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Actually, I think Dave Barnes has a point. If you live there for awhile, you will have a better idea about what you want to spend your money on.
I think you need to think about function before style. I do get why you want to upgrade your cabs, although they are in decent condition now.
The things I would think about are, finding a better place for the micro, choosing a range hood, upgrading the gas cooktop to a 36", putting glass doors on cabs nearest the dishwasher for efficient and attractive dish storage and getting a knife drawer and possibly a spice drawer.
I also agree that the tile is dated, and could be replaced.
I don't think I would choose quartz for a kitchen counter, but I also know that plenty of people do. Quartz might not be as durable as you would like, especially if you set hot pots down on it.
I really think your breakfast nook is lovely, and I hope you enjoy your new home. I think whatever, or whenever, you make changes, you will feel as if the house has become your home. Good luck.
I agree it would be ideal to live in the house for a while before deciding what to change, and we will do that for the most part. However, the kitchen is outdated, so that needs to be done. I don't think I would change my mind on that a year later... The house sat on the market for months because of that kitchen - as we know, the kitchen sells the house (or not). It looks very dark and not pleasing to the eye, and I know it would bring me down a bit when I would walk into that kitchen. Being that the house is vacant now, and we have about 3 weeks before we move in, I am hoping to get the kitchen renovation going, and get the messiest and nosiest part of the job out of the way.
I will be getting a 36" gas range, and the two ovens we currently have will be replaced with one oven and a microwave (given that the range will have an oven as well).
The dishwasher will go to the left of the sink, and glass cabs are a must. :-)
What would you choose for the counter tops? I have granite in my current kitchen, and I am tired of it. I don't really like marble. I've seen some great traditional kitchens on Pinterest with quartz counter tops. I never place hot pots on my counters, so I don't need to worry about that...
I am not sure what to do about hardware and floors. I agree wood floors would look best in the new kitchen, however, I am hesitant to put hardwood floors in the kitchen because of water handling, messy activities, etc. The other reason is - there are beautiful hardwood throughout the rest of the house, and in the room next to the kitchen, so it may be difficult to do a gracious job in finding one that will look good with the old one next to it... not sure what to do. Then, they say that copper hardware is becoming very popular now days. Maybe I stay away from copper, and go with brushed nickel?
Your kitchen does look pretty nice as-is, but we can't tell what the quality of those cabinets is. And is that granite already on the counter? I agree with the others who say move in first, live in it awhile (it is certainly livable the way it is), then decide what you want to do. Your kitchen plans don't sound compatible with a 1940's home -- especially the tile and shimmer....sounds too contemporary. I would try to match that look in the breakfast nook (which is GORGEOUS), and you're on the right path with the cabinets. What about hardwood floors? Is that hardwood in the living room? I think that would like nicer/more elegant than tile, and more in keeping with the look of the nook, which looks very traditional.
Thank you for your feedback, I din't realize the tile sounds contemporary... Previous owner had tile on the floor, I am sure it looked lovely when she put it in in the early 90's. It helps to get different point of views, I will continue my research.
So glad you like the breakfast nook - I love it myself! As you can see in the picture, previous owner had a glass table there. I need to get a table for that area, and I am thinking of going with a wood round table (need to find just the right one). I don't like eating on glass personally, plus a glass tabletop in a glass breakfast nook seems too much glass to me (I try to follow feng shui principles as much as I can), so all that glass calls for wood I think. Thoughts?
I don’t like the floor. I don’t like the black appliances, and I don’t like the countertops. I don’t like seeing the sides of the refrigerator. I don’t like the orangey stain or the brass pulls. I basically wouldn’t save anything, since you have the budget to gut it. The window over the sink is lovely.
I have quartz and I like it very much. It can mimic any other material, but is very durable.
I like the idea of classic style, off white cabinets. Some glass front cabinets would be good. Make sure you get the latest and greatest in storage options, like pull out waste and recycle cupboard, and i think someone already said deep pot storage drawers. Perhaps a slate or wood floor would be nice.
When you’re done, put down a beautiful Persian runner for color.
Last edited by gentlearts; 12-10-2017 at 07:39 AM..
I wouldn't touch that kitchen. Beautiful! Congrats on your new home.
But, if you really want to lighten it up this is an interesting pic that I found online. I think if you had the cabinets professionally painted, the inserts changed to glass in the cupboards you want, and white appliances it would lighten up your kitchen immensely.
I personally like it as is. But, I already have an old style kitchen with glass cabinets....I use them primarily to display my old time kitchen utensils, bowls etc...but they really aren't practical as a storage area. So, there are always trade offs.
I think if you are trying to take your kitchen back to the original, look for that lovely old style counter top with the sparkles....and choose a floor that looks retro. I would definitely keep the kitchen and nook area floors matching. I also think a glass top table would enhance that beautiful nook....I wouldn't want anything that didn't enhance that light and those windows....but I suppose that is personal preference. I sort of picture a wrap around window seat as part of your seating area, with a clear top table.
i am not sure if you are trying to go retro, but here is a link just in case. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/274719645994742792/
Keep everything light.....get the black appliances upgrade to white. I might live with your flooring, depending upon the condition....but if you decide to change those and your counter top....stay light. Lots of interesting sites online, I listed just a couple more. The top one even has online auctions. Please keep updating.
I get what you're saying about the kitchen, OP, and why you want to change some things, even though it's "perfectly fine." It does look "90s" and if I were you I'd want to update it too. And you can, so why not?
I like your idea of white cabinets. Any chance you can have the ones you've already got painted by a professional? And then just replace the doors with glass doors where you want them? I mean, I know it can be done - if the cabinets are good quality I'd strongly consider that.
