oh, and of course the chandelier, if you want to call it that! HELP!!! And who thinks I should paint the wood paneling in the kitchen eating area BM Dove white also with the Rosemary Sprig above it? Too much white? Maybe not with the green and eventual wood floors or faux wood (yuk but much more cost effective unfortunately for now!) floors.

For some reason, seeing your kitchen made me think of one of my all-time favorite kitchens. I don't know if this is at all your style. However I love the way that the blogger redid her kitchen on a budget, mainly with color, taking off the upper doors, and adding appropriate details. I notice that she kept her cornice, and it adds vintage charm to her space. We have the wooden cornices in our kitchen as well. They'll have to come down if we entirely redo the cabinets, but I kind of like them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Retro kitchen

Thanks, pickle! I'll check that out. I'm not sure how I feel about the style yet. We haven't moved i yet. I could leave the cornice. I do kind of like it. What colors do you think, like the one the blogger did?
I finally just learned how to embed pics in a thread so here are a few of the kitchen pics for all to see more conveniently:
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I think you could get a lot of mileage by painting and getting rid of that floor. I agree about taking down the uppers over the peninsula since it blocks things.

Is there any way to recycle that somewhere else?

I think I would leave the over the sink cornice and the hardware. They are really period appropriate to the kitchen, and I think they add to its charm. IMO you don't want to "dilute" the character that makes it what it is. Certain types of updates may make it look like a half-updated kitchen rather than a well preserved vintage kitchen.

WOW! Pickle, I just looked at that blogger's kitchen and it is beautiful!!! I loved it. I think you've inspired me to rethink things....

paint upper cabinets white, remove doors.
faux tile floors in grey.

As for lower cabinets...I loved her color. That would change my color for the kitchen walls for sure. Hmmmm, something to think about! Thanks so much for sending me that link! I think you've just saved my kitchen! : )

I'd leave the cornice too, and yes yes yes to all of your other ideas! I think it will look great in the end. It really reminds me of one of my old kitchens that I just loved.

Lol at your vinyl, I feel your pain. I think I just ripped out the exact same stuff. Pattern, colour and all!

I'd have to see the hardware more up close to tell whether it's worth keeping or trading out, but I'd definitely get rid of those cabs over the peninsula, and paint the wood in the eating area (but not the door to outside, I'd leave that as is.)

I think it's going to turn out really nice with all of your proposed changes. Good luck!

I sure would copy as much of the posted link kitchen as you can get away with money and time wise. It is a real testament to creativity and beautiful use of her materials on hand. I am sure she would answer any questions you have. I love the open shelf look and especially the bright contrast of upper and lower. If you are willing I would also post to her any pics you have that show problem areas after you have spent some time thinking about it all and see if she will help with suggestions...also her readers may have great ideas. It is a fun place to start at the very least.

I love that you will have a unique kitchen. Many can go out and buy lots of expensive cabs/marble/granite/appliances. Only you can make this a perfectly lovely space that speaks to you and your family. GOOD LUCK!!! c

Donka, thanks! I'm starting to embrace the kitchen now retro feel and all! Maybe not the vinyl floor though! : ) But it is in great shape! >

maybe something shiney and retro for hardware? I could leave all the cabinets white and not do the cute blue so I can keep my green walls....hmmm. I think the creative juices are flowing! I love this forum! Thanks guys!

You know, I was thinking turquoise before I looked at the link pickle sent (it works wel with browns). :). Have fun with the color, because those 50s cabinets are usually all wood and if yours are in great shape, you are one lucky homeowner.

I think taking down the upper cabs between the eating area and kitchen is smart, and a simple set of knobs and hinges will do wonders.

You could do a checkerboard black/white tile on the floor.

Good luck!

Here is a sample of Mannington Adura (right), a wood look vinyl plank.

Ignore the tiles to the left they were for something else. (click to enlarge)

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I'm so glad!! I completely love her lower cabinet color (such a happy color), but I don't know if it complements your countertop. She details the color info so you could always pick up a paint swatch. You'll need to share photos of your transformation when it's done!

