certain to use primer on the cabinets), and if you can install your own vinyl, you should be able to get something in white with an almond fleck with the $$ balance -- don't paint your appliances, work with what you have.

PS -- I second what Cathie said if it's only going to be 12 to 18 months until you can start the upgrade. If you've got two years or more to go, spend $300 to $500 to make it livable.

I agree with all the posters above who warn against painting the cabinets. It is a LOT of work, and if you don't use very specific paint and spend a lot of time making sure it cures properly, you will end up with chipping and a far worse look than you have now.

In terms of just changing the hardware - the stuff on the uppers is kind of interesting, and anything "updated" is going to require different placement and holes - requiring you to fill them in and match the wood grain/color.

The blue paint and the backsplash are the big offenders in my view. One cheap fix for the backsplash that would complement the cabinets well would be beadboard - I think it'd look great painted a neutral tone, with a complementary tone on the walls.

I agree that a new faucet would go a long way towards making the kitchen look better- the one you have looks very builder grade and is a bit strange juxtaposed against the interesting cabinets.

To be honest I would say just paint over that blue colour on the walls (maybe a slightly-off white). The cabinets have some distinctive centre panels so they might not look as different as you would like even with a coat of paint. And if you don't do too much to the kitchen then it won't go to the end of the list of things that need to be done. The more you hate it the faster you'll find the money to replace it :)

This isn't so bad.
1. remove the doors and get new ones made. If you're handy, get some MDF and make them yourself (slab sprayed with glossy paint with new hardware would look great).
2. New counters--Ikea butcher block or formica looks great for very little money.
3. you may have to live with the appliances but if you're willing to forfeit stainless, there's often lots of cheap options in used appliances in the white category.
4. if you can tile, put in a backspash. if you can't wallpaper is a great option. i think Graham & Brown actually makes backsplash specific paper.

Remove the top cabinets on the wall with the window. That is going to make the room feel much less "top heavy" and allow more light into the room. There is still a fair amount of storage without those cabinets. Maybe put up a shelf for the most frequently used cups and plates. I like the blue colour just fine. If I had to live with this kitchen for more than 8 months I would also paint the cabinets. Shiny dark grey or black, I think. Removing the top cabinets is going to shift the balance of the colours - there will be a lot more of that nice, light, open blue wall and less dark, bulky cabinets - and that gives you more options with the cabinets.

we faced a similar dilemma when we moved into our old house. i couldn't stand the kitchen, but we knew it would be a year or more before we could do the dream renovation. we bit the bullet and painted the cabinets and changed the hardware. it was time consuming, but i am so glad that we did it. our timeline for the big kitchen renovation keeps getting pushed further and further out and we have an interim solution that we can happily live with. you can see the pics at this link:

http://rowhousenearu.blogspot.com/2009/03/interim-solution-for-green-kitchen.html

I totally second arroyo's advice: live in the house and save for unexpected repairs that unfortunately occur eventually. I think the blue walls are what is most "overwhelming" about the overall feel of the room and just painting over with a neutral shade that matches the countertop/backsplash will make a world of difference. Changing the cabinet hardware will help too and the whole thing will come way under $300, unlike the whole cabinet painting, counter/floor cover ripping business (although I command everyone's amazing input!).
Save that $300 to slurge on a light fixture or sink or whatnot when you are ready to undertake the overhaul. Save your energy for settling in and good luck!

As someone who had your exact problem (formica countertops & backsplash plus eggshell/almond/beige appliances), I can say that the only thing that's going to be under $300 is painting the walls and the cabinets.

For example: IKEA butcher block tops (which lorenab suggested and what I'm going with in my renovation) will be at least a couple hundred dollars, but if you choose to go with some other material later on, why spend the money now when you have nearly indestructible tops that are perfectly serviceable?

I lived with my outdated kitchen for a few years and saved up and am finally updating this month and next. Save your money and put it toward your eventual renovation. The $300 will come in handy if you want high-end pulls or a new faucet.

And since you asked for suggestions, the "temporary" color scheme I went with was modeled after Franciscan atomic dishware, which is off-white with aqua blue and yellow starbursts. My formerly dark wood cabinets are painted a parchment color and the soffit is a blue picked from the dishes. My formica was already yellow. If you decide to live with your kitchen as-is, pick some vintage dishware or curtain fabric or dish towels (maybe something from the 1930s to go with the style of your house) and pull colors from there.

