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Thats a good point about what will work in five years....
You are getting some really great advice here.
Here's our story. We also bought a house with a dated 80's kitchen: mismatched appliances, ugly vinyl flooring and blue countertops (at least your countertops look white in the photos ). The only thing I liked were the cabinets.
My original plan was to re-do the kitchen right away. New range, new counters, new flooring. I love to cook and thought I couldn't bear to work in that room.
Well, fast-forward 3 years, and I am still in the ugly kitchen. And, I am soooo glad I didn't spend a dime on the cosmetic stuff.
Why? Because I also discovered in that time that the kitchen has some major major design flaws. Poor flow. Limited storage. Awkward countertop space.
I'm now working with an architect on a mudroom/storage addition and completely redesigning the kitchen as part of the process. If I had spent $$$ on counters and floors a few years ago, I'd now be looking at riping them out. Wasteful and expensive. With a bit of delayed gratification, I will end up w/ a kitchen that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
Probably the best advice anyone ever gave us when we bought this house: "live in it for a year and let the house speak to you".
I agree on the wallpaper and window treatments. I also think that light fixture could go. I'm not a big fan of the floor either and I would probably do laminate flooring over that. Maybe because that's what I did in ours. It ran about $200, not including the cost of the underlayment. I also replaced our old countertop (13 feet total) with a mid-level laminate for around $360. We were looking at the Wilson Art laminates but my wife liked a less expensive one more so that's what we bought. Fine by me.
Anyway, at the very least, paint, window treatments and new hardware which you mentioned doing. If you do think about the light fixture, check the clearance areas of some of the big boxes. I've found some great deals on lighting that way. I bought a nice 4 fixture track light system and a really nice flush/hanging mount for $75 combined and they would have been twice that at regular price.
Definitely going to replace the light...it doesnt give off enough light in ur opinion. We like it nice and bright in the kitchen. I like to see what my wife cooks
Here's our story. We also bought a house with a dated 80's kitchen: mismatched appliances, ugly vinyl flooring and blue countertops (at least your countertops look white in the photos ). The only thing I liked were the cabinets.
My original plan was to re-do the kitchen right away. New range, new counters, new flooring. I love to cook and thought I couldn't bear to work in that room.
Well, fast-forward 3 years, and I am still in the ugly kitchen. And, I am soooo glad I didn't spend a dime on the cosmetic stuff.
Why? Because I also discovered in that time that the kitchen has some major major design flaws. Poor flow. Limited storage. Awkward countertop space.
I'm now working with an architect on a mudroom/storage addition and completely redesigning the kitchen as part of the process. If I had spent $$$ on counters and floors a few years ago, I'd now be looking at riping them out. Wasteful and expensive. With a bit of delayed gratification, I will end up w/ a kitchen that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
Probably the best advice anyone ever gave us when we bought this house: "live in it for a year and let the house speak to you".
If you continue to work with an Architect to design your kitchen then I promise you and will even bet the farm that you will continue to end up with the aesthetically and unfunctional kitchen you despise.
Architects know next to nothing about designing a kitchen. You might as well hire an electrician to do your plumbing and a roofer to do your flooring.
In the whole picture of the construction process an Architect will know only the basics of kitchen design just as the drywall installers know the basics on framing or the roofers know about sheathing. But you would not hire drywallers to do framing. You dont hire Architects to do kitchens.
You want to hire a Kitchen Designer and you want one with a miminum of AKBD (assoc. kitchen and bath designer) but a CKD (certified kitchen desgner) would be better and if you are talking high end you will want nothing less then a CMKBD meaning they are a master of design. There are not many of us but we all have one thing in common. We laugh at the Architects who are ripping homeowner off who know no better. We feel they are bording on false advertising.
By letting an Architect design your kitchen you are being short changed. He is not aware of all the newest and up to date design possibilities to tell you about so you will be left unaware of what is available. This means you will not get your dream kitchen.
Ask him if he has any kitchen design certifications. If he says no then hire one.
If you continue to work with an Architect to design your kitchen then I promise you and will even bet the farm that you will continue to end up with the aesthetically and unfunctional kitchen you despise.