I don't know the pricing on this stuff. VCT - the special order colors - are a similar option and the material costs are super cheap.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rubber flooring

Ooo...just checked out that link and her kitchen is yummy! I like the idea of removing doors too, maybe the ones flanking the sink? Some paint and elbow grease and you're going to have a kitchen people try to recreate. Love it! Make sure you keep posting, I want to see this baby progress. My old kitchen that I mentioned before was pink walls with purple cabinets, pretty much the same cabs as yours actually, and the transformation with some white paint on the cabs, a nice beigey colour on the walls and new knobs and pulls was ridiculous.

trailrunner, Thanks for your comments. I'm feeling really inspired now! I will take your advice and copy as much as I can from her. Maybe I can find a clue shade that can go with my Rosemary Sprig green walls???? Is that possible? I think she used a cream color for the walls....with my paneling to paint white...not sure cream would work in my space. Any thoughts?? I do think we're onto something here though! : )

Rubyfig, thanks! I do love that blue! But what to do with the wall color then, especially with so much paneling to paint....Here are a few more pics:

View from bench in eating area, if your back is against the wall....notice lots of paneling! What to paint this??
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View looking out of kitchen, fridge to your right, back to the kitchen window:
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What about painting the lowers Rosemary Sprig with a warm white on the uppers?

Palimpset, thanks for that wood plank photo. It's good to know there are options out there!

Bmorepanic, that is really cool flooring, thanks! I think what I'll do is paint the cabinets and walls and then decide on floors, as they just might make sense somehow once the paint is down.

Pickle, yeah, goodpoint. It might work since there is some brown in the countertops.....I'll have to get a swatch though!

Donka, thanks for the pep talk! Sounds like we had the same kitchen, more or less! I'm going to go sleep on this. We don't close on the house until mid-september so I have time to figure it all out.

And I will DEFINITELY keep you all posted! You've been sooooooo helpful I can't even begin to thank you!

Palimpset, I missed your first posting somehow! Yes, there may be a way to repurpose the cabinets in the laundry closet. I agree that keeping the vintage pieces, like the cornice add charm. Not sure about the hardware though....maybe just the knobs, not the hinges? DO you think that would look too much on all white??

Pickle, I like that idea, although painting the walls Rosemary Sprig after that would be a no-no, right? Do you think a darker shade on the bottom, for sure? Because I could go with one shade darker of Rosemary Sprig, which is Eucalyptus Leaf....and then keep RS on the walls? That might a lot of green, but it is my favorite color! And with red and yellow accents it could look nice.

Hi everybody, So I'm back on here to ask for more advice. Like some of you said, white-white (upper and lower) may be too much with the counter tops So I need to tell you what I know for sure at this point:

1. We are painting the upper cabinets White Dove BM, as well as all the trim and paneling in the kitchen area.

2. We are replacing the cabinets pulls with vintage looking glass pulls.

3. We are removing the hanging wall of cabinets.

4. We are putting in new earthier vinyl OR taking up the existing vinyl as my carpenter friend seems to think there's hardwood underneath (wouldn't that be great!!??) Either way, the floor will be darker and more uniform.

5. I would love to have BM Rosemary Sprig in this kitchen, b/c I have it in mine now and it makes me feel happy. Plus this kitchen gets tons of natural light with 2 skylights and I think some rich paint would be nice.

What I need your help with is this:

1. What color to paint the bottom cabinets. Would white be too much? Not if I had rich floors and green walls, right? Remember the trim and paneling will be white too so there'll already be a lot of white in the room. Turquoise wouldn't go with my green walls, would it? Maybe a certain shade of light blue would? Anybody? Preferably BM...Sage and blue? Hmm. I could give up the sage but I'd rather not.

if not white or blue then what about a creamy yellow butter yellow?

2. What about the countertops? What color would go best with them? White, light blue (probably not), or yellow-tan? Another idea?

