I don't get something - you said you pulled out the part over the cabinets - part of what, the wall? And what do you mean by silver bars? Personally I'd gut the whole thing and start over, but as you probably haven't won a lottery recently, at least do get rid of the 'hutch' thing. If you can't replace the cabinets, what about refacing them?

I think this is a question that could be addressed better in the Kitchen forum.

Also, have you looked at the finished Kitchens Blog there or the Kitchens We Love inspiration albums yet? Both were compiled by GW members who have BTDT. Sometimes those visuals will spark or further enhance an idea you may have.

The B&W paper could work, but I would steer clear of using pink for any accents.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchens We Love

Lucy.. THe part of the wall... the soffit? Is that what its called, the part that sticks out past the cabinets. Silver bars... to hang the curtains off. Id love to gut the whole thing and start over, trust me. The bottom cabinets arent worth anything in storage either. The cabinet to the left of the sink has hardly anything in it due to it being the black hole.. I literally have to climb into it to get stuff out. The deep fryer is in there, thats as big as the door is. I desperatly want a dishwasher but the electricity wont handle it, which is somewhere in our redo to redo lol, currently if you run the stove and microwave at the same time you blow the circuit.

Thank you trying2grow. Definitely no pink accents, other than what is stuck to the tiles (the toilet paper holder is pink but its been put in just like the tiles). I think I found one that will work. I really like it. Gotta measure to see how much I need now. I think Ill stick with silver accents.

Here is a link to small kitchens with bunches of pics. Not knowing what your budget is, the link has great ideas for a ideas for getting you started. And, yes, try the Kitchen and bath forums too.

If you are short on budget, consider going to a Habitat Restore. They carry everything possible for remodeling at lower than half. I don't know where you live, but google "Habitat for Humanity" and they have a selection for locations across the US. February/March is the best time for finding new cabinets and remodeling supplies which are donated from the big box stores. A lot of beautiful used cabinets are showing up right now too, due to inside remodeling going on during the winter. You won't believe the great items people get rid of to keep up with trends.

Here is a link that might be useful: Small kitchen remodels

If you are able to upgrade the electrical and add a dishwasher, definitely do that! However, in the meantime, if it were my kitchen, I would paint everything crisp white and add siver accents. I would leave the upper cabinets and soffit as-is until a real remodel down the road. I use that hutch space for something cheap and freestanding (are you anywhere near an ikea?) and I would add open shelving all along the blank wall and probably a long narrow table or cart or island like this one linked below, on the blank wall under the shelving. I would go for clean white everything and that will draw your eye to the silver accents. I would remove the kitchen curatain and replace with either a white 2" venetian blind or a very tailored curtain r roman shade. I would use some of the great aqua color from the backspash in some of the accessories. So think crisp, clean, and white. Before you paint, remove that wooden trim valance peice above the window. Get a rug which has the aqua in it for in front of the sink. Get some aqua canisters for the shelves. Here is a link to the ikea piece I'd consider for that balnk wall, under the shelves. What a cute kitchen you could have!

Here is a link that might be useful: just one example of the kind of thing I am picturing

I forgot to add: I would also install a narrow shelf or plate rain around the bottom of the soffit. Then put some prints or pictures etc on the ledge. You could even use old advertisements, and try to bring in some of that aqua. I think yellow would be a nice accent color as well.

emagineer... We have checked the restore and the cabinets they had were even worse than mine! They were absolutely horrible and ugly. Nothing new in that store, everything was used. Its about 45 minutes away, so not something we can frequent often. We had actually originally stopped in because we are trying to put a corner shower into our master bath (there used to be one but the po took it out and put in a huge hutch). They had one but it was 4 inches too big. I could probably go once a month though. Ill have to look in Feb.

Electrical is going to have to be upgraded.. it drives me crazy when I cook. Thanksgiving day, dh just stayed downstairs so I could yell at him to fix the breaker again lol. And with 4 children... I could use a dishwasher!!

I had thought of painting the cabinets white.. the big hutch is very close to me taking a sledge hammer to it. Whats interesting is the old stove plug in sits there. I can see why they moved it... since it would have put the fridge right next to teh stove. I would also like to put my new fridge over there again.. and I do believe that would make it fit though Id have to check height (just leaves water line to redo lol).

Nope no Ikea close by :( But I have seen an island somewhere around here like that. I do have white curtains up now, but they arent doing anything for me.

Hmm.. silver accents.. didnt think of that. And I can find ads online and print those off and frame those.

