Our last house was a no-style 60s daylight basement rambler. I just kept with its 'style' of clean lines and simplicity and went with cherry shaker styled cabinets with very simple, straight line molding detail at the top. I guess I let the richness of the cherry speak out and be the focus over a more detailed kitchen style. We also added heavier interior trim to give things more 'heft' and boldness.

Lynn r ct - I love this question, as I live in a ranch too!! We live in Southern California a block from the beach, just like you. Our house was built in 1949 and most of it is raised (which, I have to say, made redoing the kitchen MUCH easier - no worries moving the sink to the island because the guys just crawled under the house - also easier to fix plumbing, etc.). In fact, several contractors have told me they PREFER to live in raised foundation houses for precisely that reason. It is apparently cheaper to pour the concrete (at least this is what I was told - maybe they were trying to make me feel better as I fretted over rats???). ICK!

In any event, I had to CREATE a style for my house. You can do this with paint color, the style of furniture you choose, the sort of window treatments and fabrics you choose, etc.

I figured I had 2 choices, both of which I liked. Go mid-century modern (think Design Within Reach), or beach cottage. I love modern, but that would have meant buying pretty much all new furniture. It would have melded great with the house, but I just couldn't afford all new furniture in a 4500 sq ft house. Beach Cottage I could do, however, just by virtue of the colors I chose, the little extra things you get to decorate (like shells and the like).

Once I decided I was going beach cottage, that really directed me in the syle of my kitchen. White perimeter, stained island, dark granite (though I'm coveting everyone's soapstone), and either white walls or saturated wall colors. I chose saturated because I was tired of living in all white walled (or tan walled) homes. So I have a vibrant orange living room, yellow walls in most of the rest of the house, and a very calm gray-blue in the kitchen. I'm trying to keep the orange/yellow/blue/green thing going in the whole house with touches here and there to tie the rooms together.

I'm sure some people walk in and are completely appalled, but it is my house and the colors make me happy. How can you be sad in an orange room??? :)

Anyway, I think you can take your ranch and work into it any style that you like, but you need to be aware that it will always be a ranch - not tuscan or french country or whatever. So unless you go beach cottagy (which I think you can totally do with a ranch) or mid-century (which is very in keeping with the ranch style), then I would try and make it a bit eclectic - bring in some of those styles you love without trying to BE that house. Does that make sense?

In other words, I wouldn't put a totally tuscan kitchen in your house, but I would use tuscan touches. I wouldn't put a French country kitchen in your house, but I would put touches. Use restraint, but have fun. You can give a nod to the style you love without having your house look like it's having an identity crisis.

At least that's the philosophy I used, and so far, so good. No huge faux pas YET! LOL.

You can also give it some character by improving the moldings and casings. We live in a split level in So. Cal. I'm planning on adding some nice beefy baseboards and mantels over the door casings. Also our roof line is very horizontal -- gives it a nice craftsman/prairie feel so I'm going to add a bit of craftsman touches, too. Nothing over-the-top, mind you. It's not going to look like I'm trying to turn my 1962 split into a 1920s Bungalow, but just enough to give it some pizzaz.

Us too.

Different sort of house (we live in a ten year-old multi-storey) but still, no "character." When I've read those posts about how one should match the style of one's proposed kitchen with one's home I thought that was a bit rich. I mean, how many of us are able to find the house which perfectly marries our style with our needs? We couldn't (and we looked).

I think most of us do the best we can. If we're lucky enough to be able to afford a kitchen reno, we go with our dream even if that dream doesn't dovetail precisely with the architectural style of our house. We "make-do."

We live in a ten year-old plain jane vanilla house with a floorplan which is nearly perfect for our young family but style-wise is b-o-r-i-n-g. (does have a gorgeous view of the Rockies!) Like all of us participating here in this forum, we're really lucky to get to undertake a kitchen reno (we're actually doing the whole house).

Like the posters above, we're making our house fit us. We've had the whole house (save the basement) replastered (so now it's smooth instead of that revolting orange peel / knock-down texture) and are having beefy mouldings (base and crown, chair rail, picture frame, head crown ...) installed aplenty!

