How about starting with a floor that you might just love enough when you get around to the big remodel so you won't be compelled to redo them. Do you want to stay true to the house style?
How about those black and white squares (or yellow and white or red and black). I hope your old floor is in good enough shape to put another flooring over it. Are you going to paint the cabinets? How much needs painting - walls and ceiling? You should do something special with the cabinets that you will be keeping during the big remodel.
You must have some ideas for color/preferences? Some pictures would be helpful.

If you are looking at temporary, seriously consider the Trafficmaster allure vinyl plank flooring. It's planks adhere to each other, but not the floor underneath. It will come up SO easily when you want to put something else down. We just put some in the master closet, and it went down fast and looks good.

The tin walls and glass door cabinet sounds cool.

Did you read the recent thread about Novalis flooring? It sounds like it may work for you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Novalis flooring thread

Lisa LaPorta uses a lot of peel and stick tiles on Designed to Sell! And her re-do's always look good. (On TV anyway!) Not sure how easy they are to remove, however. You are an ambitious couple! Good luck.

Not sure what you've got. You say make shift cabs - Do you have any cabs or are you ripping them all out? If there are cabs, are they stained?Painted?

What about backsplash? you could do tin or beadboard easily. I would look at the wood Ikea countertops mixed with stainless steel (depends on your cabs wouldn't do this if the cabs aren't painted).

And don't forget cabiinet hardware. I love the big painted or stained wooden knobs that you see in European kitchens. Or something more modern maybe.

Good luck it sounds like fun. The first thing I would do though is find a picture that you love and then make it your own. Make a plan before you start, but be willing to change as you go when needed.

I wish maddiemom was still around. She redid her kitchen with modern appliances but used things like old filing cabs for her cabinets and painted everything nice colours.

Well, I'm doing an entire kitchen remodel in 4 full days, on the cheap side (found out we are moving while we were in the midst of de-constructing the kitchen for a full blown remodel). It's crazy for sure and I admire you for trying to make it fun.

We're putting tile on the floor - it's quick and inexpensive (we don't have much floor space though). We bought cabs off the shelf at Home Depot - counter tops, too. The in stock laminate countertops are easy to install (we put some in a spare room a while back (a science experiment counter for our oldest) - as long as you have the saw to cut them. Or you could use tile on the counters.

The great thing about off the shelf cabinets is that they also sell trims, end pieces and fillers - you'll probably especially need the fillers around your appliances. They also come with installation directions!

If your vinyl floor is in bad shape you'll need to be careful of what you put over it - any dents, dimples, etc. will probably show if you put vinyl over it. Maybe use some putty in any holes and make sure existing vinyl is glued down (not peeling up). Cutting a big sheet of vinyl is NOT easy, so I don't recommend that route. Peel and stick would be the cheapest and easiest - and some of it is very nice looking and good quality.

Planning and prep work take the longest, so do good research. Don't stress over paint color, that's so easy to change - just pick a color from the counter top that will go nicely with your existing Dry Sage and Camouflage - alternately, use one of the accent colors from your dining room.

Can we get pictures so we can give you ideas what you have to start with...
Karen L
I have used the peel and stick tiles before, just not in a kitchen so I do not know how they will hold up..especially with kids.

Given what you want to do, I would go with peel and stick tiles and the Home Depot laminate counters (the cheap ones that you just walk in and grab, then cut to size)...I don't have any ideas for makeshift cabinets - what do you have now? I would think painting what you've got is the cheapest and fastest solution.

But I hate to see you spend $$ on stuff you're just going to rip out again...can you live with what you've got long enough to replace one item at a time?

Peel and stick tiles are cheap and easy.

Do NOT, however, get black and white tiles... they look great in photos, but you will never, ever get the white ones to look clean.

Thank you so much, everyone. I did recon all day today - Lowes and Depot (with 3 kids under three in tow!). I am AMAZED by the countertop prices. I can do the whole room for $100. I am sold on peel and stick, but didn't find any that I liked particularly. Any other place to try. I want something plain - and grey, I think.

How do I post a picture?

annie~Black and red tiles sound so cool!

joffeyu~HD has black laminate countertops that would really kick old oak cabinets up a notch, be esp. pretty with tin walls (do you mean backsplash?), and maybe deep red paint. My step-daughter has this combo in her kitchen (Pergo floors, no tin though) and it looks pretty good.

Then do a really funky stencil to pull everything together, like one of these:

Here is a link that might be useful: Arts and Crafts Stencils

OK - I went to HD, and bought the black countertops. I think they'll be ok. Thanks for the tip!

I just don't care for any of the peel and stick floors I've seen. They all look like imitation stone, and I want it to be more simple. Anywhere else I can look?

Yes, the walls (not backsplash) are tin. Really neat.

That stencil link is totally cool. Thanks! What a great idea.

Don't know where you are located, but search for a Habitat Restore store near you. Cabinets, new/used and tons of other possibilities for top down changes.

I looked at the peel and stick wood flooring and like it. Seems to be about the same price as tile look.

Just looked up Habitat - what a good idea. None in good old MA.

WHere dod you see Peel and Stick? I didn't find anything that appealed to me at the Depot or Lowes, but I have to get some, like, now. Where else can I find some. Simple ones - like they're not there... There's also the issue of our current floor - in good enough condition to lay on top of, thank goodnes, but it's going to be higher than the thresholds with something new. Looks like there's 3 floors down there already!

Speaking of higher than the thresholds...you'll have the old DW out before doing the floor, right? Don't make the mistake of flooring in front of it so you can't slide it out or the new one in.

Don't ask how I know this. Sandy

Sounds like a bad day... There is no dishwasher in the current kitchen. Three kids, no washer. I can't wait for the install!