In the 1986 we remodeled a ca. 1890s 2-story clapboard house in Chicago. This was originally a working class house, without any victorian details to restore inside and the whole place needed gutting. We felt free to go totally modern inside. No golden or whitewashed oak, no polished brass. No mauves or corals, no country and no southwestern themes, no valances or puff balloon shades (I also hated shoulder pads, which I would promptly remove in new clothes). In short, just like other Chicagoans in our neighborhood we just went plain modern. Alas the only pictures I can find right now are from the kitchen/dining and play area. Like nosoccermom, I was in heaven when I heard Ikea was finally coming to North America. So, for our kitchen we used Ikea cabinets that we hauled back to Chicago from Toronto's newly opened Ikea. I remember that our finish was called "Fasett" (all European metric sizes) and was part of a line that Ikea sold before they came out with Akurum. We used solid mid grey laminate counters and grey nylon handles. All base cabs had either drawers or - to save money - doors with wire pullout drawers and 2 corner pullouts that held all my pots and pans as well as my mixer and small appliances. I absolutely loved to cook in this kitchen: everything was so accessible and easily organized. We kept the newish fridge from the former owners but splurged on Gaggenau appliances which - compared to now - were a steal and way ahead of their times: an extremely quiet panel ready dishwasher, a super easy to clean white enamel with closed-burner gas cooktop topped with a strong but whisper quiet pull-out vent exhaust. We used grey tile in the kitchen and bathrooms and industrial berber carpet also in grey. I remember we added yellow and red accents throughout the house. We used the same white Ikea kitchen cabs/grey counters for the double vanity in the masterbath with white undermount sinks and white faucets to match. An extra long tall tub/shower combo with white glossy tile surround, and light periwinkle blue painted walls. (I gotta find a picture of that.) Looking at these pictures now, I cannot help but think that this 80s kitchen doesn't look that dated, or even terribly 80s (nor would pictures of the rest of that house). If I had lived there longer, we might have stacked another row of wall cabs on top of the existing ones, replaced the laminate with grey granite and we probably would have replaced the carpet with solid wood floors. Alas, we moved to a modern 60s passive solar house in the burbs when time came for our kids to go to school. The suburban house is a beautifully bright modern 3000 sqft. house. Incredibly the kitchen is (still) super tiny and utterly dysfunctional. Its best feature is a wall of windows for light (no great views) as well as gorgeous views through the open family room to the backyard. Only now, finally, with the kids out of the house are we starting to plan a total remodel and expansion of this sad little kitchen... Oh well, such is life. Here some pics of our 80s city kitchen - sorry, they're really bad quality, as I'm "digitizing" them with my smart phone. Pic of not quite finished kitchen, missing moldings around windows and doors, unfinished peninsula and "kitchen table" from our old apartment: A couple of weeks later: I do remember that I liked the plywood floors, but they were too splintery for babies to crawl on and I thought too hard for a toddler to play, so we reluctantly added carpet and tile. View from the kitchen to the back deck and back yard. The "chandelier" shade was made from perforated white metal, thus illuminating the ceiling as well as the whole dining area- very clever. Ahh, I remember now, the oven door opened sideways! It was a convection oven that baked very evenly and was self cleaning too - a dream. Ha, I still love white appliances. We never got around installing the planned backsplash... I still miss that kitchen!

oh wow. that's some nice upholstery! I'd go for visually light, leggy furniture..so that the room wouldn't be too bottom heavy. If you love rattan-there are beautiful pieces of furniture made of it, from small end tables to etageres. I can see some industrial element as well-to juxtapose with the very comfy, patterned chairs. Plants, of course. Bohemian doesn't necessarily gravitate toward bright colors..there are no rules when it comes to bohemian, i guess that's partly what makes this style..No strict rules, and an attitude of a traveler I found some pictures-they use neutrals mostly, yet the rooms are bohemian I think your chairs are wonderful. I wouldn't even think of reupholstering them, unless the fabric is torn or ruined or something. Can you attach a pic of your room? But if not-can you move everything out of the room, or, say, put it all in a corner, and look only at the chairs? Or even-sit on the floor, look at the chairs?:) some brilliant ideas come when we change things, or at list our visual relationship to them I'd make these chairs stars of the show. You have a great opportunity to create a unique room, with these.

that new stuff isn't much different from what you currently have. I think you could find something better. if you have any aspirations of painting those cabinets in the future, white would work better w/that color flooring. If I had to rob a bank, I'd get the money and put it toward that bubble florescent fixture. Honestly, that is the worst thing I've ever seen. Please, splurge and get an electrician or a family handy guy over to remove that and give you 6 cans. you'll be amazed at the diff. if you can do the cans, at least get rid of that behemoth and do a flush mount fixture. are you DIY ? painting those cabs will freshen up that spot. even if it takes you two months, you could do it yourself for a few hundred. countertops,,check in pre-fab granite or quartz they cost about 300-500 for one 22"X9' slab. hire a fabricator to come and cut it for your kitchen (800 or so) do the legwork yourself, offer cash, and save big time.

Thank for the responses. Not replacing the tile isn’t an option as it is one of the things I hate most. It’s blue, tan, pink, grey and beige with large grout lines. i know it will be a hit to budget, but hope I can find affordable complementary tile. Michelle we are definitely looking at the option of keeping one backsplash the whole way through. We do have marble countertops in the kids bathrown as well as our own for over 3 years and still love it. So maybe I should revise to I don’t mind medium maintenanc, but my big issue is the current floor that shows everything.