Okay, first off there's frugal and there's self-denying. It sounds like your frugal budget is for adequate, but not heart pleasing. It sounds like you're feeling like your high-end make over is too big a step. So first I think you need to decide how much it's worth it to you to spend on looks. Some of my most expensive purchases ever are for art. Because it makes the heart happy. Some pieces are textile so they do deaden a few echoes and warm the walls a little, but they're mostly for looks. Do you have money to spend on more? Or would it be better to use the money to pay down the principal on your mortgage and get the dream kitchen that much sooner?

It also sounds like you like all your appliances to match, and that that is important to you. That sounds like the big deal. And while you can use your interim appliances in 10 years, you probably shouldn't plan on it. Having a new kitchen with old appliances just isn't fun, and a lot of current appliances aren't expected to last more than 10 years. For frugal, what I'd do in that case is shop around for good deals (closeouts, scratch and dents, etc.) and get the function now (induction, convection), and wait on the looks, but that's me. If it'll make you sad it's not worth the savings.

Another thing to keep in mind is that when people do an interim remodel--especially frugal people--they tend to put it off and put it off, until, like you right now, something happens and forces the change.

Practical--the floor with the heating. I'd do that first. Really. I put comfort first. But again, your priorities may be different. Mine would be floor heat, induction, convection, and use the supplies on hand and the paint to make it not too ugly until the money tree drops more fruit.

10 years can fly by, but still, I'm not sure I'd consider it 'temporary' in kitchen terms or age.

I don't see the point in doing the high end makeover, as you dispose of appliances currently working, and as Plllog said, IF you manage to do a major remodel in 10 yrs, you will likely not want to reuse all of those appliances.

For 10 yrs I think the $3000 is perfectly reasonable to have the tools you'll enjoy using and a kitchen you like the look of, too. $300/yr. $25/month. I'm guessing you'll love the oven and stove enough to think paying $25/month would be worth it?

You might not have to do it all at once and spread the $3000 out so it's easier to save for or pay off.

I agree that your frugal plans ultimately just won't be. You've heard it before, but look at Ikea. Even if the nearest is far away, it's very doable with careful planning, and you can have everything you want very quickly if you go that route. Some people purchase one of their low-end door styles temporarily, like us, and then upgrade to a more expensive style or to custom made. Just for an example, the cheapest set of doors for a 36" wide 4-drawer easy-glide base cabinet cost about $16-17 a couple of years ago.

10 years can feel like a long time when you are in a
kitchen you detest. However with that said, you need to be
practical. I hear in your words you are trying to decide
on....

Want Vs Need.

It is something many Americans have forgotten with the
easy access to credit cards and our eagerness to have it
all. Gosh, I sound like Suzi Orman now.

I love Plllog's advice. Function first pretty later. Keep
n eye out on Craig's list. You might be surprised to find
some treasures that are cheaper than you would pay for
new.

In Plllog's words.. "floor heat, induction, convection, "
That's my vote.
~boxerpups

I am a very frugal person and I am voting for the mid-range make-over. Three thousand in the scheme of a ten year plan is quite resonable to get the induction cook top you want so badly.

BTW, we have a lake cabin too with the tiniest kitchen you've ever seen. The color scheme is knotty pine cabinets with red flooring and countertop and white appliances with accents in black. It's totally different than my kitchen at home and it's adorable in it's 50's way. I'd have to change a few things if I ever moved up there full time, too. Best wishes.

I vote for the midrange too. However, I'd ditch those tile counters in favor of a nice laminate. It will be ever so much more functional and easier upkeep.

I agree that, unfortunately, 10 years is asking a lot from appliances these days. And by the time you are ready to remodel, the industry will have come up with something else and stainless may be completely dated (so turn-of-the-century!). You may want something else entirely. So my vote is for midrange. You have some time to shop around before you move in full-time. And you'd notice those white appliances a whole lot less if you paint the cabinets white and use the red on walls and/or accessories. White cabinets with black granite countertops are all the rage these days. You may be surprised at how put-together it looks once you have those small upgrades. Good luck!

Really, what is the issue with having mismatched appliances? I wouldn't want white and bisque, but white/stainless or black/stainless isn't bad, IMO. Why not just replace the appliances as you have to. If you NEED a stove now, then buy the one you want - it should last a long time. It seems pointless to buy a "temporary" appliance, especially considering the price of appliances.

