Be patient. Use any money you would use for a quick up date for the real up date. A year isn't that long to wait.

Declutter.

Figure out how you use the space. What do you like, what do you really need to be different. That'll inform your remodeling decisions.

Coordinating storage boxes and some art (a mirror?) over the stove.

I agree with the first 2 posts. Also, switch out that orange rug for something newer, larger.

Paint the cabinets white and the rest of it will fade into the background.

Wow. There's way too much going on in that space, and it's not a good mix.

If you're going to be updating within a year or two you might not want to put much time and money into it, but here are some suggestions:

I assume these are pictures of the previous owners' stuff. The kitchen needs to be straightened up. Too much random clutter, especially above the cupboards.

Is that flower thing above the stove a decal? If so, take it off. Immediately.

Are those stick-down vinyl tiles on the floor or sheet vinyl? You can put down new stick-down vinyl tiles fairly easily and cheaply for a short-term fix. In any case, if that floor was cleaned it would look marginally better.

Add a larger, colorful, non-slip rug. Update the window covering.

And then have fun with the renovation plans! Is that an arched entryway? Is it an old house? Does it have period details? Are you going to do a period-appropriate renovation?

I would wait until you could make all of the changes you wanted. It looks like the problems are cosmetic, not functional, which is good because even if it looks dated and definitely needs some changing, you can <I>use it.

That said, since you asked for quick fixes... painting the cabinets would go a long way. Replacing the tile would be a few hundred dollars, but you could affix wallpaper to it in the meantime to cover up the design.

I would just be patient and wait...don't bother with painting cabinets or anything. It would be a lot of work for nothing.

if you really are planning a full reno I would wait. with that said, my husband and I put in new kitchen flooring for around $250 (you can see pictures of it here: http://www.lifeonchurchill.com/2012/02/sneak-peek-new-floors.html)

Really overall not a bad kitchen. If you can't wait a year or so then perhaps look to change little things. Think of the positives and work with them like the cabinets are in a neutral color. I would leave them as is and only change the hardware to something modern easily found at Ikea.
Is that a dishwasher under the microwave? Use it and get rid of the dish rack. It's actually more energy efficient. otherwise be diligent about washing and putting dishes away ASAP to keep the counters clutter free.
children's artwork would be better displayed in a "gallery" perhaps by the entry you can put up a cork memo board or a French memo board to show off their creativity in a purposeful manner.
floor- depending on where you live, perhaps you can find inexpensive peel and stick tiles at a discount store to update the look of it. I suggest large Black and white tiles to coordinate with your appliances. or try a large rug in Sisal, bamboo, or some other natural material to cover the floor.
Backsplash- is that a decal or part of the tile design? Maybe there is a paint available that can be used on tile? Not sure but worth checking out because in my opinion, that is the most dated part of the design.
Microwave- can you install it above the stove? It'll cover that flower pot and you'll gain some counter space.
Red- I like the red accent perhaps Anything that must stay on the counters could be stored in red containers to give the countertop a more unified look?
Hope that helps. Good luck

I'm with bostontom. If you're really going to be doing a full reno in a year, save your $$$ and put it all into something that won't be going away in a year.

If you really don't think you can wait until you can re-do the whole thing, then I think this is what I would do:

1. Paint the tile. Personally, I'm pretty sure I couldn't live with that tile for a year! :) Here is some inspiration from AT: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-after-painting-kitchen-119207. Just make sure to get the right products.

2. If you don't have any privacy issues, take down the shade covering the window over the sink/washing machine. If privacy is an issue, then maybe some cute curtains?

3. Take down all the stuff on top of the cupboards over the stove. Put most everything else away. (If these are the previous homeowner's pics, then ignore!)

4. If you don't want to paint the cabinets (they're really not too bad), then maybe just change out the door pulls. You could also take the doors off some of them (like the ones over the microwave) for some open shelving.

5. Personally, I'd leave the floor unless it's in really bad shape. If you painted the backsplash tiles black and white, and used a pattern or single bright color for an accent (red, teal), then the floor will be okay until you renovate. Maybe a large, brightly colored rug that fills more of the floor.

save the money. a year is nada. but here are some immediate tips; hang the children's artwork over that hideous tile or cover with a steel backsplash, put down rugs that will be reused in your new kitchen, really just add color in affordable ways. m

Get a cheery rug, and save your pennies for the reno. It's not a super attractive kitchen, but it really isn't horrible, either. You'll get used to it in a few weeks. Paint or contact paper the tile if you must. A year isn't that long!

