For a vacation cottage look, I like what you have going here. I would leave the maple drawers deep because I think some non-uniformity adds to the character. I would leave them as is for now, get the birch counters that you want, and see what it all looks like together. I'm a visual person so I'd put it together and then see if the 2 woods work. If not, then you can easily paint the maple drawers.

Good luck! Would love to see updates.

I don't know if this would work with the aesthetic you have in mind, but brickmanhouse did kitchen counters of wood stained with india ink, which looked just like soapstone.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/finished-kitchen-circa-1840-working-farmhouse-ikea-budget-reno-dsvw-vd~2678448?n=107

Personally I love the look of creamy white cabinets with wood countertops

Thanks, feathers. I will definitely post updates (and likely many more questions). I'm like you and need to see it in place.

writersblock, while it is a different aesthetic, I think it could work. I wonder if I just did the dark stain on the maple cabs and then a more natural stain on the rest?

sistersunnie, that is my thought for the rest of the counters cabs (there is also going to be a wood topped pennisula with white lower cabs. I don't suppose you have a favourite creamy white paint colour to suggest? I will be repainting the cabs and have been picturing the majority warm white - just not sure which warm white.

I'm not sure I understand about the different drawer depths so can't advise about that but I will mention something about the drywall. Do you have experience doing that? We replaced our fake panelling with drywall and did the work ourselves (amateurs). The joints are noticeable and look horrible in certain light. Hindsight: would have been better off to spend the time prepping and painting the fake panelling (the way our neighbours did). Or spending the money and hiring a Pro to do the drywall.

I'm not sure how birch and maple will look together but both have little visible grain and similar light colour. Might not be obvious they're different species. Feathers11 is right: try them together and see. You can always paint or stain one or the other. Sistersunnie is right: wood and white look great together. I love slab cabinet doors. (with minimal or linear hardware). Inspo pics below. Looking forward to more of your pics. Good luck and enjoy the process!

ETA: Warm whites you might want to look at: BM Simply White (might be too yellow, depending on your light), Snowfall White, Oxford White (tinge of green?) and Cloud White.

Never mind my note about the drywall, I see now that most of your panelling will be covered by cabinets. My advice was meant for a large expanse of drywall. :)

India Ink is a really fabulous idea. I have a ton of it and need new countertops. Hmmm.....

Daisychain - I dont think I would do wood cabinets and wood countertops. I would paint all the lowers and do the birch countertop. As for the difference in depth. I would keep it 29". If all your lower cabinets are the same color, I doubt the size differece will be very noticeable.

I never thought of India Ink either and am intrigued. This could work on any wood? It's honestly the first time I've seen it mentioned around here. Last time I used it I was in HS arts class.

I'm not sure what is happening to the right of the refrigerator. Is that a cabinet? Some boxes? What will the green tape marked wall cabinet be -- white, maple or something else? If it is maple, you might center it over the maple lowers to make more of a hutch feel -- or install some floating shelves -- make that section truly different.

If you have help, you could pull the white cabinets out to the same depth and you can have extra deep counters all around -- but that could mean pulling out the uppers too so they won't be harder to reach. By yourself, I'd probably leave everything as it is. I would not want to cut down drawers in a small kitchen unless I really had to -- and here they actually make the range and fridge look more finished.

For a small lake house and a more rustic vibe, why not simply paint the panelling? It will be a more casual feel that will help the varied cabinets feel more at home. As for the counters, if you treat the maple section more like a furniture piece, you could match the drawers and the same color wood would look like it made sense. You could consider a different edge or slight variation in the counter (straight vs end grain in the same wood and tone) for the maple section and the white cabinets -- treat them like they are intended to play together, but not match. If you use pulls, look at matching style, possibly different sizes as well as same finish but coordinating styles. Don't use a different finish unless you are going for a complete furniture look for the maple (in which case you might want to use feet instead of the kick plate or set some decorative corner pieces to the front sides. Take what's different and play with that difference rather than trying to make it all matchy.

It's a lake house -- it gets to have fun.

Btw, I wanted to say that it's a shame you were reluctant to post this on the "more relevant" forums. Doing a project "on the cheap" shouldn't be a reason we can't share and discuss ideas around here. We all have budgets of some sorts and there should be no shame to having smaller decorating/renovating budgets. It forces us to think outside the box and use our bloody imaginations! As long as we're realistic about our objectives, what's the harm in saying I have X amount for this space, any ideas? We shouldn't need generous budgets to have a home that meets our functional and style needs.