The old walls are yellow... one of the many many paint colours in there (currently there is white that is peelign off, with the yellow under it, then theres the inside of the cabinets in an ugly olive green, and behind the old fridge is another green.

I just dont love being in my kitchen, and seeing as I spend a lot of time in there, I would like to love it!!

I could easily paint the walls yellow... but would that be too much? Ive gotta paint soon. And then of course look for new hardware for the cabinets.. and I do love a lot of the ideas!

Oh, I think a light creamy yellow for the walls would be divine. I lovelovelove the tile-- and I would paint everything about the cabinets white, even the insides. I had a stove right up against a fridge once, and actually it was just fine! I would be awfully tempted to put a microwave/hood above the stove. I would also be tempted to do a peel and stick vinyl tile floor over the existing one and make it a checkerboard to go with your vintage cottage feel. I did that in a previous home (the same one I had the stove next to the fridge in actually) and it was to die for, I did a tone-on-tone taupe and tan which hides the dirt much much much better than a black and white. I have four children, too, so believe me, I know. Go with the matte finish tiles, the best i found were at Home Depot, Trafficmaster brand, and less than a dollar a square foot and they peel and stick right on the old floor. Mine held up beautifully for years. I never did replace as I'd planned b/c I loved them so much, and so did the buyers who still have them. Your kitchen is going to be fantastic!

Paint is a girl's best friend. Understanding budgets and raising children, ditto skatiero's suggestions. Paint. In January or so, start scoping out the Home Deopt and Lowes. Oops paints have been a boon for me. 5 bucks a gallon and you get the good stuff. You might get a color you adore. I have at least 4 times. Depending on how big your kitchen is, you may be able to find discontinued floor tiles at a fraction of the costs. Paint your cabinets. You can do it. And check ebay for new hardware. Don't know how long you've been there, but you will need the range hood. It makes a difference in the room temp and the kinds of smells that linger. You can do this very reasonably. Save your big bucks and invest in your electrical. Everything else will come.

I agree, paint is your best friend. For that endless cabinet, use it to store stuff in large containers. That way you can pull the container out of the cabinet and actually see what you have. Store things rarely used in the back and things you use daily in the front. There are paints for basically all surfaces - paint your fridge to co-ordinate, cover the pink tile with a modern color, freshen your cabinets with a fresh color etc. Even your counter top, if you don't like it can be painted. Do read and follow the instructions for preparation and painting the different surfaces - you already know what happened when your PO painted latex over oil with out using a proper primer.

Wallpaper is quick to put up and certainly adds color and pattern quickly, but I'd paint. Wallpaper is more expensive than paint, especially quality coated paper suitable for a busy kitchen - I'd put the money elsewhere like your electrical upgrade or appliances. Also that empty wall is a prime candidate for hanging your children's art work in cheap frames from Target that are designed to allow you to change the art easily - more personal than wall paper.

Good luck on making your dreams come true.

Sky

thats actually an old picture... we do have a microhood up now :) My old microwave took up half my counterspace!!

Dont like the lovely green on the inside of the cabinets? lol. Me either!!! They are getting painted inside and out.. oh ummm today... Well.. we were painting the living room and oops... some of the primer ended up on one of the cabinets :) Okay.. its not going to stay there because they need sanding... lol but I like the white!!!

I am debating yellow or light grey on the walls. Im doing light grey in teh dining room (doing it in the next few days) and I put a bit up next to the tiles, and I like the white grey too (its called gravity). But I think Im going to stick with yellow.

Sky.. unfortunetely the black hole cabinet isnt all that wide so big containers wont fit in there. Its about 8 inches wide. Not big at all!! My fryer barely fits in through the door. (the brown fridge is gone.. we have a white one now... its against the empty wall though), I need to take a new pic lol. I dont like the idea of painting the tiles though.

So many ideas! Im getting ideas though. And we started painting other rooms today, which means Im finally doing somethign, which also means the kitchen wont take long lol. We are getting a bonus check this yr and I think we are going to use it towards some of my kitchen...

black and white checker tiles
yellow (or grey) walls
white cabinets inside and out!!
new curtians

Dh is going to cut the big hutch in half, then we will put a countertop on that :)

New hardware

I think Im getting somewhere now!

Watch out for black and white checkerboard, it shows every bit of dirt! There was a loooooooong discussion on here about them and lots of fab pics of checkerboard floors. Check it out!!!