But we're trying to be thoughtful about it -- picking mouldings we like but which don't scream out "I make no sense here in this late-90s tract house!" As such, I think (and really hope) our kitchen will make sense in the context of our new (& improved) house. We took our style cues from our taste and the way our home is decorated. (or will be once everything comes out of storage)

And that would be my suggestion for you. What kitchens appeal to you? Do they "make sense" in the context of the rest of your home's decor? Could it be subtle enough to work in your home if you were to sell? (meaning nothing so over-the-top or specific that others couldn't make it suit them as well)

Yours is a great question and it'll be loads of fun to watch your kitchen progress!

As I am decorating this house I have continued with the style I have had for many years, which has always been eclectic. I have new pieces mixed in with old and a mish mash of styles. I love the "grandmother's house" look (with limits on the frou frou) that you get when pieces are acquired over time. No matchy, matchy here.

Like you guys, little by little I am putting up mouldings and other details to give the house some character as best I can.

I have changed my mind on the details on this kitchen a million times. This is the only good thing that has come out of my husband's delays on our addition. I think if I had done this kitchen 4 years ago when we began this project I would have been full of regrets. What has been consistent though, is that I gravitate toward the same style as the rest of my house.

I love the furniture look in cabinets. I love mixing colors with stains, Mixing certain door styles can also look fab if done right IMO. Although Shaker doors are appealing to me I also like more traditional doors. I enjoy assymetry in design - to me it makes things more interesting - that is what appeals to me.

But it seems as if I am creating a great sin if I wish to introduce a few slight tradition elements to my kitchen design, which happens to be in my 70's design deprived house, based upon many of the postings here. Certainly not meant to be disrespectful in any way but, does anyone else feel sometimes that there are kitchen snobs out there?

lynn, when you ask if there are kitchen snobs out there, do you specifically mean here on GW?

I think there are snobs everywhere, inc. here. But I think the snobbism here is mostly about their own kitchens, not necessarily (negatively) judging others. I have read so many supportive, kind, helpful comments posted to kitchens which have been done on a shoestring and / or are not shelter-magazine ready. I think lots of us (occasionally me too) do a little chest thumping because we know that the other members of this forum will "get it." Like if I kvetched about X to my local friends, who are not into kitchen renos at all, I'd get a blank stare in response. But here I get sympathy / encouragement / excitement. I really appreciate it!

I'm really excited about the vision you described for your kitchen! What I'm picturing sounds as if it would work wonderfully not only in the context of your home, but also with your house's (architectural) vernacular.

Of course right now I cannot recall whose but I know I have seen a kitchen which really looked "assembled" (in a great way!) -- colors and stains with different door styles. It looked so inviting, cosy, friendly, like the kitchen of a dear friend where you feel right at home. I think your description of "grandmother's house" is perfect.

I live in Northern CA, where majority of the houses in mature neighborhoods are single story ranchers. When we were looking for a house, we went to many, with many of them having remodelled kitchens, with various styles and shapes/sizes.

I can tell one thing: the fact that the house has no style can be a blessing in disguise. It will be a style-neutral house and will be able to blend "real" styles more easily. Add a few moldings and french doors etc and it can become a very warm and inviting space.

Of all the houses that we saw, I do not remember thinking "what a mismatching kitchen" because of this reason. There were some kitchens that I loved, and then some that were not my kind, but in general no kitchen struck me as a style eyesore.

Hope this gives some solace!

My father's best friend lived in a ranch house. On a ranch. With a real ranch kitchen. Formica counters. Carpeted floor! (Ugh?) Warm and functional (I don't know how Mrs. Ranch kept that carpet clean but she didn't have to work too hard at it so it must have been functional--it was clean). What I mean by telling you this, is that there are times when sticking too closely to the style of the house is silly. As Socal said, there are styles that won't fit if you go whole hog, but you could make reference.