(I'll never forget Jamie Drake's quote about needing 50K to do a living room these days. I love his style but don't live in that world.)

tartanmeup - I wish I could like your comment 1M times. My budget for almost every thing is a small budget. In fact, daisychain, in my world $5000 is a HUGE budget for the items on your list.

This could work on any wood?

Potentially, although some woods, like maple, would probably need more coats since they don't absorb evenly. It's a very long thread that I linked but she goes into considerable detail there, IIRC.

ETA I completely agree with you about asking in the main forum. Most likely, the response would be that if you can't afford a KD you can't afford to do a darned thing. So different from GW, but then the folks at GW were better than most ordinary KDs. Such a sad change, going to houzz. And the advice from the "pros" is bad way too much of the time.

Is the ceiling wood as well? What is the flooring? I would agree with the advice above to put in the wood countertops and see how it all looks together. I think the deeper cabs to the right of the stove will be fine. I also think that the board and batten idea for the drywall will look great. Can't wait till you post some update pics!

In the kitchen forum, you would be advised not to do anything and save your money for a total gut job. As someone who has done many incremental fixes to many kitchens over the years, I mostly disagree with this advice!

Daisychain - Love that refrigerator! I was going to try and wrap mine in something but at the last minute we decided to purchase a new one. Im not sure how you plan to accomplish the look but you could take the handles off and then get some fabric, spray adghesive, and ModPodge. Glue the fabric to the refrigerator as smooth as possible with spray adhesive. Then paint the entire thing with ModPodge so that the surface can be wiped off when needed. Finally reattach the handles.

You could also use contact paper. There is a brand called Rossa Rose (or something like that). It is sold on Amazon and would be perfect for your applicatifon.

I love the fun fridge idea!

I love the maple front cabinets. The wood is pretty. I dont know if you will be into this, but when I first saw the maple cabinets I thought it would be cool to do the wood counter everywhere bu on them, and to do them with a really colorful counter, maybe a bright laminate, or maybe a fun mosaic tile, that you get all crafty with. Do you remember the GW'er who had all the little frogs inserted into her tile countertop? I know nobody loves a tile countertop, but its just a small area and it could be so special....

tartanmeup, I agree. These forums were so helpful for me. Both, when we had almost no cash and a 100 year old fixer upper home and then when we had a substantial budget from insurance to redo the whole place. I'm not sure what I would have done without GW. Now, I'm reluctant to post anything over there. Our budget isn't going to change. With 2 kids to put thru school and 2 homes, we aren't going to save anymore to put towards it. This is what we can manage and feel is doable for a space we use a few months a year. Plus, I enjoy the challenge of projects like this.

ilikefriday, that fridge is actually done in removable wallpaper from a site called chasing paper. I think our fridge would be easy to do b/c it doesn't have handles.

localeater, I do remember her! I think she was the same one who used old lockers to make a colourful island, non? I think of that kitchen often.

The ceiling is wood - possibly fir as it is quite orange. I'm hoping to clean it up and stain or treat it somehow to make it look better. I think it could be wonderful, but right now is waterstained in places and isn't everything it could be.

No shame in having a small budget nor do I feel we need to justify it. Just because we like good design doesn't mean we want or need to spend all our discretionary income on it.

Daisy- Are you the person who was replacing/creating a translucent ceiling in one part of your cabin? If yes, how did that turn out? That was such a great idea.

daisychain it makes me nuts that the idea of having a limited budget has become a dirty word around here! That's where the most creative solutions come from.

This is a kitchen to have fun in and I love all your ideas so far. Keep the depth of the maple as everyone else has said - would you have an interest in a remnant stone counter for on top of that section? That could probably be had for very little. Trying the two woods together may work and if you don't like it, there's always paint for the cabinet. My favorite creamy white is now Benjamin Moore Timid White OC-39. I've used it on a few furniture pieces in this house. I can't find a single pic online that begins to portray it accurately - you'll need to get a chip or sample it.

You do know that you can buy fridge wraps, right? No need to make your own unless you want to do it that way.

https://www.etsy.com/market/fridge_wraps

and there are whole companies devoted to this now.