My first thought was the same as the first two posts. If you can live with it for a year, put the money you save into a splurge in the new kitchen, if you're getting a treat out of the ugly kitchen it'll be easier to live with.

That said, I know that when something fugly in my living space gets under my skin, it has to go or I can't be held responsible for whatever crazy scheme I come up with when I've reached the end of my tolerance for it. So for any changes, paint is your best friend (that post to repainting the tile had impressive results). If you're really keen, paint the cabinets white too and put down a cheap (thrifted) rug to disguise the floor. And yah, decluttering is always a good idea for any room that needs freshening up, and hey it's free!

If you do make any changes be sure to submit them for Before and After!

As others have mentioned you could put some stick-on floor tiles over the existing linoleum (some really do look like slate - you can even grout between them) and get some ikea fastbo tiles for the backsplash or some of those tile tattoos. But if you are really going to re-do in a year's time, this stuff is just adding to a landfill somewhere and is a waste. Your kitchen looks pretty nice as is, even if it's not exactly what you would choose to do yourself. In fact, I would consider ways to re-use as much of it as possible in the renovation - like painting the existing cabinets if they are basically in good shape.

Paint baby paint! That will be the cheapest way to make the kitchen look so much better. You could even grab some oops paint to save more, maybe do one color on bottom cabinets and another on top. The floor isn't too bad for a year and will lool better with different color cabinets

Here's what I did:
* moved my cabinets to the ceiling and then installed a small half-depth shelf beneath them for open storage ($8 IKEA shelves, everything's off the counter, more workspace)
* painted my cabinets white ($79 for proper cabinet paint at Lowe's)
* changed the cabinet handles (cheap buying them on eBay - only $35 for the entire kitchen, example: http://tinyurl.com/7dth5hu)
* laid beadboard, painted a bright color, over the backsplash tile ($24)
* installed two pull-out drawers in one key cabinet to make a pantry ($55)
* installed a few in-drawer organizers to make the drawers more manageable ($16)
* painted & sealed the accents on the flooring tile that I didn't like ($8)
* decluttered ($0)

I'm so thrilled with the results I can't even imagine a full tear-out anymore.

Who knows what I'll do with all the money I've saved...

Tahiti?

chalkboard paint a cabinet door.

Only buy things that can be reused after a reno. If you have outdoor space, an indoor/outdoor rug that can be moved outside. Hang the kids' artwork in waterproof frames as a backsplash, and you can always move the frames into another room later. Once you start making real plans, paint the cabinets whatever color you're going to keep long-term. And definitely de-clutter/get coordinating storage bins for the counter.

The dated kitchen is less a problem that the chaotic display of bottles, onions, packaged food, pitchers, cleaning supplies, plastic items, droopy kids' art. Save your money now and instead, spend your time thinking about how to introduce elements of calm and order into your house. Clear the countertops of about 90 %, buy a large colorful or neutral natural fiber rug, and find an attractive large tray or basket to prop up to cover the worst of the tile. Less is more.

It's not an ugly kitchen. It's a messy kitchen. Save the money towards the reno and get rid of all of that surface clutter. Get a NICE dishrack and learn to put stuff away right away. No matter how nice a renovated kitchen is, it's still going to look junky covered with junk.

A year isn't very long. Just declutter, get a new rug and matching dishtowels and save your money and energy for the reno.

of course you could paint the cabinets and tile- but its a lot of work, so do you really want to invest that much time in something that you will only have for one year? Instead use the time to plan the remodel.

I agree with the first two posts--declutter and give a lot of thought to how you utilize the space before the redo as mistakes are costly and because a year is not too long to wait. This is a much nicer kitchen than what I had to work with--yellow metal cabinets and a space that didn't work well. I purchased over-sized cabinets, but they didn't quite go all the way to the ceiling as the cost differential was ridiculous, so I had a piece of wood that matched the cabinets placed between the the top of the cabinets and the crown molding. It opened the space and made the ceilings appear higher and got rid of the unusable space where I would not want to dust. If you are keeping your cabinets you may want to consider the same.

I agree with the other posts regarding decluttering and saving your money for the reno.

That said, I think you're cabinets would look amazing in a medium grey, but painting cabinets is a heck of a lot of work just to tide you over for a year.