The great thing, is that ranch houses lend themselves well to your eclectic style! The different finishes and doors, etc., really go with the make-do ranch ethic :) So I would definitely call your design ideas consistent with the style of your house :)

I don't really think the folks here are snobbish so much as TKO (totally kitchen obsessed). There are certain styles that are very in so you get a lot of cheering for the installation of the white cabinets and soapstone, or the shakers and granite. But there's just as much enthusiasm for the modern and blingy, or the casual and comfy, etc. And I think most of us can appreciate styles that are not our own personal preference. I'll be really honest and admit I've see two kitchens belonging to people here that I really disliked, but I could still appreciate why their owners loved them. There are a lot more that I really like that I could never live with. My own taste doesn't owe much to fashion so I'm sure that plenty won't like mine when it's done. It's okay! We can be supportive without lovin' it :) And I think if you share your inspirations and style you'll find that plenty of people love it :)

Once upon a time, my house was a 1942 California cottage - not a style that grabs me all that much. In 1959 one set of owners tried to turn it into a ranch, with limited success. In 1989 the previous owners expanded the alleged ranch-style mish-mash to true weirdness.

The bones and rooflines of the house suggested either contemporary stucco or stone farmhouse style, and since I wanted a big front porch, stone farmhouse won by a mile. We added the porch, a small addition upstairs that gave the facade more symmetry, slate tile to the porch floor and a matching faux-stone skin to the one-story facade and the areas below the porch level. Simple trims at the tops and bottoms of the windows with 1x4 trex boards and shutters (made out of recycled redwood fencing) on the sides gave the windows a big boost.

I brought the outside into the kitchen by adding french doors that open onto the porch, and bringing the slate tile in as my kitchen flooring. The kitchen has some farm/country style, but also incorporates modern art and provencal accents.

I think that it helps to study your house for a while to find the possibilities. Go sit in your neighbor's yard across the street and look at the lines of roof and wall, the footprint that it makes on the ground, the relationships to geography and plantings on your lot. Consider different skins: siding or stucco or stone or brick. Changing a roof can be very expensive, so try to find solutions that suit your existing roofline. Consider the effects of transitional areas like porches or frontyard structures and seating. Just adding a low fence with colorful shrubs or a vine-laden trellis by the front door can help can help take ranch to cottage.

As for a kitchen in your kind of house, the only styles that I think would really fight would be Sci-fi modern or Olde Worlde. Otherwise, just about anything would harmonise with the suburban feel of your home.

Good luck on your journey!

I've collected some neat old architectural salvage pieces over the years...things like mullioned side lights, transoms, carved plinth blocks, window head casings and I treat them as art. I have them scattered about, either hanging on the wall or perched on shelving. And I have a number of beadboard/ primitive pine pieces of 'furniture'. My backdrop is almost always a troweled drywall mud texture topped with a semi-gloss/ satin white paint. Anytime I have deviated from that formula, experimenting with colors/ wallpaper, I've been less than satisfied.

In any case, I think it comes down to knowing 'your' style and seeing the relative blank slate of a plain old ranch as being an opportunity to express that style & in a portable way that you can take with you when you move/ trade up.

A lot of these now historical houses that people are talking about are part of revival periods in American architecture--Tudor Revival, Gothic Revival, Colonial Revival. At the time they were new houses with decoration hinting towards the past. American architecture has often been preoccupied with creating history, maybe because the country and its buildings are relatively young. My point is, the style elements of some of these older houses were chosen for personal preference, for projecting a particular image that the owner wanted to convey. Do the same with your house. If you have a style that speaks to you, use it as the baseline for your house. A lot of split levels and raised ranches have little clues that indicate a leaning towards a particular style (a lot in NJ have colonial elements), but really feel free to create your own.

Don't think of it as "no style" think of it as "blank canvas"!!