3. Should we paint over the hinges?

So many questions, so little time! : )
Thanks again for all of your help with this!

how about a close up of the counter top?

if there isn't hardwood until that vinyl check websites for congoleum, mannington and armstrong flooring. they have a number of options of vinyl (sheet, tile, plank) and laminate.

that's one beautiful kitchen!

You know that Julia Childs' kitchen cabinets were painted that gorgeous blue with green hutch and trim. It works! Don't give up on the blue with your beloved green!

You have so much great space to play with, keep us posted with progress pictures.

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Here is a link that might be useful: Andrew Myers suggests F&B paint colors for a Julia-esque kitchen

Cabinets in this link look familiar, kitten?

There are a lot more kitchens of the same era on the site. They may help you get a feel for colors you like and don't like, period lighting ideas etc. And they're just fun!

I'm not saying you have to live in a time warp, but sometimes understanding the context of what you've got helps you to make choices.

I just love your kitchen. I think it's retro in a very good way. Watch a couple of episodes of Mad Men and it'll grow on you!

Personally, if I had what you had I'd keep the hardware (or get replacements for pieces that are broken -- you may be able to find them very cheap at salvage or there are places that make reproductions) shop School House Lighting or Rejuvenations for a few period appropriate replacements for that horrible light box.

At any rate, I wouldn't paint over the hinges, it'll just give you problems.

Some people enjoy having vintage appliances. But you can certainly have all modern ones.

I have some similar cabinets in part of my house. Do they have backs on them? Probably not. If they're like mine, they were built in place by a local carpenter and are very sturdy and will last a long time. Why mess with that?

Question: Is the paneling real wood knotty pine paneling or the craptastic photowood type? If it's knotty pine I'd consider leaving it, but putting up lots of art! Paint over the photo type.

Have you considered linoleum or marmoleum? It's a lot more eco friendly, and period-appropriate than vinyl. Not all patterns are gross.

Keeping my fingers crossed for the hardwood for you. Don't give up on it if it needs some work. You can always pull a couple of boards out of the closets if it needs some repairs. I think an patched and imperfect hardwood floor looks better than vinyl any day!

The nice thing about painting is that you can repaint. You could try the white on the lowers, or any other color, and repaint if it was too much. There are some crazy color combinations in the gallery I linked to. You might even find inspiration there!

As for exact colors, get a couple of pieces of white cardboard, go to the paint store and get some of those little sample jars, if you don't know bout them already, they're great. Amuse yourself now by painting the cardboard, then, when you can get in to the house, lean your favorites up around the room and live with them until you make a decision. You can even paint a door and see how you like it.

Good luck and have fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: Retro Renovations

Congratulations on the new home and the new baby! I've been living with a 1955 kitchen for the past 10 years, so I can sympathize. :)

Since you love the rosemary sprig, use that as your jumping off point for the rest. If you don't want to go with white for the cabinets, what about a soft taupe? That would work well with the wall color and (I think) work with the counter.

For the floor, going with a laminate that you can DIY is probably the best bet for now. You can choose a wood style or a tile. (the tiles with the underlayment attached are easy and quick to install.) They'll also be easy to take up later if/ when you do more of a reno.

I'd paint the paneling to lighten up and update that space as well.

You have a great kitchen. Please DON'T take the cornice off from above the sink! I love it.

I would paint the lower cabs a funky color - go with a blue (you could even do grey/ blue). And if you don't want your light fixture, I will take it! Don't paint over the hardware - and whatever you take off, try and store and save in a little box, you may find you want it or will miss the original stuff later.

Thank you for all your messages. Artmoderne, I have grown to love the cornice too. It's staying. : )

I think I am going to stick with a blue, if I can find one to go with the rosemary sprig. Thanks for the link ciruspeanut.

desertstepgh, I'll try to get a close-up of the counter tops next time I go over there, but it may not be until next weekend. Great idea. Then we can all see what we're working with.

it definitely has some taupes, and yellows and browns so maybe a taupe would work. Thanks, annie.zz!