Also, I'm not sure what range you had looked at, but I just looked at an induction range at Sears yesterday (a Samsung) that was under $1800, which is really not bad at all. If my oven wasn't mostly new (not quite 3 yrs), I'd buy the thing myself! It's got convection, a 12" burner, and a warming drawer.

Anyway, I would keep the fridge & dw, and buy a new stainless range & hood. I have stainless appliances, but I just replaced my old ones as they died. For a while, I had a stainless stove, a black fridge, and a white dw. Sure, it wasn't optimal, but I didn't see the point of spending money I didn't have to, or needlessly replacing working appliances.

Hi, Beemer

We had a rather similar situation when we purchased this house in '92. The cupboards were a combination from the 30s and the 50s, all painted pea soup green. The counter was the old laminate with metal trim, and the floor was worn out sheet linoleum. The appliances were white, but the fridge was on the opposite end of the kitchen from the sink. We painted the cupboards white, moved the fridge to the end of the counter (where a small table had been). On the other side of the fridge, we installed a cupboard from CL (someone was replacing all their cupboards) and DH cut holes for drawers and doors, which he made to match the others. This gave us more storage and counter space. We had laminate counter-tops installed by a contractor friend. We tore up the floor and installed peel and stick vinyl tiles.

Later, DH installed a microwave with hood and built cupboards around it. As each appliance died, we replaced it, but kept to the white color scheme. The counter top is a green marble color and the floor looks like terra cotta. The whole thing was cheap, but we are very happy with it and get lots of compliments.

The dishwasher went out shortly after we brought the house, but the replacement has lasted since late 1992. BTW, my stove is still the original stove. Wouldn't mind replacing it, but it still works fine.

Ideally, we would have moved the sink, as it is not directly under the window, but we decided it just was not worth it to rip out all the cupboards just to move the sink.

I agree with Belle - paint the cabinets white. If they are sound, it doesn't make sense to rip them out.

Hope this helps.

Beener,
I happen to come across your posting.
As a designer, I question why are you painting your cabinets brick red? Is it because you have red now?
The red brick color and black counters will fight the white appliances.
If you really want to be frugal, keep the white appliances and paint the entire kitchen white.
Your color scheme is now black and white, which can be very elegant. Accessories in strong colors to enhance the space (walls colors, curtains, etc.....)
What color is the floor?
Is there a back splash?
If you choose to go with the stainless steel appliances, then the black counter and red brick cabinets will be a nice combination.
This option will give you the appliances you want but, it will not change the fact that your cabinets are old and the layout is inefficient. As pllog said, when you are ready to redo your cabinets, the appliances will have to be replaced, because theyre not made to last much more than ten years. You also mention that you really want the induction cook top, are you aware that you will have to change your pot and pans?
I have Amana appliances and they are about ten years old and Im starting to have issues with them. I will have to replace my appliances when I redo my kitchen this year.
Have you looked at IKEA cabinets? If you can work with the limited sizes its a great value.
The cheapest way to do your kitchen is paint it white.

good luck.

I actually think that black or white appliances are the only "safe" colors over the long haul and stainless may look dated someday.

Check the Ikea pricing and plan finances for a total remodal with those or another brand at some point either sooner or later. I would actually go with black or white appliances bought either all together or piecemeal.

Ikea butcher block countertops are inexpensive and so is laminate as options apart from tile.

I would paint the cabinets some other color than red. Maybe white or celadon. Paint is inexpensive.

Appliances currently are not made like they used to be so you may be disappointed and miss the one you replaced if it was working fine and the new one isn't.

Also tile can be painted. I think grout can be dyed but not totally sure on that. There is even appliance paint.

Ditto on the frugality here, and I vote to get the cooktop you want. I prioritized righting the awful range ASAP when I moved in here 11 years ago. Splurged on a baby Viking. No regrets. A decent cooktop makes a world of difference. I am finally getting a floor put in tomorrow (literally tomorrow). Maybe I'll even get a backsplash someday, LOL.

Matching finishes though? Who cares? That's the last thing I'd worry over.