As an ardent ecclecticist, I say go for it. Sure, right now vintage/period is in vogue again, and if a house has the kind of architectural interest to inspire in that direction then absolutely - it can be nice to reflect architectural interest or local style in the kitchen. But I certainly don't think that's the only way to do thing. I can tell you this - if I ever live in a 1940/50s home there is no WAY I'll be choosing to match it with 40s kitchen style, because while I appreciate it as an "ism", I couldn't live with chrome "diner retro" or metal cabinets or any of the other "period appropriate" details. Just not me. So, it all depends on whether you actually LIKE the architecture of your home, too :)

I think the "builder modern" homes of the 70s and 80s actually give you the most freedom of choice, in some ways - you definitely can go any direction and make it work I think. Let's hear it for ecclectic!

Lynn_r_ct, we're right there with you! Our 70's home has zero architectural perks whatsoever. We took the same route as divamum and decided to whatever the heck we wanted! I like to describe the style of our house as the What We Like style.

hi Lynn...we were actually looking for such a house, but had to go older in our price range...1920s. in my mind the ranch is long and wide, with regular (8 ft) ceilings. even a raised ranch preserves this look. our friends that are very stylish bought one and just loved it once it was filled with 1950s long slim couches, spindly coffee table, etc. in their pink bathroom they added pink tiles. it was really pulled together! they also had some japanese things...which i thought of when you said you like asymmetrical. i think slab door cabinetry and basically anything horizontally oriented would be great in your ranch. the other choices would be "real ranch" as in cowboy style or atomic ranch with the black, chrome, and red. i think the calm, asymmetric japanese look would be my favorite.
what wouldn't work IMO? anything that emphasizes height...like tall victorian furniture, arched top cabinet doors, crown moulding, upward sweeping corbels. as much as i love crown moulding, in a ranch? ick. but that's just my opinion...if i was so near the beach i know i could be happy no matter what. good luck kren

I have a typical 1950's cape house. It was built with absolutely no decorative elements, box rooms, utilitarian stairs, utilitarian moldings. Absolutely no style to it at all. It's simply a box.

So what I have now is what I term "2000 soccer mom chic". lol. A little transitional, a little traditional, a little pottery barn, a lot of shaker. personally, I don't like a set style. I'd much rather have a blank canvas to work with and then elaborate on that as we go. The only time I would think you HAVE to follow is if you had something like an 1800's victorian and you tried to make it look contemporary inside. IMO that just doesn't work. But for most of us, we have standard run of the mill nondescript houses which allow us to go in any direction we want.

I have a 1968 split level (ugliest house in the neighborhood). Our street was added MUCH later to an old neighborhood with character. At any rate, we bought the house at a steel to be in MHO the best neighborhood in the city. We are in the progress of renovating inside and out(one phase at a time over an 8 year period) and my criteria was that we do it inexpensively and tastefully as to maximize the value should we have to sell at any point. That being said, when you walk into my home you definitely know it's mine as when decorating I feel you can't help but choose those things you gravitate and feel at home with. Such as paint color, wall hangings, drapes,etc. Same holds true with the kitchen. I put the largest portion of my budget in appliances without going really high end (incase I had to sell I didn't want to cry leaving my dream 42 inch WOLF behind) as that's what is most important to me. Everything else I chose, was because it was what felt like home to me and because I enlisted help and direction from all the AMAZINGLY talented and gifted people here on GW so it would still show nicely if I had to leave.

As I read this it sounds like I bought my house to resale, when in truth we plan to be here for the rest of our days. However, from past experience I have found you never know what life will bring so I try to plan accordingly:)

Great question! My first house was a post war prefab in a military town. Lots of history but no character. While I never had the chance to do a rebuild of my kitchen I did some redecorating of the whole place. It seemed the best bet was to maintain the simple lines and play them up. I used vibrant colours and basically felt free to experiment with what I liked.

I'm definately a kitchen snob! After all I should be...I have a french range and ummmm a saw horse in my kitchen (and that's all I've had for six months LOL). So umm Ya I'm a snob! :oP

And definately go with the style of your home...for instance, take mine...a 1983 five level townhome with orange oak and shag carpet. Who WOULDN'T want to replicate that over and over and .....ok anyone with a bulldozer :)

Then there's the other kitchen...a 1977 three level townhouse built by the same builder. The only difference would be the built in 8 track player and the orange and pink shag....

