Great tips! I would also like to paint the walls. Any color suggestions would be appreciated too. The only thing that won’t change in color is the countertop. Thank you!!!

Fantastick and magic erasers do a good job cleaning up the grime on thermafoil cabinets,and on tile backsplashes. If the foil isn't peeling and cracking, that is your fastest and cheapest fix. Does the chair have a use in the kitchen? If not, I would replace it with something that is a combination storage shelves and worktop. Give the walls a fresh coat of paint, and perhaps a new window covering, and call it good.

Good ideas from Mary. I would find a patterned valance or a Roman shade and then use one of the colors to paint the walls. Here are a couple of examples, and a pretty pale blue paint would look nice with either. If you can’t find something you like and can sew, that opens up a whole world of colors and patterns. It’s a small window, so it would be easy to make a valance, and it wouldn’t cost much. I’d find a framed print to hang to the left of the window and a tea kettle or some towels that coordinate with the valance, and you’re done!

I was going to suggest if the chair doesn't have a specific use, some storage there. You have so little, it must be hard to stay organized. My former kitchen was small but with an adequate pantry. I bought an Ikea butchers block rolling cart with shelves underneath that had locking wheels and kept small appliances on it - used them from it. That extra 30" or so of workspace was a life saver some days. I still have the cart and now its inside a pantry but still looks good and functions.

The chair is there to serve as a space to hang out with whoever is using the kitchen. I’ll probably reupholster the chair once I figure out the color scheme. I do have a hutch on the other side but it looks too busy.

Scrub the cabinets and tiles. Clear the clutter on counter. New window valence and coordinating kitchen floor mat. I think storage in the section with chair would be great. Maybe you could get/build a built in bench with storage that wraps around the wall corner. Seating and storage in one. Or extend counter for more prep space and get a folding counter height stool- maybe even one that can hang on the wall when not in use.

I'd replace that chair with a fold-up. When no one is in the kitchen talking with you, it just folds away.

If Magic Eraser and then a good natural cleaner spiffs up the place, how about this for pretty stone / clay colors, and possible keep your paint as it is?

6"x24" Aspect Stone Peel and Stick Backsplash, Weathered Quartz · More Info

https://www.houzz.com/products/6x24-aspect-stone-peel-and-stick-backsplash-weathered-quartz-prvw-vr~55686529

Try Bon Ami cleaning powder on the grime. Make a paste on a wet rag and go over every scuffed and marked surface, one area at a time. Rinse, repeat. The results of that alone will likely be delightful.

Why not leave the backsplash which is fine and maintains a neutral area, and paint the ceiling instead?

Fort Worth Bungalow · More Info

Hundreds of options at a paint store -

Kitchen · More Info

https://www.houzz.com/products/brighton-top-down-bottom-up-insulated-roman-shade-alabaster-27x64-prvw-vr~122522919

Just to warm, idea:

Safavieh Veranda Creme Indoor Outdoor Rug, 5'3"x7'7" · More Info

Nourison Home and Garden Green Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug, 5'3"x7'5" · More Info

https://www.houzz.com/products/safavieh-veranda-creme-indoor-outdoor-rug-53x77-prvw-vr~72220247

https://www.houzz.com/products/nourison-home-and-garden-green-indoor-outdoor-area-rug-53x75-prvw-vr~25668909

Once thermofoil is damaged there is not a lot that can be done.

Have you thought about pricing out new cabinets?

You don't have a lot of cabinets. It might be worthwhile for you to measure what you have and create a list and take it to the cabinet dealers to get an idea of what it can entail. Does not hurt to investigate further.

Cabinets are grimy because you don't have a hood so after a thorough cleaning, you will have to make sure to clean the cabinets near the stove frequently before the grime/grease accumulates.

Not a Pro.

I have had thermofoil for 23 years and they don't look like that.

You may have build up of grease from the stove and oven and of course need to be maintained by cleaning them on a regular basis.

Do not spray the cabinets directly, always spray a soft cloth first then clean.

I haven't had to use this, but I read that Murphy Oil Soap can be used to help remove grime. I would test a spot and see how it goes.

I am looking forward to see the transformation :-)

Not a Pro.

Remove hardware from the bottom cabinets before cleaning and add hardware to the top cabinets after cleaning.

I don't think you need to change the back splash, just needs a good cleaning. You can decide that later after you figure out your colors in the kitchen.

A good pare down is needed.

What a fun project. It will be worth the work.

Not a Pro.

