I wouldn't do anything until you are ready for the bigger project if that's what will happen. I can't tell the sq footage but I might like a cart in your space with shelf or cabinet below to get some things off the counters.

I agree with M Miller. Industrial is very much a "look" these days and it's a look I quite like. But it does not translate well to subdivision houses and small box-like apartments. It's also a very costly look - all those steel windows can cost more than many entire houses. How do I know? Because I wanted to replace a 33 yr old Pella bay window above my kitchen sink with a large, box bay steel window.

I did a lot of calling to companies that make these windows and learned a lot about the product. Unless the windows have a thermal break, they are prone to prolific condensation and can be very cold. The new technology does not come cheap and without it, these windows will be very unpleasant to live with.

They are very expensive! I did find one place that could make mine out of bronze and ship it to me for $10,000. The problem was that removal of the old window unit (it was one piece) and installation of the new, plus the changes to the Corian window sill, would have cost another $10,000. Obviously, these are windows for only the highest end of home remodeling or construction. Of course, the cheap imitations have popped up like crazy and they will be just that - a cheap imitation.

One must learn to live with the house they own. Mine is a 1948 subdivision house that was rather upscale for its time. But it's not a Tribeca loft or a Brooklyn brownstone. I could have gotten away with this window in my kitchen as there are two basement windows (house is not walk-out but not fully below grade in the back) that are the old steel casement windows. It would actually have looked quite smart on the BACK of my house. I could probably have even gotten by with doing ALL such windows on my house, but they would have cost a fortune as I have 22 windows plus my kitchen bay. The windows could cost as much as the value of the house!

So, I have come to accept that I don't live in an English country cottage, or a chic industrial 1 1/2 story house. It's a typically American 1 1/2 story house that is nearly 70 yrs old. Tuscan, Santa Fe do NOT suit my house. The reason Industrial could work is that this style has been used successfully in both highly contemporary houses and in highly traditional ones (often found in English stately homes and at Oxford and Cambridge as well as at many of the Ivies in the US). What I have learned is that GOOD DESIGN works with GOOD DESIGN! It's why an Eames chair can work in a room with a spectacular period English mahogany or walnut piece of furniture.

Unfortunately, we have very little truly "good design" in this country and that limits what one can do. In such cases, my advice as a designer is to "keep it simple" and appropriate to its surroundings.

Agree with a lot of said above

(and yes it's not oak unless I'm very sorely mitaken)

What color have you been looking into?

If you don't like either of the countertop choices-why go with it and spend on something you dislike?

I think flooring and backsplash are contradicting right now what you're trying to achieve..if I understand correctly what you're trying to achieve..

so they'd be the ones I tackle first

you have some wonderful elements in your house..I like your brick. stove..like this open shelving in your kitchen..actually quite like the countertop but that of course is very personal and only you can see whether it's in a good enough shape to keep for now

beautiful storage idea under the stairs..did you do it yourself? in any case, that's great

I think a lot can be achieved if you look at the space as a whole..I think tile floring(is it porcelain?) and backsplash fights currently with brick, on many levels..so thinking how to go about that would be my plan first of all.

Hi all,

Thank you all for the insightful comments so far- and yes, I suppose they're not oak. I guess the biggest issue is that I'm not 100% sold on any specific design, but industrial feels interesting and it works with the brick and iron. That said, I appreciate the challenges the space offers in terms of matching that.

I guess I have two options- work with what I have, or start fresh.

What I have:

Replace the countertops, leave the cabinets or paint them, and do minor things like light fixtures, paint and decorating. I would like to replace the tile, but I believe the countertops sit on top of them which makes it challenging.

Start fresh:

I'm half tempted to rip everything out and start again, but I don't want to do anything rash. The only other thing I could mention is I might put double doors on the back wall to walk out to the patio. I'm option to other suggestions in place of a door, but I live in Canada so I need to account for the winter too :)

Thanks again!