This is actually quite a nice kitchen. Apart from the backsplash, everything else is pretty neutral. If the cabinets are in good shape, then I'm not sure you actually need a full reno.

As a quick fix, you could paint the backsplash (ask at your paint supplier for the right products) or cover it with Ikea backsplash panels. I think your current knobs match the wooden cabinets, and some new hardware could be worth while. The biggest problem in the picture is clutter, though I don't know whether it's yours or someone else's. And it also needs some punches of color (more below).

De-clutterers:
1) If you really need the storage on top of the cabinets, get uniform containers of some kind in a neutral color that pretty much disappears up there - and put the clutter in the uniform containers.

2) Pick one color and use it for anything that is exposed - tea towels, oven mitts, containers etc. The color should make you happy when you look at it and go with the existing colors - neutral cupboards, white, black and stainless. Maybe hang some colorful art or change the shade over the sink to something more colorful.

3) On the counters, corral things and put them in containers. Put the washing-up liquid, sponges etc. on a tray or in a shallow bowl/dish in your chosen color or one of your neutrals. Ditto with the utensils by the cooker.

4) get the microwave off the counter. Build a very simple H shaped frame so the microwave seems tucked up under the cabinet. Use the bottom compartment for the basket that's currently on top of the microwave.

5) find a good looking dish drainer with clean simple lines. If you use a towel under it, make sure it's in your color scheme.

Good luck with your new home.

To be totally honest, the only thing that would drive me nuts is the design on the tile back splash -- I think everything else would be tolerable for a year if you neutralized the pattern on the tile... it would feel much less visually cluttered. The tile painting is exactly what I thought of when first saw the pictures and I think just doing that one thing would have a huge impact (in addition to tidying up, of course :)). Best of luck!

Wow, DO NOT re-tile. That's hardly a cheap or small change and unless you plan to incorporate it into the new space it is a complete waste of money. You could get new cabinet pulls, but maybe get something that you know you want for the new space, so that when the times you can take them out and re-use them. It's probably too expensive but you could also try moving the microwave to above the oven.
Seconding posts that say cleaning up clutter goes a long way. If you know there are items that are not going to be used before the renovation put them away in storage somewhere else (or get rid of them!), freeing up cabinet space for items on the counters. Anything that has to be stored on the counters should be housed in a similar container/color.
This kitchen is not really that outdated. (sometimes I think we people who read design websites have somewhat unrealistic standards) Yes, the backsplash is pretty bad but the rest of it is actually quite neutral and non-offensive. It would be easy to pick any color and make the kitchen feel more uniform through towels, rugs, etc. Check out some house tours and see what people have done with much less to work with in their kitchens. You'd be surprised.
And, of course, be realistic. Kitchens can't always look shiny, clean, and ready for a photo shoot. They are ultimately a utilitarian space, frequently get messy if you like to cook, so go easy on yourself.

You really can't live with that perfectly functional, clean, even somewhat attractive kitchen for a year? I don't know if it's a generational thing, or what, but I look at that and think how lucky you are to have that as a place to start. I lived almost 10 years, in my current home, with a kitchen that had pressboard cabinets and tiled counters. It took me that long to come up with the cash to do the reno right.

If the backsplash bugs you, paint over it.. If the floor bugs you, paint a floor cloth or get one of those Chilewich, woven vinyl floor mats to cover a lot of it. I've been pleased with mine. It's heavy enough to stay down without curling at the edges, yet you can pull it up for hosing outdoors. Or just vacuum it.

Wow, so excited to see my question posted! Thanks for all the replies.

I should have said that this isn't our stuff in the photos, it belongs to the previous occupant, I stole the photos from the estate agent's listing. There is no way I could live with all that horrible clutter! The thing that someone thought was a dishwasher - that's actually an under the counter fridge and we will probably have to live with that until we renovate because there's nowhere to put our big fridge freezer. There's no dishwasher (no big deal, we've never had one). Above the stove is an extractor fan (hidden by a small cabinet front) so we can't put anything underneath it as it'll block it. Oh and the vinyl tiles on the floor are in really bad condition and are beyond cleaning - they are very ripped and have been laid on top of other tiles (also ripped).

The house was (I think) built in the 1980s so it's not a period home.