I mostly agree with the crowd who say leave it til you can do it right.

But then I think of the girl from Desire to Inspire who had that meh kitchen and painted it hot pink until she got everything together for the real-deal remodel. A few years can be a loooooong time to live with crazy linoleum backsplash.

I always see these pictures of brightly painted kitchen cabinets and think "Wow, who could live with purple cabinets forever?" But maybe you could live with it for three years. Might be interesting. Paint the walls cream to keep it from looking crazy.

Or just leave the cabinets alone and put in an Ikea countertop. Either way.

I agree - not bad. Paint the walls a color that is more harmonious with the rest of your (presumably) 1930s-era scheme...and then accessorize. Also - what's under those peel and stick floor tiles? Maybe something interesting....

These are great ideas--thank you, everyone! What isn't clear from the pics is that the inside of the cabinets consists of particle board, and that the inside of the drawers is plastic. It sounds like painting the cabinets would be a waste of time. I like the ideas of wallpapering the backsplash and painting the walls...Any other suggestions besides mushroom, green, or sienna?

paint the room, get a new fixtures, and hire an electrician to install a 240v outlet behind the stove...

eventually you can upgrade your stove, resurface the cabinets (reusing your hardware/fixtures) and keep the new paint color.

i would avoid painting cabinets, its a short term solution to the wrong problem. its better to save up and resurface and restain them to what you want them to look like.

Dreamwithin -- great job!!

Definitely paint the cabinets white (along with removing the hardware and the central panel), and that will lessen the annoyance factor tremendously. They are 1980s cheap oak cabinets, and very unsympathetic to the style and character of your 1930s home (our first house -- which we reno'd for 6 years -- had windows just like yours).

Painting the walls to a colour you like will help too, and won't take much effort. I wouldn't change the backsplash until the full-scale reno, as it may be wasted effort and expense.

It's not worth the trouble to paint the appliances I don't think... Instead, start a file with ideas for the sort of kitchen you *do* want... I am sensing a vintage stove trend, and so maybe that is something you may want to think about. As in the examples of kitchen renos we've seen on AT over the past couple of weeks, restored vintage stoves look charming in kitchens such as yours.

Embrace the almond, and paint the cabinets and walls in deeper shades of almond. (Right now, the blue contrasts with the cabinets, making them look orange-y). Then add Orla Kiely for Target curtains and accessories for a vintage look.

What's under the linoleum? Wood? Concrete? If it's plywood subfloor, you can paint it -- I'd do almond and white checkerboard, with a coat of varnish.

First thought: remove the hardware and center panel on the cabinets, sand and stain them a darker color, add stainless hardware to the drawers only (take the cabinet doors to a woodworker to have them route an area on the inside edge to create a 'pull' for opening the doors... no need for hardware), buy specialty tile paint for the backsplash and paint it all out, replace switchplate cover, remove the scalloped trim over the sink, replace the kitchen faucet with something more modern (I've been getting great deals on eBay but it takes patience and make certain to measure the existing faucet holes properly), a nice homemade fabric shade at the window (try Target's shower curtains, some great patterns, I just bought another on sale for $8). Renovation price tag, with some really good bargain hunting, about $250.

Second thought: remove the hardware and center panel on the cabinets, paint them a neutral color like Stone (look at Restoration Hardware's paint line for the color reference), add new hardware, make a new backsplash out of beadboard or beadboard-look plywood that you've painted (plywood version is cheaper), replace switchplate cover, remove the scalloped trim over the sink, replace the faucet, a nice homemade fabric shade at the window. Renovation price tag about $300-325.

Damaged goods: I recently bought a slightly damaged piece of butcherblock (counter length) at IKEA, the end was the damaged part and it would have been waste on my project anyway, just $25. I wanted a darker countertop so stained mine with espresso and then sealed it (I'll be chopping on cutting boards not the counter).

Hardware on eBay: I was able to get everything I needed, Restoration Hardware brand, for $50. Someone had bought, then opted for a different style, their mindswitch was to my advantage.