I would paint the cabinets a charcoal grey ( almost black ) and get a laminate top - they have great color options and look great. Not everyone can do granite or quartz, nor do they want to. Both Formica and Wilsonart have amazing selections and textures.... you can order samples online

You could also do some pipe shelving around the ref. area - pretty simple and you design it to whatever configuration you want.... just takes a visit or 2 to the big box stores for some pipe fittings!

Go for it!

Good luck!

Ikea has a great laminate countertop that would work great with an industrial vibe. It's the Ekbracken - can't beat the price if you have an Ikea you can get to.

Thank you- I think painting the cabinets is a go then, as they're in good shape and I prefer a dark, painted look. I also think a good laminate will work, although if I feel like I'll stick with this layout I may just get quartz.

Additionally, I was thinking of leveling the backsplash between the kitchen and living room and just laying a live edge slab across the top so that it operates as a breakfast bar of sorts. If I get quartz though I could just extend it out 8-10 inches instead of the live edge.

Before you invest in quartz, please keep in mind that there will be a hefty charge when the time comes that you actually do the cabinets. It is not cheap to remove and reinstall any one the stone tops - that is why I would suggest the laminate for now or just do it all at the same time...

Hi Debbi- thank you, that is a good tip. I'll keep that in mind.

It is very easy to get swept up in great remodeling ideas and cool stuff - that is great - you have a vision. But things must be done in proper order, otherwise you wind up throwing good money after bad.... There may be other options for your space/layout that you haven't even thought of. I would suggest getting with a kitchen designer and see how much it really is to replace your cabinets and redo the kitchen from the start....then you will know if there is a possibility to do it now, next year or if you need to wait 5 years, or if you can finance it etc. You are now speaking of leveling the ledge to shoot the countertop across and then doing a live edge top ( not cheap ). More and more you are basically redoing the whole kitchen... Post a floor plan of the space and let everyone give you some layout ideas that you can go have priced out...

Good luck!

I'll see if I can make a floor plan in Excel. I'm speaking to a contractor next week, as I very may well just redo the entire kitchen while I'm at it. I'll keep you all posted, and thank you for the advice

Hi All,

I've taken the above into consideration and I believe I've decided how I want to move forward. I'm going to leave the tile, paint the cabinets, get new countertops, appliances, lighting, and paint. Open questions I have are below, and I've included dimensions and pictures of adjacent spaces as they were requested above.

Questions:

- Colour of appliances. I like black stainless steel personally

- Colour to pain the cabinets, and how to account for the cabinets under the stairs. I can leave them, but ideally I'd paint them if everyone agrees

- Should I install a range hood over the current cooktop/wall oven. I'm going to simply replace with range, but ideally I'd leave in the same place

- What to do with lighting? I like edison lights, but not sure if they fit

I've got a lot of open questions, but I'm not very creative and am hoping to benefit from some good advice. Open to all feedback/criticism.

Thanks!

Any thoughts? Also, I think I'll do the wall shelves with the iron pipes mentioned above as it looks pretty neat.

Also, my cabinets definitely aren't oak. Oops.

If it were me , I would redo the layout of the space.... I would move the ref to the area where you have the shallower counters and put tall reduced depth pantries to the right of it. Then I would move the stove to the wall the ref was on and bring the sink into the passthrough area. This will give you lots of working counterspace and lots of storage.

Just something to think about

That is the layout I actually preferred- my main decision on the above was whether I liked that enough to justify replacing all of my cabinetry. The short version is maybe I suppose. My main concern is if I replace the cabinetry, how do I integrate it with all the ones I have under the stairs? I know they don't have to be the same, but I just want to avoid the kitchen and living space not feeling like they flow.

To me the cabinetry under the stairs is a different "room" ... it is a stained wood which is a neutral so don't worry about it... or if you wanted to do something different, paint it out a cool color . It goes so well with the floor there and the staircase, keeping it as is would be just fine...