1. Pare down, even inside the cabinets

2. Clean all, even inside the cabinets

3. Add Hardware, hood for stove, etc.

4. Arrange and move things around to fit space.

5..........Lastly, pick paint, valance, mat

Are you interested in new cabinets or will you be working with what you have now?

The cabinets will keep getting greasy if there's no change in ventilating the stove. After washing the cabinets, try a light coat of Kitchen Wax polish on doors and drawers to make them much easier to wipe down with Windex or whatever you prefer. Try a drawer front first. https://www.amazon.com/Malco-Products-Jubilee-Kitchen-Wax/dp/B00CBSRIWM

I'm loving all these suggestions. The grease stains were there from before I moved in, my husband and I will be cleaning the cabinets and if they don't look better we will paint them. We are saving to renovate the entire home, so I just want to freshen up the house in the meantime. I'll post updates once we get started.

How about switching out the chair for a nice simple stool? Will give a place to sit for a bit and be appropriate for a kitchen. Also take advantage of the wall space to the left of the window for shelves and wall hanging storage to help declutter. A hundred $ and a trip to Ikea should help a lot.

Thanks for info on freshening up. It would be easier to scrub the doors outside but be sure not to get them sopping wet- just number the backs before you remove them. The drawer fronts can be unscrewed (probably) from the drawer boxes for easier cleaning.

You can use off white grout paint (available from big box stores and hardware stores, also online) on the backsplash grout and the floor grout. Combined with a professional tile cleaning, the floor will look almost new. Here's a random illustration off the internet:

http://mcguirescleaning.com/our-services/tile-grout-cleaning-service/

A portable dishwasher could go where the Ikea chair is now. Some portables can be installed permanently later on.

you need a vent hood for the stove (as mentioned earlier). That's your major issue. a vent hood that vents properly, up and outside.

The grease and grime in there is horrible. (i'm sure that curtain used to be a bright white)

Try a specialized cleaner for grease to cut through all of that gunk on the cabs, walls, and tile. Remove everything from the kitchen and countertops and have a cleaning party.

if you can't remove the grease from the cabinets, you can't just paint over it. the paint won't adhere. and Painting thermafoil is a PIA anyway.

Heck, look on Craigslist for people selling off their oak cabinets. you can pick up an entire kitchen for $500. you only need a few cabinets. pick and choose what you need(and what fits into your measurements) and insert them into your spot. those you can paint.

as an example, on the craigslist near me, I found this ad. $50, all the cabs and appliances. You'd have to remove it, but it's a great deal

I have thermafoil cabinetry for my base cabinets, and the only thing that makes them look bright white and new is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. That is the easiest, most inexpensive, and best product I've ever used on them. And they stay clean for quite a while too! Peel and stick tile will go a long way for you as well. Good Luck!

Like the chair. Is it as comfortable to sit in as it is interesting to look at?

Unless the tile backsplash you have is damaged, would keep it rather than peel&stick.

Craig's list isn't the only used stuff place to shop for cabinets. Though the selection is usually better in the spring when most building/remodeling begins to speed up, Habitat for Humanity sometimes has bargains on good used cabinets.

On a tight budget, before replacing cabinets, consider just painting the walls and cabinets, leaving the floor and backsplash and countertop in place unless they're damaged and you're needing to replace them for that reason.

If you have some throw away clothes and gloves, you might scrub your cabinets with a microfiber cloth and bleach then repaint them with paint that will "adhere even to plastic".

You should at least consider white plantation shutters for your window -- less of a cluttered look than fabric. Also, invest in a small wheeled cart cabinet so you can unclutter your countertop of small appliances, etc., -- that will go a long way toward renewing the look of your kitchen.

You could add a white painted floating shelf above your window and across that wall for items you rarely use that you can put in small baskets. With a curved ended pair of long (BBQ) tongs, you could retrieve baskets without a step stool if they're not holding breakables.

If that is the side of a kitchen/countertop/desk wall visible to the left of the chair with a blank wall above, you might consider whether or not you could add storage above the kitchen/countertop/desk

Maybe for a few windows around your house - good reviews:

Striped Roman Shades, Cream, 24"x72" · More Info

https://www.houzz.com/products/striped-roman-shades-cream-24x72-prvw-vr~9205808

If you keep backsplash with the neutral going, how about clearance knobs -- colored glass knobs as low as $1.16:

https://www.gliderite.com/clearance-items/?sort=priceasc

Dimensions: 1-3/4" diameter x 1-1/8" projection. Mounting Hardware includes a nut, washer and screw already embedded in glass.

Aren't you required to have a stove hood in your area? Seems kinda dangerous not to have one. My State requires it for fire safety.