Maybe post some pix here or on Decorating to help you come up with a gameplan, especially around the colors. Having a sense of what you want the look to be eventually can help guide your interim decisions.

In my last house we had a stainless professional range with bisque appliances and maple cabinets. It looked fine and the house sold in a day (not quite the height of the real estate boom). I like stainless range tops for ease of cleaning so had no problem purchasing a stainless range to accompany my old bisque refrigerator and dishwasher (back when they lasted 20 years).

In this house I have a stainless range top with a white fronted oven and stainless hood with white appliances. I prefer white appliances. I vote for trying to get the range you want and a more functional layout so you are comfortable working fulltime in the kitchen.

I can definitly see a country theme with the brick red cabinets and the black countertops and the knotty pine ceiling. I think it could be really cute. There was an old magazine picture I had around for a while with brick red cabinets and matching gingham curtains. It would have suited a house we once lived in very well. Cottage chic. White appliances, etc. Black tile with black grout with very close spacing would be fine for maintenance. Radiant heated tile floors would be nice, too. However, wood floors would be nice in that space, too. I vote for the 3k solution with red counters and black countertops as originally posted. Cute, cute, cute. Keep us posted. I'm intrigued. :-)
Lisa

Just another general "question your assumptions" response. Ten years may fly by, but the flight may mean you don't remodel as soon as you planned. Our remodel got pushed back five years, then moved up one, from our original plans. I didn't want to spend money on tweaks when I thought everything would be gone in five years. I ended up living with it for 11. A friend remodeled years before she meant to, with an infant and a toddler in the house, because a mechanical problem meant they were going to have to gut the kitchen anyway. So you never know.
I am another who can live with mismatched appliances. Not liking my stove, however, is a dealbreaker. Similarly, being uncomfortable because of the heat situation really, really stinks. I know, because I did that for the 11 years I was waiting. I never got used to it (yeah, I know, that's me, not you, but I am governed by thrift and function, and if that's you, I'm saying: fix those problems, then pretty up).

You all are really helping. I think I'm going to go the midrange route.

To answer some questions and to clarify my priorities, let me fill you in...

I don't like mismatched appliances if it would be the white/stainless combo. I guess I could go black/stainless, but I've already got all this white stuff.

Why paint the cabinets red? I am a person who loves color! The other side of the "great room" is the dining/mini living room. It is decorated in browns, yellows, reds, and black. One wall is a creamy, buttery yellow. This all really goes pretty well with the knotty pine ceiling and stairway/rails to the loft. So imaging brick red cabinets; a black counter, stovetop and sink; white oven, dishwasher, fridge and microwave hood; and finally-use the same yellow paint on the backsplash. The backsplash will be vertical 4" grooved pine to coordinate texture with the ceiling, but painted yellow.

We will be definitely putting in the heated ceramic floor. In northern MN, this is a must for the tootsies! We plan on medium tone warm browns/gold/black tiles. Good news, a tiling friend just showed us a way to install it so we don't have to rip it up if we rearrange the kitchen later! We'd heat it zonally, so the zone under the new peninsula can just be turned off when the cabinets go in. He also said that we may just have to put in a different line of tiles next to the old cabinets if there was any damage when removing them (he does this all the time if there are enough spare tiles - if not, he uses tiles that coordinate with a backsplash!)

Since I understand how 10 years can stretch into more without upgrades, I think I will splurge on the induction cooktop and the wall oven. I could live with older painted cabinets for years, I don't think I'd be satisfied with the frugal stove/oven. I hadn't considered that some of the appliances might not even be working in 10 years. Besides, something better may come along!

Why tile counter top rather than laminate? Just liked my last tile counter top - and destroyed the laminate previously. Just preference I guess. We are planning on large black tiles with black grout. (Have them on hand -- if we don't like them, we can always go for laminate).

Just writing up my request for advice helped to focus me on the critical issues -- and so many of you pointed out the same ones! I just wish I had a scratch/dent store here in northern MN -- it's 250 miles to the nearest IKEA!

Thnks for helping me get out of my deadlock between frugal side and practical side. Sometimes they conflict, but other times they get along just fine!

P.S. As soon as I figue out how to post a picture, I'll show you the "before shots".