Thanks again for all your ideas :)

If the floor is so badly ripped that it can't be kept clean, I would consider replacing it (with something inexpensive). Otherwise, I wouldn't spend a penny on the kitchen and save the money for your renovation. We lived with a kitchen that was way worse (30 year old rusty metal cabinets and non-standard built ins that didn't fit anything. I can't even tell you what material the counters were except that the edge was a metal strip. But it was reasonably clean) for 5 years until we finally redid it - makes me appreciate my new kitchen more.

I disagree with the comments not to spend any money now, and to spend it all later. Do what you need to do to handle waiting it out--if you can't stand the kitchen as-is, do the minimum to upgrade/repair it and then save your money responsibly until you can do the full renovation. If you're miserable, you won't be able to calmly wait until the timing is better! I'd do a simple DIY repaint of the cabinet doors and fronts, and swap out the knobs for something inexpensive and unoffensive. Good old Home Depot has tons of cheap options, and they're better quality than IKEA. By all means replace the flooring--linoleum isn't expensive, it's so easy to clean, and it should be cheaper to rip up again when you renovate. Paint over that horrid backsplash tile immediately, and learn to love (or at least function with) the miniature fridge. All that said, make it tolerable, easy to clean, keep it simple, and just create a starting point for your planning process for the real deal!

Beyond painting and a good scrub, wait until you're ready to do the full rennovations. New hardware and even the cheapest flooring can really add up. Just having your stuff moved in will give you a new perspectiveon the space and since you're not doing rennovations right away, you'll have plenty of time to decide what you really want and need.

If you are planning a full remodel in a year's time, I would suggest you take that time for an exercise in patience and character building. Evaluate what you truly "need" and you might find that wasting money, even a relatively small amount, isn't a real necessity. From the looks of it, there are many people out there that would consider the kitchen you have now an improvement over their own.

Interesting that those are realtor photos! Either clueless realtor or clueless seller. They're lucky you were able to see past the mess to purchase the place!

This may not sound humble, but this kind of situation is my specialty.

While I agree with the many comments about color and clutter,
I completely DISAGREE with the "wait and do it with the big remodel" school of thought.

As the owner of a fixer I know all too well how a year can turn into several, and frankly if you can do a quick cheap update you may be able to live with it longer and put your $$ and efforts into other projects.

The key here is to decide how much a simple update is worth to you from the start, if it were me I would give myself a budget of something like $500.

The next step is to figure out what is too expensive to get rid of, i.e appliances & counter tops would doubtless be on that list.

Then take the color of those "unchangeables" in to account, for instance, in this kitchen you could easily go black and white. I might paint the upper cabinets white, and paint the lower cabinets black, this will keep the room "light" yet grounded and add a bit of inexpensive flair.

You could follow that with a simple black and white (or possibly gray) vinyl flooring...they are the most cost effective, durable AND (if you get the "no glue" type) very easy to install.

For the back splash you need to get creative, removing the tile can open a can of worms you may not be ready to tackle, I suggest finding something you can cover the existing tiles with. I have used "Luann" plywood as a back splash several times (its called many things, "door-skin" or simply "1/8 in ply" its a single layer of unfinished wood that you can easily cut to shape paint anyway you like (perhaps a bright primary color?) and simply glue to the existing tile.

You might find VERY inexpensive handles and pulls online or at Target, but I would not spend much on those. Better to do something interesting with paint on your existing handles then to spend the money here.

IF clutter is an issue (not sure if this photo is your stuff or the previous owners) then you DO need solutions. They could be hanging baskets or standing bins etc. I suggest buying new accessories i.e. dish drainers, coffee maker etc, Just be sure that anything you leave out on the counter is good looking goes well with rest of the kitchen. Ross Dress for less is an amazing resource for the kind of stuff you will need.

Last but FAR FROM LEAST, I would pay attention to lighting. if you do not have under cabinet lighting yet, GET IT, its easy to install and you can get a great set of halogen under cabinet lighting for around $35 from LampsPlus.com, trust me lighting can make ALL the difference.

If you have any questions i would be happy to answer them or give you further ideas, you can contact me using the contact link on my blog:

http://pauperposh.blogspot.com/

THANKS & GOOD LUCK!!!

Rich

PAINT THE CABINETS WHITE! You might want to put the same white on the walls too, so there's not a patchwork of different whites. This will (visually) open up the space and make it much easier to live with for a while. Once you've done that, have a look and see whether the floor would work as is for the year, and what touches might bring some additional life to the area.