Good memory, localeater. The centre of the cottage is our porch area. Living/kitchen space is on side of the porch and bedrms are on the other. The ceiling is greenhouse clear panels. The beams are now painted white.

That looks fantastic, daisychain! Love the black trim.

Btw, I was leafing through my stack of shelter mags and noticed the light wood and white kitchen on the Feb 2019 issue of Canadian House & Home. It's a very chic combo.

Gorgeous ceiling. I love that. Thanks so much for showing us!

Very cool space -- it deserves a fun kitchen! So what's going to go on the fridge? That could be so much harder to pick that white, black or stainless. You can also get clings done from photos -- so many options!

And I agree -- limited budgets and weird problems are some of the best sources of creativity and originality.

lascatx, I've looked at many different options for the fridge, but I keep coming back to the orange and blue geometrics of the one in that pic. Because it's not heated in the winter, I can't do a tile backsplash, so I'm thinking just paint backsplash area and have the fridge as the "tiled" look. Either that or boring old chalkboard black.

Any thoughts on lighting? There is room for one pendant in front of the fridge and we need a larger light with multiple bulbs in front of the sink. Both have to be mountable on a slanted ceiling.

I'm liking something like a clear glass ball with brass - I would post a pic, but Houzz seems to be having probs this morning.

Yes, the ceiling really works. Whenever anyone walks in for the first time, they always make an audible gasp. You expect a dark room, but it is like walking into an atrium instead. In the land of mosquitos the size of sparrows, it is nice to feel like you are outside without being eaten alive.

A friend of mine filled and painted their paneled walls in the kitchen. Looked good. I would not do wood countertops on top of wood cabinets, too busy fighting for attention. Classic formica. But I would not recommend white. We have them and I loathe them, they are a never ending clean up battle. Not wiping, that's not the problem. , Every time something seems to stain them so get out the bleach or oxy. Lived with grey lightly speckled for years at my last house, loved it. So lightly speckled you thought it was solid grey unless you looked closely.

Lighting is something I like to look at early, but tend to lock in later -- when you can see things in place. Like you do adding jewelry to an outfit. Right now -- I'm thinking bronze might be a better finish for you than gold , especially if you go with the orange and blue geometric.

Have you thought of a budget for lighting? Or will it be what's left? You can do something as simple as painting the existing shade the blue from the tile pattern on the fridge -- $5, but you will need something for the other fixture.

Is the light in front of the sink replacing a ceiling fan that we just see the end of blade to the left? In which case it isn't really over the sink and needs to be general lighting for the room and the pendant over a table?

Can you post a cut and paste link to the fixture you were looking at? My mind is wanting to play of the outdoorsy feeling of what I am guessing is the adjoining room. I'm thinking lanterns or jars -- or even the stands of lights people use on patios. You have that killer ceiling in what appears to be the next room. To me, that sets the tone and the mixed cabinets just keeps moving away from something so structured or polished. But I'm interested in seeing what you were looking at -- might not be the image I have one hearing "clear glass ball with brass". Also -- brass scares me if you are going to do orange tile design and maple. Lots of clash potential there.

Daisy, what a cool cabin!!! I really love that ceiling.

I like that idea of leaving it til last and then going with the flow of what style develops.

Outdoorsy would be my go to, but I'm trying to keep the MCM style in mind as I make choices. I love the pics tartanmeup posted as well as sochi's cabin. I will never achieve that, but keep looking at them as inspiration.

Thanks, justerrilynn. It is very modest, but we are lucky to have it.

What a great place!, and "budget" seems to be my middle name :-/

Now, why can't you do tile in the winter?

As soon as I saw your kitchen, I thought of Mondrian...then I looked at google images and found some Mondrian inspired kitchens! Very MCM and very fun.

I would paint the front cases of the cabinets black to give it the look of an outline. Then choose which ones to color.

This will work especially well given the variety of cabinets you have.

Then, you could do your fridge in one of the primary colors...

I would like black formica counter with this...it will be less than wood.

This one is Home Depot.

The light you show above would be perfect with this look...

Is the wiring in place?

I might indulge the whole look and get the ikea Docksta table..199 but you may be lucky enough to find one on Craigslist.

I don't know if it would work in your space because I can't see that side of the room....

What if you took the section with the new darker cabinets and just treated it as an independent section, from floor to ceiling? Don't run the white upper cabinets past the stove, then perhaps put open shelves in a similar tone to the dark cabinets over the dark cabinets. Perhaps a remnant piece of stone could be cut for just that section.