I love the freedom that a no-style house has frankly. In my real house I'm going totally eclectic. It will all flow, but the character of our house is entirely on the inside since I can't change the outside (aside from decorating the porch and the gardens). But I love that because what other style home could you do Crocodile tile and moose head knobs in? :o) It's FUN!

I wouldn't do high level victorian in a home like mine, but aside from that, I think the freedom to do anything is yours in homes like this. You can really make them YOURS in so many ways, including the style of your remodel. Those nice upgrades (molding etc) are great changes, but the general style is truely up to you, instead of the architecht who designed it oh so many years ago. I'd MUCH rather have that to work with than a newly built "tudor or tuscan style" thing :)

Now if we pick up number 3, I'll actually be doing a kitchen in a real "period" style. The house is a fabulous example of 1914 building and we'll honor that as I feel compelled to do. That in itself will be a fun challenge :) I'd almost feel crooked putting in a very modern kitchen in the place..it would just be wrong! But the great thing about the other places is that one can not feel criminal when ripping out orange oak cabinets and hidious yellowed corian and replacing them with...umm ANYTHING!

Lynn
You sound like you have a style vision for your home decor, even if the building itself doesn't have a "style" that is leading you. (My MIL still has her original 70's kitchen in her split-level home--it is true to the style of the house, but I'm thinking there's not a lot of folks who want to copy it exactly right now--maybe in a few years those brown appliances will be cool and retro!) Anyway, the style you are using in the rest of your furnishings can lead your kitchen style. Don't go for a particular "style" (Tuscan, vintage farmhouse, sleek and modern, etc) but look at what is FUNCTIONAL for you (This is most important--esp with kids) and that speaks to you. You can choose cabinets in a simple style, a countertop in a color/material that makes you happy, flooring that is practical and works with the rest of your floors, maybe some other furniture (table and chairs, sitting area if that is in the plan) that you can choose the in the same way you chose furnishings for the rest of your home. I think you have a vision--if the rest of your decor fits in with your "no-style" home, then your kitchen will also, because it will be a continuation of the look of the rest of the house. Go for it, and have fun choosing what works for you.

Bwahaha, Igloochic! That built-in 8-track! Is it built into a brown brick wall by any chance? I think I have the TRS-80 that goes with it somewhere in my hall closet...

I just have to try to describe a kit in a raised ranch that I saw. Usually they are all pretty much the same, this one wasn't.
Imagine being on the front door landing looking up. Most often a wall with a kit behind, some with door to kit some not. That wall was removed so it was all open. On the left of the kit it started with pantry, refrig, cabs, corner range, around the back wall to sink, DW -- In the center was a large island with counter stools. It was also open to the din area to the right of the sink/dw wall of cabs. It was so different it really looked great.

LOL No the 8 track isn't in the brick wall thank god (and yes we do have one...that houses the missing subzero and the broken thermador grill). Fortunately it's mounted right above the drop down turntable (which takes 45's and 33's) and below the surround sound speakers (throughout the house) which are at least 2 1/2 feet wide by 4' tall. There will be a great deal of drywall patching to do come remodel time LOL

My contractor is trading a floor repair job for the 8 track. Oh did I mention above that is the system for the intercom which runs throughout the house...including the bathrooms which you can set to "listen" and hear every flush or other function completed in a bathroom???? All through the dining room speakers....or on the working surround sound portion of the system in the house...

Igloochic and sarschlos - I have the built in ceiling speakers for your 8-track and TRS-80. One of the prior owners cut 2 large holes in the living room ceiling and inserted large household speakers, then they made a frame covered with some sort (??) of fabric in navajo white (wait, maybe that's the dirt) and placed it over the hole. Talk about your home theatre system.

This whole look comes together with brown shag carpeting and a beast of a fireplace, placed in the corner not in an angular pattern but with a 90 degree corner, completely unejoyable. I'm probably the only person in the history of a remodel removing a fireplace.

