Patser... WHAT?? Lol! I think perhaps I didn't word my post correctly! Yikes - no worries, here. Seriously, does Jade have an official fan club, yet? I've thought of starting one, lol! Ironically, John Leeke's site was the first one I frequented when I started getting really into (obsessed with?) the cool-factor regarding the age of my house. That's when I decided Jade was who I want to be when I grow up! (But if I haven't "grown up" by now, I probably never will). :-) I also frequent OHW, as a lurker only, & if you could have seen the look on DH's face when I hollered... "OMG, Jade posts here, too!". (The eye-rolling was at ME, not her - lol). But I think if the poor guy hears me say "Jade says..." one more time he may want to put his head through a window! (But he won't, because Jade would say "don't damage that old window"...) :-) My question wasn't about replacing MY windows with vinyl... But using poor old replaced "period, local, landfill-bound" windows to replace destroyed or missing parts of mine! Sorry for confusing you - hope I didn't make you swallow your gum, lol. Side note... I just spent the evening at DH's company Christmas party, at The Country Club, lecturing everyone with an old house about NOT replacing their windows, etc! :-). They weren't surprised. He's mentioned me & my "fettish", people I hadn't actually met before asked me how I feel about vinyl window replacement, just for fun. surveyors & engineers + OPEN BAR make for orneriness. ;-)

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well, it just depends what you want. if those are real oak floors, you can always have them patched in, but that means the rest of the floor will need refinishing. For sure I'd put in some windows along that wall, and try and have the sink under it. Cabinets. you can do inexpensive or high end. I wouldn't nix the idea of a carpenter custom building some for your space. RTA cabinets are actually decent. hire someone to install. If you're on a budget, I prob wouldn't use HD or Lowes. you're paying them to be the middleman contractor, and they sub out their work. Sometimes their countertops are a decent price though. talk to a kitchen designer or an actual kitchen refinishing company. I found a great one on Yelp (all 5 stars) and they were amazing. I had mine painted, but they also did custom carpentry, refacing, vent hoods, and everything in between. If you could find a company like that, I'd go that route. walk around a stone yard to see what's avail for countertops/islands. Some people like ikea. It just depends the look you want. the rest of the house is very nice. looks like you have plenty of room. don't know why they did such a tiny kitchen with all of that room! however, for 30K, you're going to have to DIY, learn to DIY, or learn how to shop for bargains. I'd still list your current kitchen for sale. someone would want it. they can come in and take it apart and charge 1K for everything. (to demo all of that, you're looking at over 1K anyway! ) hiring a KD for a custom layout design wouldn't be a bad idea

I would do soalr shades on the top windows to control heat and damaging UV rays and I would make those probably custom and permanent then the same for the lower windows but able to be rolled up on cloudy days the drapes as shown for a nice look IMO the windows do not lend themselves to sheers. BTW the solar shades allow you to keep the view and if you do not need privacy at night just leave the dapes open but always make the drapes be full enough to be able to close not just skimpy panels that really look cheap. No lights are needed there and if you do not do the solar shades those floors and everything else you put in that space will fade .I also think that FP is too unassuming for the windows so I woiuld be looking at taking a nice porcelain large format tile to the ceiling with a nice thick mantel in a wood like the floor. BTW drapes near a FP are never good so maybe just romans shades in the same fabric as the drapes for those windows and please do not put the TV above the FP. I would also close the passthrough it will give you a nice wall for a TV , storage,display arrangement I deally in a wood like the mantel