Growlery, I appreciate your thoughtful comment too. I haven't seen mad men but I know it's making people want vintage kitchens again. Apparently the original wall oven was pink and the wall paper was pink and orange! How grovey is that? The current owners have lived there for 30 years and just painted the wood cabinets 3 months ago!!!! Can you believe it??? I would have preferred to refurbish them. And that hardware was just added so it's not original either. Oh well. The rest is!

I'll check out the alternative flooring ideas you mentioned here. Turns out there are no hardwoods under the vinyl :(
WOuld vinyl really be a poor choice? It just seems to make sense economically right now. Is there something tacky about it? I saw some nice stone-like vinyl at Lowe's and liked it.

oh, I forgot to answer some of your questions: The paneling is not real wood, (although we do have knotty pine and cypress in other parts of the house) so we're painting it the trim color (white).

The cabinets appear to have backs on them....but since I'm not living there yet (don't close until Sept 11th) I can't say for sure.

I know, hardwoods would be best, but we can't afford to put them in right now if they're not there...; (

Vinyl is a fine and appropriate choice. If you can find something you like, why not? If you want to switch it out later, you can. Plus, it's nice underfoot. There are lots of pics on this site of some really beautiful vinyl/laminate etc. flooring. Wish I had links but I'm not good like that :)

Thanks donka!

I think vinyl would be fine! We've been looking at marmoleum, and the flooring salesperson showed us a lot of vinyls that were pretty.

About the base cabs, if you want to go for a different shade, khaki/taupe/gray or a grayed blue (I'm thinking like those BM historical colors) would be pretty with an earthy green. I think your color choice depends on if your green has a yellow cast or a gray cast. Or you could certainly match the uppers.

vinyl can be a great choice. My BFF just redid her kitchen and put in a gorgeous vinyl that is soft underfoot and looks like stone tile.

Shop around though - depending on your installation, vinyl can be pricier than you might think, and pricier than other options.

Black and white (or solid color & white) vinyl squares laid in a checker pattern are inexpensive, fun and in keeping with the style of your kitchen, IMO. This could also be painted onto hardwood that is not in good condition.

If you add a tint of green to the paint for the panelling, it will tie that color in while still acting like a neutral white. In terms of the turquoise, I think it can work with green if it is carefully considered.

Really do love that kitchen. So much fun!

some vinyl only needs glued around the perimeter too. here's a sheet vinyl floor from a gw kitchen recently - from the decorating forum i think. forgot to keep the person's name tho. I saved it because it's something like I want - light and very plain, low gloss vinyl. I want to look at it IRL at a flooring store.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Thanks for the post, desertsteph!

Rubyfig, yes, I too think I could choose a blue that could work with the green...

Pickle, the Rosemary Sprig is definitely tinged with gray so maybe a gray blue? Or something cheerier?

Annie, yes, we plan to shop around for sure.

So I really am at a stand still here. I know I want white on the upper cabinets...and a darker floor. I want Rosemary Sprig, but someone on the Home Decorating forum suggested I paint the paneling in the green and the lower cabinets as well and use a creamy yellow for the walls and uppers....truth be told, the uppers are already in a yellow...not the prettiest yellow. > I'm having a really hard time seeing this.

I think what I just might have to do is change the floor to darker, take out the hanging cabinets, and paint the trim and paneling white and then see what I think needs to happen with the rest. It would be better, however, to have the cabinets done before we move in....but not 100% necessary...I'm afraid though, if I paint the paneling white and then all the cabinets white it would be too much white. I could add green tinge for the paneling, but I just can't see that either. I'm feeling quite overwhelmed.

Where should I put the green? Where should I put the white? And what about those lowers....blue?

Any more opinions on this?

Since it's important to paint the cabinets before you move so you can load them up and not have to worry about undoing it later you should focus on cabinet colors. Paneling can be accessed by moving the table and chairs later. There are lots of all white kitchens posted here that look great, so it probably wouldn't be too much white. A tint of green might look just off, so can't recommend that. With your young family, white paint on the walls and lower cabinets could be a cleaning issue. Generally, color looks better on the lower and lighter on the top. There are many whites and you could look for a slightly warm yellow white. You will want to change the yellow anyway to make it your own.