Sigh. TRS-80. Live connection in open mode emulates a Diablo. Ah, nostalgia. Gadzooks but we thought that was hot!

Lynn - I'm so glad you posted this. I was also reading the kitchen style matching your house style posts and feeling lucky that no one was seeing my house.

We have a no style house - I call it our Cape-Ranch. Built in 1950 as a Cape and expanded horizontally over the years. Works really well for us functionally - we do most of our living on the larger main floor.

Our kitchen harks back to an older "collected" style - a mix of painted and stained cabinets and all sorts of colors. One sink is stainless with a modern looking arched faucet, the other is a farm sink with an old looking faucet. We love it though I'm sure some others will think its a bit odd.

We do have a lot of antiques in the rest of the house - nothing too high end - but including things like a once fancy marble hotel console, a French Hutch, Chinese boxes and benches, quilts and primitive Americana.

I think a number of years ago I realized that even though I bought furniture pieces without thinking about whether or not things went together, they all seemed to work together anyway. So my maybe blind opinion is that if you have a sense of what kinds of things you like, that's really a style - your style. It may not be "Tuscan" or "Arts and Crafts", or "modern" but it may be more interesting because its unique.

Right now I'm trying to decide on curtains for our eating area in our "old look" kitchen. I'm really attracted to the curtains with large metal grommets - definitely a "modern" look. I like both the look and the functionality - they will tuck back from the french doors really well. But it seems like almost blasphemy to put them with the kitchen. Of course we also have a large stainless range and wall of stainless ovens which definitely wouldn't have been there in the 1700's...

Good luck with all of your decisions. Sounds like you will come up with a look that suits you and your house well.

ROTFLMAO, igloochic! I don't see the problem. Doesn't everyone enjoy a little horn concerto with dinner?

Makes me think of the first "fancy" hotel I ever stayed at -- it had a weird heat lamp right in front of the tub so you wouldn't get cold toweling off (before heated towel racks, I guess). My DH and I dubbed it the "Chicken McNugget Lamp."

eandhl, I have actually toyed with that idea quite a bit myself. I'm very nervous about it, though, because it means removing a load bearing wall that very well may contain ducts & electrical.

Orange shag carpet... When I first went to my "now" husband's home (this was '86) he had a 60's shag carpet in his den, a green crushed velvet recliner, and a brown plaid couch. Married him anyway and he is about as eclectic as his den - may not be perfect - but he keeps our life interesting for sure.

And igloo chick the thought of an intercom in the bathroom is frightful. I swear my boys pee from about six feet away as it is because they miss the toilet more often than not! - to think that I may also have to listen is really scary.

I have loved reading your responses. I have been doing the "I feel sorry for myself" dance because I have to live in a raised ranch. So I love the comments that the house is "design neutral" gving me a blank canvas. I have always had confidence in my design abilities (in the sense that they make ME happy) and had planned a kitchen very much as I described but I was curious as to whether there were other's like myself out there feeling as if we were violating some "Kitchen sin".

We did hire an architect when we began the addition. His plans included changes for the front so ours's didn't look like all the others on the street. He suggested that we might "gift" each other that construction for our anniversay. Adding on to the front with his plans will cost 10K or more because we need to move gas and water lines. Definately not in our "gift" budget so it goes on the back burner (unless I can win some money from the Indians when I go to the casino LOL).

Part one of the construction (much of which we have done ourselves) was to build the addition because we desperately needed more bedrooms and wanted a larger living room area. The changes for the front had to be step 3 because enlarging and modifying the kitchen was step 2 in importance. Only four drawers in the whole kitchen and I am overflowing with "stuff". With three teens and their bizillion friends if groceries go on sale I buy 50 of whatever (crushed tomatoes for my sauce, peanut butter or cereal) and I simply need space - desperately.
Eandhl, I know exactly what you are talking about. Friends across the street did just that. When you walk up the stairs everything is open to the left. It is a true great room with a huge eat in kitchen and livng room area and yes it did involve removing a load bearing wall.
Although I know this goes against what is so popular today I wanted a separate kitchen. And I wanted a formal dining room. Allthough we don't use it that often it seems to make those occasions more festive and I don't like looking at the dirty dishes while we are eating.