Also, if you don't have a carbon monoxide alarm in there, you should get one ASAP. You have a live flame and may only have intermittent ventilation (you'd have to have the window open all the time otherwise).

Your cabinets are mounted quite high; I would put a shelf underneath the whole upper row for dishes, glassware, etc. so you have more room in the closed cabinets.

Beth-I’m jealous something like that popped in your CL. I’ve been searching for over a year with no luck.

really Missi? i see stuff like that all the time. you should have seen an entire kitchen someone was ripping out. it was only 3 yrs old! good sized too. really nice wood cabs, all of the granite and all of the appliances. u ready??? $1000! sounded like he had just bought the home and wanted to completely redo the kitchen and couldn't be bothered trying to piece out what was there. heck of a deal though.

saw this one on here too 1500. the entire kitchen. plus all of the appliances (stove/oven) !

I also see the 90's oak cabinets at least 2-3 times a week for a song as well. I guess that's the upside to being near a large city with a lot of home reno that takes place

so, deals are out there if you're willing to do some work and hunt for them.

Check your local building codes. You may need to move your stove to an outside wall if it isn't already against one so you can have exterior venting if hood venting is required but venting thru the roof isn't practical..

A bunch of things you can do:

--Concentrate on removing visual clutter, doing a deep clean, and painting the walls.

First round of controlling visual clutter:

--Remove every single thing from tops of: fridge, desk, china cabinet, stool under window, desk, . (The entire space needs to be taken into consideration even with a partial fix-up.)

--Take off all stuff on front of fridge and nothing hanging from it either. Get a stick-on dishtowel rod for inside of a cabinet door near the sink for one dishtowel.

--Get those buckets out from under the window. Get that low stool out of there.

--Swap that cabinet that's near the window with the chair. This will extend some work space at the kitchen end. Get an oversized cutting board that will be usable for the top of that cabinet. Put the chair over by the window, if you even need it. (Why can't the chair at the desk serve the purpose of a kitchen chair as needed? The smaller the kitchen, the more pieces need to do double duty. For example, gse the smallest toaster oven possible to make toast and ditch the toaster.)

--Once the surface clutter on fridge, desk, cabinet, etc. are gone, turn to a deep cleaning of cabinets, backsplash, and countertops just for the satisfaction of it since you will need to do some more decluttering later on. That means removing everything off the counters. Wash the kitchen walls and windows as well. Don't rehang your curtains. Get Roman curtains/shades per advice from others for both windows.

--Paint your walls whatever color your adjoining space walls are since they connect. With the surface clutter gone, the paint job will give airiness to the space. A warm white or the tan of the countertop would both look better than the pinkish walls there now.

--Put back a minimal amount of stuff on countertops. Paper towels, dishcloths can go on stick-on rods inside cabinet doors. Amazon carries a lot of stick-on rods and baskets.

--Hang your Roman shades.

--If you're handy, then install a not-too-deep shelf under the cabinets. Put colorful coffee mugs, some daily dishes, and glasses there, salt and pepper, etc. to clear up shelves in your closet. Or just hang cup hooks under the cabinets since they're hung so high.

--If you're keeping the oversized china closet for now, then paint it white so it blends in. Put all your dishes in there and save the pantry closet for larger items that are on your countertios now.

The minimal surface decluttering, deep cleaning, and painting are big jobs. Take a breather, then do a much deeper kind of decluttering cabinet by cabinet. If you have a garage, get metal shelves out there for oversized appliances or pots you don't use every day--crockpots, baking pans, etc.

--If you have the room, then a very small, white rolling cabinet in the middle of the kitchen will give you flexible storage and work surface. Don't put anything on it by an existing bowl. Add fruit!

Shelf under kitchen cabinet:

Rolling island but only if there's room is very organized and attractive:

My experience with the type of fan that you do have is that they work well. It helps if there isn't a lot of stuff blocking the airflow between the stove and the fan. And it only works if it is turned on (shocking I know!)

Housegal... I love that rolling cart! Where did you find it!

I don't know why the link didn't appear. I found it on Houzz as an example of something very small and useful.

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/63264612/list/kitchen

I'm not sure it a rolling cart would necessarily work in the OPs kitchen. Probably an enclosed small rolling one would be better, but only if there's space, to keep the clutter down to a minimum. I think a huge decluttering, reorganization, and deep cleaning would help this kitchen way more than buying anything new. People have too much stuff and don't always see it objectively.

Decluttering comes before decorating. Focus first on really downsizing all the stuff you have, doing deep cleaning, then painting the entire space.