We lived with an old kitchen for 9 years.
{{gwi:1991585}}
I don't know how old the appliances were (my mom said she thinks Martha cooked for George on them), but they worked fine. I never felt like the old, ugly kitchen stopped me from cooking anything I wanted to cook and I actually have won baking contest ribbons for the past 7 years. When we finally were able to afford a gut renovation this year, it did make me realize that it didn't have to be "all or nothing" and I should have at least changed the curtains or painted the wall. This site is very helpful for getting all kinds of ideas.

You're really are on a great track now. Getting your real "must haves" sorted out has definitely helped. Paint and counters can be changed several times in ten years.

As far as cost of induction top, do a lot of research and be patient for sales. Look for deep discounts in January, contact scratch and dent stores and have them search one out for you. They can email photos for you to check out.

beemer-

You may also want to consider Home Depot's version of a Silgranite sink, the Glacier Bay line (in stock at our local HD). We installed an undermount 33" single, black sink about 6 months ago and it's held up very well, looks just like the day we installed it. For the sink, 2 cutting boards (1 wood, 1 glass) and an integral stainless steel colander and bowl it was about $325, which is a lot less than the comprable Blanco.

Also, we painted all of our cabinets, it's not difficult, just detailed work, and the results are very satisfying, IMO you can't beat the look of vintage cabs with a fresh coat (or 3) of paint, especially in a funky, bright color.

Good luck-

sandyponder

If your cabinets are in good shape and your only peeve is that they have red+white look that just adds to the visual cacophony in the room, then have you considered paiting them brown or black? I see that being done in all the "design to sell" type of shows. It's a cheap makeover. If that option suits you then I'd suggest doing that FIRST because that alone will make the space look a lot more cohesive and reduce your aggrevation of the clutter.

Just my 2c.

I always thought the choice to paint the cabinets red was the OP's preferred choice. I really like the idea of the brick red with the black counters and white appliances. Could be country or bistro look...Country Bistro? :-)

Wow! What a difference a week makes!

Cruising Craig's list, I came across a family selling their kitchen cabinets for $475.00. They are all matching oak, and the configuation of the kitchen is the way we wanted to remodel ours -- with the appliances all in the right spots!

Their kitchen is "J" shaped, and the long end is just 1 foot longer than ours -- and the long end has a set of 12" cabinets that we can remove to make it fit! YOO HOO ! ! ! The other two sides of the J are open ended and they fit with an inch or two to spare!!!

(Our old cabinets were old custom built cabinets from the 50s that had lived through a house fire and were cobbled together from the uncharrd remains, then painted red and white. Finally, they had to be installed upside down to fit the wall dimensions.) (Former owner's idea of carpentry.)

We now plan to proceed with the Mid-range makeover:

Keep white fridge (Move it to the new wall to really open up the kitchen)
Buy white under counter convection oven - $1200.00
Install white microwave range hood - $300
Install white dishwasher
Install black induction cook top - $1500.00
Laminate counter tops - if I want new (and there are some nice finishes out there) Husband can fit and install it.

Pros:
We can have our "new kitchen" layout with "new" cabinets and new counters for about $4000.00 (minus the flooring which we are going to do no matter what)
Id have induction cooking and convection cooking now, the oak cabinets would only need upgraded doors in order to look "updated" in the future.
We get the range hood, and extra cupboard space by moving the microwave. (The cut out for hood is already there - we were going to have to carve one out before!)
PLUS -- all our white appliances will look great with the oak finishes. (My husband says that if I don't want the black tile for counters -- we can always us it in the master bath remodel.)

Woo Hoo!
Sometimes things just work out ;-)

How exciting!

What a fabulous find!! The kitchen fairies are definitely rewarding your frugality.

Re the laminate counter tops, didn't you just say you liked tile and weren't fond of laminate? I agree that it doesn't sound like the black tiles would work well with the oak and white kitchen. Is laminate going to give you a big enough savings to be worth it? Or is it the installation (i.e., husband can install laminate but not tile?)?

If you really prefer tile, I urge you to look at it some more and see if you can work it in. It wasn't an issue with the old plan, because you had the tile and liked it. If you're just fine with laminate, never mind. :-)

With this new configuration of the cabinets and appliances, I will have 12 more sq ft of countertops -- and 14 more running feet of backsplash/edging. We don't have enough tile for that, and I don't know if we can get more.