I don't know where you're located, but you could consider repro Eichler siding in lieu of drywall or painting the existing thin paneling. It would give it a true MCM look (although I have no idea of the cost of those panels. They're milled in California)

Eichler siding

Penny, the cottage actually used to have a Mondrian-esque paint on the exterior panelling and another down the road has kept it. I've priced out formica/laminate, but it seems to be more expensive than wood, but maybe I should look again. I also saw how to use the India ink to make furniture grade plywood look like an impressive counter. Right now the plan is to get rid of table seating and just use the peninsula, but I love the form of the tulip tables.

jakabedy, I've thought of the open shelves and might still do that - my concern is that we are losing some cabs on the other side. If I can be sure everything will fit - I might do shelves that just hold some nice things. ilikefriday described an easy way to make nice sturdy shelves on another thread.

The severe freeze thaw cycle here makes tile a bad idea if it's not heated in the winter. Tile tends to pop off the walls. My SIL glued the prefab panels to the shower surround and after a few years, they have all cracked and and fallen off the wall. Getting all the construction adhesive off those walls is another project I have to tackle.

ETA: I think that siding would look great (and it's possible something like that is on the exterior). I'm not sure how to source it or cost, but it is a possibility.

Won't you have to treat the wood somehow? Seems like that would be a factor adding perhaps to the cost? But I don't know how much. The classic treatment for cutting boards is linseed oil.

Pink, I believe that the Ikea butcher block fans use a product called Waterlox. It would go over the ink (which, in reality, is just a type of stain.)

Yes. If you're staining wood countertops with regular wood stain you'd usually use a wood conditioner first to make the sure the stain goes on evenly. You don't need to do that with the ink. Then finish off with waterlox, poly, tung oil, etc. Those finishes will be food safe when cured, for using the counter as a counter.

If you want to cut directly on your BB, then no finish, stain, etc., and use mineral oil or one of the mineral oil/wax blends they sell for use on BB cutting boards. That will have to be renewed fairly often. The cured surfaces, not so much.

For tung oil, be aware that people with tree nut allergies may have a problem with those surfaces. Waterlox is tung-based.

Okay, it's not an Allison or mtndx reno, but I just got a pic from the guy doing the work for us. It took him awhile to get started, but he's been working for the last couple of days and just sent me a pic of the new electrical outlet . This is thrilling as there were only about 4 outlets in that whole kitchen living room space. He's adding about 5 more. Also the half wall is down and some drywall up.

I'd better get going on ordering lighting.

Progress is exciting Daisy. Plug in the fridge, toaster, blender for margaritas, and ice cream maker with room to spare!

I concur with lisaam. Progress is exciting! Hope this reno advances at a good clip for you. :)

Absolutely! I have been in a position where I jumped up and down yelling "OUTLETS!!!". "WE HAVE OUTLETS!!!"

We did a similar thing in my mom's tiny house...we made a half wall in the kitchen and extended the counter to seat a couple people (kind of an oval bar) It let so much light in and made the kitchen seem huge (relatively). It was a fun project that I loved doing :)

I'm a bit foggy on your plan here...is this side the kitchen or the other side?

I would leave the drawers deep and do the wood top. And then, do some sort of stencil in the white of the other cabinets on the maple leaving some of the wood showing through.

Also, as much as I love that frig cover design...me, I would try to come close to the white of the frig in my cabinet paint color.

Groovy baby!

lisa & tartan, our first long weekend of the "summer" season starts on May 17. I am hoping that the kitchen is finished enough for a biiiiigggg batch of margarita making (summer is in quotes b/c it is not unheard of to get snow here on that weekend :-0)

penny, I'm so glad to hear it was successful for you. It already looks totally different to me with just the little bit he's done so far. The pic is taken from the living room facing the kitchen.

justerrilyn, that first stencil pic is totally my style, but I think the 2nd suits the MCM roots of the cottage. I really need everything in place b/f I can commit to colours or any accessories, so you may be right about the fridge staying white. All the white cabs will have to be repainted, so doing them to match fridge wouldn't be hard. I'd also pictured the walls white, but from the pics with the white drywall that he sent today, I'm questioning that - it is really bright after being used to all that dark panelling.

Gosh, after you get everything in place won’t it be fun picking a wall color? I’m excited for you with this project.