The "new" kitchen will be about 14 X 14, small by many standards that I see here, but this was my tradeoff for the separate LR and DR. I will have an 11' X 4' panty for my "stuff" so that will help considerably.
Despite all the valuable information I have received there are days when I am not so happy that I found this site. My kitchen cannot compare with many of the gorgeous kitchens out there, even though I may want it to. So my plans will precede in the direction I have been going. Knowing me, I will have a kitchen that you either love or hate but I know that in the long run, if I am the one washing the floors I am getting what I want. Keep the comments coming because there is comfort in knowing that not everyone is sitting there with a budget of 150K.

Lynn, I know that "poor relative" feeling when I look at some of the gorgeous kitchens people have here, but please don't feel you have ANYTHING to apologise for - if it's any comfort, my ENTIRE budget was 1/10th of the number you quote above :). I had to get all my materials 2ndhand to do the kitchen (the knock-on effect of opening up the attic as living space, which was the main reason for the project), and the resulting kitchen has only been achieved because I lucked out and got amazing contractors who decided helping me do this project on a shoestring was a fun challenge. I'll be posting "mostly finished" pix soon, and you'd be AMAZED what you can do on no money. Well, *I'M* amazed on what can be done on no money, anyway!

All the best with your plans - in whatever style they turn out to be :)

My house has no style, and unfortunately...that *is* my style. When I got out of college, the few pieces of furniture I bought were beige (so that they'd go with whatever my roomates of the moment had). Paint was always white everywhere I happened to live...or those pastels that were so muted that they might as well *be* white. I guess growing up in Catholic school with uniforms didn't help much -- I never had to figure out what to wear and didn't get to play with colors much (once I got out of that uniform, I didn't wear navy blue for the next 10 years!).

So now, my non-descript early 60's split level is decorated in...no-style. There's the family room, which is still paneled and has a plaid couch similar to the one I grew up with (you mean *all* couches are not plaid?). The house is sort of warm/comfy in a cluttery sort of way. The kitchen is *plastered* with my kids' artwork (to hide the too-pastel almost-blue walls that desperately need painting).

My under-design, soon-to-be (optimistic!) new kitchen will probably not be unusual or unique in any respect. It'll be pretty standard stuff, I'm sure. But even so, it'll be such an improvement for being new and modern. Can't wait!!

Back to the drawing board. :-)

Lynn, I have a pretty generous budget and was feeling the same thing from the other direction. I'm spending on appliances what some spend on their whole kitchens and was worried that people would think I was showing off or something. Then I kicked myself in the butt and told myself that now that I've waited and saved and can have my dream kitchen I mustn't be scared of sharing and getting the good counsel of other TKO's. And people here have been generous and kind. And if not everyone can get behind some of my less orthodox choices, well that's all right too. And can I just tell you how impressed I am with Divamum's kitchen?

I'm doing two kitchens at this point...one at a very low budget (reusing the cabinets and finding some additional in the other rooms of the house to add to those) and one that's lavish by any standards, but as plllog says, it's my dream kitchen and I want what I want.

I enjoy BOTH challenges. No matter how high the budget, the decisions are just as difficult. And some of my favorite pieces in the kitchen are actually the ones I really got a steal on (for instance the 1930's chandeliers which I purchased on ebay and refinished myself). I enjoy that kind of challenge.

But the fun in both of these kitchens is that given a few restrictions (size, budget, etc) I still can be pretty darned creative because neither house is restricting in style. So in one I'll have my chicken mosaic and in the other, heck I've always thought mahogany cabinets were a splurge, but that's what I get to start with :)

Now back to the important part of this post...the speakers!

Mine are all wrapped around the "wood like substance frame" (which sticks out of the wall about four inches) with wallpaper to match the decor of the room. This includes large pink and green flowers, gold flocked foil and some beige and gold foil spinx's (I think that's what they are).