He also told me that laminates have improved since my counter disaster 20 years ago -- and he hinted he'd not mind replacing a laminate countertop with quartz in a few years (less waste of money since the laminate could then be moved to the garage!) We've not installed tile before, so 17.5 running feet of countertop (vs 9.5 formerly) along with backsplash and edging could be a little daunting!

I'm late to the party here, but congratulations on your craigs list find. Would it be possible for you to do a section of your counter with Ikea (or some other) butcher block so you can still use the tile. It would be great not to have to give up your heat proof counters.

LOL! I meant buy different tile, since you're using the black in the bathroom. ;) But the possible replacement and reuse sounds good, especially since your dream kitchen is a long way off, and the installation is easier. So long as you're happy with it! I don't know what your disaster was, but sealing really well around the sink, and putting trivets and cutting boards easy to hand right where you'll need them, help a lot!

So what will you do for a backsplash with the laminate?

Summary as I got it:
Moving to country cottage; mortgage 10 years to go
85 sq.ft. in an "L" shape layout, going to a J shape layout. Walls 10 ft high.

Have black granite sink.
Have black tile countertop tiles "on-hand"
Staying with white appliances in a small kitchen.
Have white dishwasher.
Have white fridge, two years old.

--

Goals ordered sequentially

1st:
New heat in floor. Concrete slab.
Sheet Membrane over slab, to help heat retention (more in tiles, less into concrete).
Pipes/Cables, thinset, porcelain PEI 5 quality.
Frugal, sensible, high quality, lower cost of operation with a membrane between concrete and cables.
Any membrane.

2nd:
White microwave range hood - $150 Lagan (Ikea) http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90152027

3rd:
White under counter convection oven - $200 Mumsig from Ikea.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=mumsig
This price appears to be an error. $200 is too low. Ikea's double oven costs $1500.
Using Ikea's internet shopping you may be able to order for this price.
I just clicked on "Add to shopping list" and it proceeded.
For comparison, Ikea.ca has these at $899 Canadian and their dollar is at 95 cents.
see for yourself:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70110496 $200 in US
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/70110496 $900 in Canada
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60110492 $200 in US
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/60110492 $900 in Canada

4th:
Built-in induction cook top ($1700)
-- OR --
Free standing induction stove/convection oven ($2700) w/warming drawer
-- OR --
Portable induction cooktop ($170)

Budget permitting

--

5th:
Sell tiles and get Ikea VÄRDE Countertop -- $200
-- OR --
Install tiles (thinset, grout, sponges etc.) -- $200

---
the above is how I would proceed. Your taste will vary.
hth

David

p.s.

floor membrane
http://www.noblecompany.com/
http://www.noblecompany.com/Products/SheetMembranes/tabid/58/Default.aspx

http://www.custombuildingproducts.com
http://www.custombuildingproducts.com/ProductCatalog/SurfacePrep/WaterproofingAntiFractureMembranes/?user=pro〈=en

There are many other manufacturers of membranes.

FYI: We spent only $2,400 on all new Ikea cabinets in Abstrakt white, and they're gorgeous. Yes, a pain in the butt to install, but . . . $2,400!!! Kraftmaid quoted us over $12,000 for the same layout--and that's WITHOUT installation! We also got an awesome new Silestone quartz countertop . . . $2,880! INCLUDING measuring, installation, and tax. We're all cash as well. The only thing we skimped on was, instead of the $2,500 Jenn-Air white-glass, counter-depth fridge I really wanted, I got an $899 Ikea (Whirlpool) stainless steel fridge.

I wouldn't advise a DIY countertop, however. We actually partially installed the Ikea counters, which look great, but the faux aluminum trim just started to peel off after a few months. Also, we had no idea how to mitre the Ikea counters to fit the 'L' in the wet-side layout. So, I was surprised and elated to find out how affordable quartz counters really were after a trip to a Home Expo one day. The computer-cut Silestone countertop has a near-invisible epoxy seam in the 'L,' and looks and feels incredible.

Well, the cabinets got sold out from under us - even though we had a deal. Bummer.

We are now thinking about Hampton Bay cabinets -- see my new message asking about them.

Hubby is REALLY ticked off at the guy!