Architects know next to nothing about designing a kitchen. You might as well hire an electrician to do your plumbing and a roofer to do your flooring.
In the whole picture of the construction process an Architect will know only the basics of kitchen design just as the drywall installers know the basics on framing or the roofers know about sheathing. But you would not hire drywallers to do framing. You dont hire Architects to do kitchens.
You want to hire a Kitchen Designer and you want one with a miminum of AKBD (assoc. kitchen and bath designer) but a CKD (certified kitchen desgner) would be better and if you are talking high end you will want nothing less then a CMKBD meaning they are a master of design. There are not many of us but we all have one thing in common. We laugh at the Architects who are ripping homeowner off who know no better. We feel they are bording on false advertising.
By letting an Architect design your kitchen you are being short changed. He is not aware of all the newest and up to date design possibilities to tell you about so you will be left unaware of what is available. This means you will not get your dream kitchen.
Ask him if he has any kitchen design certifications. If he says no then hire one.
Thank-you for your concern. Our architect is helping with the addition to the house and general structrual and flow issues. His associate is an AKBD. We will be working with her on the design and layout of the kitchen. I will take your advice and look into firms with CMKBD certification in our area (we are in the midwest). Thanks for the info!
You're counters are baby blue?
My sympathies.
I'd have to do the walls and curtains for sure, I couldn't bear to have to look at those day after day after day. Maybe the drawer pulls too if I could find a really good closeout deal somewhere. I think I'd wait on the rest until I was ready to do it up right!
To me if you are going to do a major remodel in 5 years don't spend a lot of money now. Just do sprucing up-paint and get rid of the wall paper and curtains. It seems redundant to spend extra money now only to rip it all out in 5 years.
(Unless I missed something-read all the posts quick)
Ok...we're moved in. The curtains are down and the new fridge and oven are installed. Kitchen looks a million times better with that being done. We ended up having to get a new washer and dryer, as the sellers took theirs (it was in the contract, but we got $800 from their realtor for a set valued at $400 if that). So, we redid the 6x8 laundry room. We went with an olive green and mahogany wood floors-looks beautiful...for a laundry room
If this were my kitchen, I'd have all black appliances, to match the dishwasher..imo black appliances are more modern looking than white.
I hate wall paper...I have one room left to rid of it in my house. A nice stacked-stone back-splash would be very nice..(including behind stove, removing the plexi-glass ) and I rather like your cabinetry, but as you said, would change the hardware for a new look.
I'd scrap the table and chairs, and replace them....It appears to big for the kitchen.
I would accentuate that window, it could be a real focal point...glad you already stated you took those curtains away...maybe a nice cornice..or shelf above...maybe tortoise shell shades? hmm...there is a lot of potential in your kitchen.
You can nix the light fixtures and bring in something more modern...
I lean more toward crown moulding as a border, as opposed to paper borders..
how about a new clock...it may seem like an unimportant design element...but you can find very nicely designed clocks that will add interest, just as new hardware for the cabinets would.
When you replace (if you do) the vinyl flooring, what kind of flooring would you change it too? There are some very nice laminate tiles now that look just like ceramic tiles, and are rigid... but are much more cost effective, but give the look of tiles. (and when you drop a butterknife, it won't crack..)
Counters...corian is nice... granite is expensive ... concrete & glass are green ... tile, the grout lines can harbor bacteria if not sealed...
very good ideas....still sticking with white for appliances
The clock is going in favor of a dr seuss vintage serving tray. The floor is going to wait as if we do that, we want the cabinets out. We were thinking mahogany wood to match the laundry room. The cabinets stink, but we cant replace them. I am going to replace some of the shelves inside as they are starting to warp. The people didnt even bother to clean them when they moved out-filthy!
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). The only thing I liked were the cabinets.
It ran about $200, not including the cost of the underlayment. I also replaced our old countertop (13 feet total) with a mid-level laminate for around $360. We were looking at the Wilson Art laminates but my wife liked a less expensive one more so that's what we bought. Fine by me. 