This place was the HEIGHT of style when it was built :) And dang it makes me giggle! I'm sure the same will be said of my bathroom when I leave...."WOULD YOU BELIEVE THIS????? SHE USED CROCODILE TILE IN CHOCOLATE BROWN!!! 24x24!!!! THEY"RE HUGEEEEEE!!!!!" And while I live with them I'll love them LOL To each their own :)

Can I jump in on this? I've been wondering about this too. My house was built in 1880, so I think of it as Victorian. But it was built for plain, possibly poor folks, so I think of it as Folk. I think there such a thing as Folk Victorian, isn't there? But I definately am not going to have a washtub and an outhouse to keep with the initial style of the house.

Actually, maybe my house is so stipped down to the plain and simple bare bones, maybe it doesn't have a style. It's got some character, not all positive character, as the ugly dark grey porch and point peaks look kind of scary in some ways. Maybe it's because I first walked through the house on Halloween. And, it sits on a small hill that declines sharply to the street. It's kind of imposing, I think.
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LOL! Seedsilly, I grew up with "mod cons" but we also had a galvanized tub and washboard :) I think your house could take quite a contemporary kitchen, just not ultra modern or mid-century minimal. The whole Victorian Folk concept sounds wonderful, however :) But your house does have a style! It's not just a big modern box. It has gables! But one of the great things about older houses is that they'll take just about any style if it's done with respect, whereas backwards looking styles often look really dumb in new houses which aren't built entirely in that style.

I should explain my last comment: Antique French country kitchen in a rectilinear modern house. Doesn't go. I've seen it. Nice kitchen. But weird.

sarschlos_remodeler, there was a post left at the corner of kit/din/liv.

Thanks plllog, that's good to know! Glad to have someone's insight into my old added-on-to-so-many-times hut. But what are "mod cons", modern conveniences?

Well, our cottage had no style, being a cheapie WWII bungalow thrown up in what used to be a 'summer cottage' suburb.

So there's a cottage garden out front to give it some curb appeal, along with a widened walkway to look a bit more welcoming than the uneven concrete stairs and rusting iron railing, LOL.

But inside? We gutted the house and turned it into an open-living design full of light and air, contemporary without being starkly modern. The kitchen is full overlay frameless cabs with solid surface counters and a slate-look vinyl tile floor, clean-lined with light wood tones.

Had there been any architectural charm inside we would have saved it, but except for the lovely wide-plank oak flooring with walnut pegs in the LR....there wasn't any.

In fact, my first comment when I walked in the door of this house was, "This is the UGLIEST house I've ever seen!" Blank slates can be the most fun to work with.

I agree with buffetgirl, in that most house interiors can tolerate many styles of design/decor, providing they are not extremely contrary to the architectural design of the house. If I had an extremely modern house of all glass and concrete I wouldn't fill the interior with a heavy Victorian style.

However I do think a kitchen's cabinets and countertops can be quite flexible in their ability to fit into many types of houses. I feel it's more the decor element of the extras such as the lighting, stools, rugs, window treatment, etc. that define the style of the kitchen. But if my kitchen had a definite style rather than just a more generic but udated look, I'd attempt to continue that style throughout the house, so that one room flows into the next, rather than going from French Country kitchen to ultra modern living room.

seedsilly, I love your house! I think of THAT as having character built right in.

But what's with the first floor windows that look like they just don't match?

Really? How sweet. Thought I was the only one who loved my house. I'm not sure which of the windows you mean, cuz there's so many mismatched things in this house. One of the windows, though I think the tree is blocking it, is original. It's sad to think we really should replace it. One of my favorite things in the house is the original threshold (now is the entrance to the dining room from the greenhouse) is so worn there's a deep "ditch" worn into the wood. I've lived in the house for 2 years, and we've just scratched the suface of repairs/remodeling. Spent a lot on electric and plumbing, now we're saving up for some of the fun things. And windows, not that those are fun.