OK, I think getting rid of what is completely tacky is what I would do. I'd get those tile tattoos that stick on to cover that ugly colored tile design. I wouldn't bother to paint the cupboards...they will still look tacky, in any color, because of the shape in the door. It takes at lot of work to paint cupboards well, and I think it just isn't worth it with these, as they won't look much better painted. Just ignore the color, and the countertop. I would get new hardware in something I really liked...you can maybe work them into your reno if you truly like them. I would paint the untiled wall parts, and the window frame, if it is paintable...some fairly deep color. I'd replace that shade with something like cheap miniblinds, something where you can alter the light as it comes in, so it isn't all or none. That's a functional problem I would definitely fix, so you can get sufficient light in, without having too much of it in your eyes. The floor I would tackle. Depending on how bad it is...if possible, you could fill in cracks and paint it...I've see this done well in a dark color with spaltters of other colors over it. If in too bad shape to paint, lay new cheap vinyl sheet, squares, or lino over it. Cork tiles would be nice, too. And also perhaps reusable elsewhere later, depending on how firmly you attach them. I would also consider a bamboo rug, or cotton rag rug(s) you can wash in the washer, in lieu of new vinyl or lino or squares, or over newly installed cheap ones. The problem is, you may not be able to find a standard rug in just the right size if you want to lay one directly over this damaged floor. So I'd go to a carpet store and look at their remnants of outdoor carpet, woven wood mats, etc., and maybe get one cut in the exact shape you need and edged...remnants are cheap. Sisal, jute and other such weaves are lousy in kitchens, as you can't clean them. I've read that the wider slat bamboo rugs (not the flimsy matchstick sewn bamboo ones) can be cut by you to size..I have a long runner one in my kitchen and love it there, but haven't cut it, as the wood floor past the bound edges looks fine, so I can't vouch for how cut edges would hold up. If the floor is as damaged as you say, I would probably cover it with vinyl or lino or squares, and then add rugs or mats over that, as the new floor will be easier to clean than the damaged one. Consider whether there is a place nearby that you can change to fit in a full size fridge...not your big one, but perhaps a cheap line small but full height fridge...which you can sell or donate when you renovate, as that would drive me the most crazy while waiting.

A year is not much time to wait for your renovation. In the mean time try figuring out how to creatively use your existing items. Find a new place for those cabinets...reuse as island, reuse in laundry room, reuse in garage as work bench, or maybe even find a new owner for them. Use that energy into planning and working out the details.

Be careful doing any work right now you can end up opening up a can of worms.

Cover (repaint, tile stickers, whatever) the tiling issues on the wall, to make it solid white, change out the hardware for something modern, especially if you have definite tastes and would reuse them when you renovate later, and get an area rug that you like that fills the floor as best as possible. I would decide then if the cabinet colors bother you enough to repaint, since that's more work.

Paint the cabinets and live with the rest.

Aveen,
I empathize. I moved into a house 15 months ago and hate my kitchen. Surprisingly, it has a lot of the same elements as yours--similar cabinets, exact countertops, but sadly my appliances are black. I spend a lot of time in my kitchen, so I decided to take a weekend and less than $200 and make a few changes.

I painted the walls to create a more defined but brighter space (Benjamin Moore, $52). I took down the wooden blinds and put up airy curtains (IKEA, $12). I hung a mirror behind my stove to cover the ugly backsplash (Homegoods, $39.99), and put down some black-and-white checkerboard peel and press floor tiles (Home Depot, $70). The rest went to a new tea kettle and some dish towels.

It's far from my dream kitchen, but it's been working fine. In fact, I like it enough that I am holding off on the reno for another six months so I can get the kitchen I REALLY want! For me, spending the $200 was worth it.

The first thing I would do is clean, then I would throw out the horrible dirty rug. You'd be surprised at how different the kitchen would look after a good scrub down. Then maybe I'd figure out what to do with the clutter. I guess you can also get new hardware especially if you're planning on using it in your new kitchen next year. Other than that, I really wouldn't do anything else. A year is not a long wait anyway.

Thanks again guys, keep the ideas coming! I'm so embarrassed though that everyone thinks the clutter is mine and especially that filthy rug! I wish I'd said in my original email that the photos were of the previous occupant's stuff!

A workmate suggested just putting new tiles on top of the old ones, before ripping it all out next year. I could get enough plain white tiles for about £15 (I'm in the UK) so it wouldn't cost much at all. Has anyone ever tried tiling over existing tiles?