And of course then change out the knobs.
I'd definitely, definitely change out that floor. It screams 1990s. Have you considered travertine? We love our travertine floor.
You could go with a translucent subway tile for a backsplash - that way it's classic but with some shimmer to it.
Just throwing this out there - we love our soapstone counter tops and they look great with the travertine flooring. Soapstone has pros and cons just like every other type of counter top surface, but we love it. The pros are that it feels fantastic to the touch (when we have guests over we notice that nearly all of them stand around in the kitchen subconsciously stroking the counter tops!), they are absolutely impervious to heat or any sort of staining, and they have a "quiet" sort of pattern rather than a loud one like so many granites. The negatives are that they will never for one minute look smooth and pristine, because the stone is soft yet very dense (no stains but it will scratch) and it develops a patina over time. This stone looks fabulous in many rustic, industrial, or vintage settings but is not great in a kitchen that is geared toward contemporary, or elegant, or pristine in style.
I would definitely update your appliances. I'd go with stainless steel because it will softly reflect light and lighter cabinets. I like your sink and would keep it, definitely.
Since you're going with a stove instead of a stove top and putting the microwave in the wall, I'd do a beautiful stove hood thingie. Why not? Well, one reason why not is that you lose storage space but if that's not important to you then go with it.
While someone is messing with your cabinets, now is the time to have any sort of custom, specialized cabinets made. Think about heavy, deep drawers for pots and pans, a tall pullout for tall items like baking sheets, a double pull out for two trash cans, spice cabinets, etc.
Do nothing.
Move in.
Spend at least a year planning.
Agree.
You also might come up with new ideas and/or decide you like something the way it is.
As for me, the first thing I would change is the floor, because I just don't like it. Backsplash second. I cannot tell the real color of the countertop.
If the kitchen was in mostly good shape, I'd probably leave it alone for the most part---or at least until I lived in it for awhile.
Loooottttssss of good suggestions in here already.
I understand your desire to update. We had nearly the exact same kitchen layout and couldn't wait to update. In our case, though, we blew out everything and it was a multi-room remodel. But...galley kitchens are perfectly suitable for many people and there's no reason some thoughtful updates wouldn't make this work for you.
My #1 kitchen hobgoblin is the oversized fridge that fits...nowhere. They just dominate a kitchen visually and physically. Anything you could do to get a fridge that fits better but also suits your size needs would be great, IMHO.
I like lighter cabs myself, white, for me, is never a bad option. Your cabs look decent but a picture can never be definitive. If they are in good shape and the layout is OK, I would consider new doors, pulls, and panels to give you the white at a better price.
That granite screams 90s generic remodel to me. I am fond of quartz myself, which IMHO in a smaller galley kitchen is even better because a patterned natural stone in a more closed space is tricky. Movement that would look good on a larger slab with lots of open space around it might not look good in a tighter install.
Floor tile is way dated. Not sure how much you want to stay true to a 40's thing, though. I do like some of the high quality vinyl/rubber floors out there. I also like cement-looking tile in neutral colors.
What would you choose for the counter tops? I have granite in my current kitchen, and I am tired of it. I don't really like marble. I've seen some great traditional kitchens on Pinterest with quartz counter tops. I never place hot pots on my counters, so I don't need to worry about that...
I am not sure what to do about hardware and floors. I agree wood floors would look best in the new kitchen, however, I am hesitant to put hardwood floors in the kitchen because of water handling, messy activities, etc. The other reason is - there are beautiful hardwood throughout the rest of the house, and in the room next to the kitchen, so it may be difficult to do a gracious job in finding one that will look good with the old one next to it... not sure what to do. Then, they say that copper hardware is becoming very popular now days. Maybe I stay away from copper, and go with brushed nickel?
We're happy with quartz after having granite in our previous house. For the floors, you could try porcelain wood look tiles, lots of options in color.
Here are my thoughts: painting the cabinets may be an option, however, that will cost approx. 3K in our area (sanding, priming, painting), and risk taking as one will not know how well they will come out unless is all done, plus replacing some doors with glass means more time and money, etc., by the time it is all said and done, I am better off with brand new cabinets, costing me approx.$7K. I can take these old ones and sell them on ebay, offsetting some of the cost, so going with new cabinets plus the function I am looking for, it’s the way to go. Now that we settled that, what to do?
New cabinets – white, or off white? White may be a bit too harsh? Too modern? Off white may look outdated? Merillat is the brand the shop we are working with is recommending. Any opinions on the quality or reputation of this brand, or style/color of cabs we should be going with?
Countertops – I think I’ll stay with quartz. Soapstone is beautiful, but a bit too ruggedly for this space in my view… Now that the cabs will be white or off white, I am thinking to go with a very light, silvery gray that has a light blue undertone, not a brown/sandy undertone. Thoughts?
So far: white (or almost white) cabs, with all the function and some glass cabs, slivery gray quartz counter tops, stainless steel appliances, 36” stovetop, a nice, “somewhat triangular” hood above the stovetop (although I have to be careful not to overwhelm the space).
Next, back splash. I like the translucent idea. I saw some herringbone back splash, lovely looking (see below). That can be white as well. It will be the light and pattern that will make it interesting, not the color.
So far so good? I would like to hear some opinions on these items, and if no major red flags, we can take the design process to the next phase: hardware, flooring, etc.
And by the way, sorry if I've confused some of you, I don't plan to make this house look retro. All I want is a kitchen that looks compatible with the rest of the house. Meaning, I don't want a cubist looking kitchen in a 1940 home. Traditional, but up to date. :-)
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