And be brave... ask about customer returns at businesses (everything from cabinets to appliances). There's usually a 'restocking fee' assessed and I've been able to get some great deals by offering the restocking fee (usually 25% or below of the original price) 10%. This doesn't work for businesses that have outlet stores but it works well for most other businesses who typically can't sell the returned merchandise as 'new' any longer. For instance, for my office, we were able to secure a $3,500 commercial espresso machine for $750 (because it was a restock that they hadn't shelved yet) and they gave us a separate press-button foam whipper for free.

1) Get rid of the backsplash paneling. I like the shade of blue you have in there already, so I'd just paint the it that color as well. Probably would just do the whole room, unless it was painted just before you got the house and you can match it properly. If painting the whole room, obviously could change it slightly if desired. Definitely need new outlet covers.

2) I wouldn't paint the appliances. It doesn't wear very well for any length of time and the ones you have look like they're in decent shape and match well.

3) Keeping the appliances light colored and having light colored counters (they look like they're in okay shape in the pictures anyways), I would not paint the cabinets white or cream. I actually would lean towards a dark slate grey. (Or possibly dark chocolate brown. it's hard to tell exactly what colors are in the flooring). From the looks of it, those cabinets may be all wood and could be stained instead of painted. I think that would give it a bit higher end look and would probably wear better for a few years, too. If they're not, the only parts that aren't wood are probably the sides of the cabinets by the windows. There are any number of ways to remedy that if it is the case... putting a wood veneer end panel on it.. maybe gettting a roll of cork from the craft store and putting that up to tack things too, either can be stained to match.. to think of a few.

4) The door-knocker hardware could definitely come off... Then instead of spending any money at all on new hardware, leave the doors plain. I've got similar doors and drawers without any hardware and they work fine. To fill the holes left by the old hardware and add some interest, I'd get creative. maybe find some screw-things that have balls on the ends instead of screw heads (I know i've seen them, but don't know what they're called). Or what I'd do if they were my cabinets is drill the old holes out a bit bigger, and make plugs for the holes that would contrast the cabinets and look more purposeful than just slapping some putty in them (especially if staining). Get and aluminum rod (or wood dowel that can be finished with something to contrast the other color, but metal would be cool), cut it to a depth to fit the cabinet, sand the edge really smooth, and wedge\glue that in the hole. If you really wanted a way to pull open the drawer, perhaps drill a larger hole between the ones from the existing hardware and leave it open.

As for the center raised panels on the doors... I don't know if they could come off if you decide to stain.. If you want to try, I'd VERY carefully test the one on the upper right over the fridge to see how they come off, what kind of condition the panel is in afterward, etc. It may work, it may not. At least that one is relatively out of site if you have to reattach it. Of course, if you do make contrasting plugs for the old hardware holes, the depth of the raised panel will actually help. If you do take them off, you may need to add a small block of material to the back side of the door to help hold the plug in better. Oh yeah.. I'd also get rid of the scallop between the cabinets over the sink window. :)

5) Since all that would really only cost a couple gallons of paint\stain and assorted supplies (and some elbow grease!), You could probably throw in a new faucet for the sink and\or other nifty accessories.

And, since I'm really unambitious to work on any of my own projects today, i had some fun with photoshop! http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O2KVxepJNDo/ScWAtBJ3PpI/AAAAAAAAABM/zRSf4uPFipE/kitchen.jpg Gives a rough idea of what all I was talking about. :)

(oops. apparently that link doesn't work. http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0lgHvbvAP-RYAP2JbpmwOA?feat=directlink should)

Just paint the cabinets and walls all beige like the appliances. New sink and faucet, and cabinet hardware. That's all that needs to be done right now. Keep it simple, and economical for now. Think green.

I understand you are not looking to make a huge investment in the kitchen now, but if you want to see pictures of a traditional bungalow kitchen stoves from our Good Time Stove Company archive, please follow this link .

If you need any assistance of guidance for your stove needs, please feel free to contact me any time: www.goodtimestove.com

Color! The baked-on enamel introduced circa 1910 added new life to the modern kitchen. Favorite colors like green. cream and rose remain popular today.


This classic country range used a combination of gas and wood in one set-up. This capitalized on the convenience of gas while preserving the benefits of a wood back-up. Other ranges featured both gas ovens up top and wood ovens down below as well as the gas and wood burners.