Thank you, thank you for so many thoughtful posts. This is an international move for us, so I have been travelling to coordinate everything involved - I only had 2 weeks to find something and this house ticks a lot of boxes for us, so I will work with it. I completely agree with many of you on working with what is there and with the Scandi modern look - as I said in my first post "will try to go with a mix of nature (lots of wood), clean lines, bright colors (fern green, orange, yellow, turquoise), and some funky accents". My mom is Danish and I have inherited Danish modern dining table & chairs, buffet, turquoise pottery, floor lamp, etc. so that is our style in general. Our stuff is pretty modern, but not industrial, more nature-oriented mixed with lots of ethnic art and crafts bought on our travels. I'm definitely not trying to recreate a period-perfect kitchen or house - as palimpsest accurately guessed, this is a split entry colonial revival ranch so I'm really not sure there is any period-perfect style anyway. But we do like to respect the period features of our homes (most recently an 1882 Victorian and a 1910 Tudor revival, both 4 stories so we are really looking forward to one main level!) (And I really enjoyed reading all the commentary here on period issues.) Nonetheless, Tuscan-looking or even American traditional just isn't us, or the rest of the house, ergo my desire to create a feel in kitchen more in keeping generally with our eclectic stuff and the period of the house. Even though they are not my taste, there is no way I could take down almost new solid maple (cherry-stained) cabinets, as much as I might love IKEA. Anyone have any experience stripping stain off cabinets like these? I "might" think about that as I would like them better in a lighter wood tone, of course even better with a slab front but too many cabinets to contemplate that. I like the suggestion to take down and store the uppers next to the range and do a big tiled backsplash with a big stainless range hood. I like that idea aesthetically and practically since microwave vents are never powerful enough and uppers near a stovetop always wind up sticky and greasy. Will definitely look for a sleek stainless pull, maybe with a curve. I wonder if it possible to somehow cut off the mullions from the glass-fronted ones?? For the floors, I have loved the look and feel of cork previously so I'm inclined to go with that - it needs something less busy to minimize the busy-ness of the cabinet fronts. I don't know what to do for the counters? Formica or metal-trimmed aren't what I was contemplating. I think stone or tile will look too "Tuscan"/90s - whatever you want to call it - with the cherry cabinets. Already too much wood cabinet for butcher block. That leaves concrete, stainless or that manufactured quartz that looks quite uniform. Any thoughts? Thank you for all the links - I loved some of the tile patterns, but am concerned about busy-ness. I haven't had a chance to look at all the lighting links - thinking something clean lined, Scandi looking, not space-age. I'm also a bit stuck on backsplash and paint color. I love green and will be using it elsewhere in the house, but I have too many memories of dark green with cherry in 90s kitchens. Maybe another shade? I do love yellow and orange, which again will show up elsewhere in the house alot. I guess I am just really hung up on that cherry and what goes with it...

Thanks bmorepanic. Exactly right, there is a spectrum of styles that would work which creates too many options. In the end, it's hard not to let price be the deciding factor. Why pay $25+ a sq/ft if it's no more inspiring than $7 a sq/ft really? The issue of where to start and stop the tile is another thing we can't resolve, especially because of that angled corner. Oh well, any strong opinions are welcomed because we're about ready to toss up our arms in defeat.

i think you will find it easier than you thought. one of the important points is to have the very clean lines like dutch modern. my very first introduction into mixing styles was with an international couple she was dutch, and loved all the dutch furnishings. Her husband, was born in india, very poor, one of those amazing stories, $50 when he got here, very pleasantly rich within 30 years. anyway, he wanted all the pageantry items of his homeland he could never afford. bright colors and the elephant statues etc. various furnishings heavily carved. somehow or other it all went great. i learned much that day!

I actually have a similar situation- mint green. I have to remove vanity to remove rusted out sink unless a top mount might be an option. I have to remove tub too, so I'm grieving the possible loss of mist of my mint green tile because, as with yours, the vanity is tiled into the wall, and who knows what will happen with tub tile. If it's I will save all I can and polish it cover old terrazzo with loose lay. If top mount sink won't save the day, I'll use a nice pedestal sink and either try to match lower walls with diy paint tile glaze or use ship lap wainscote. I began trying a diy to remove vanity and felt horrible cutting into that wonderful, old tile job. It was impossible to do, and I mangled it badly. Tile is backed with metal lathe. Yours will be too. That said, don't live with this design if you don't like it. Just keep you design in keeping with the period of your home. Please do that. If my tile can't be saved, I'll go with the white walls wood look planks with rivets, pedestal sink or pink ceiling, black and white tile and white vaniGood luck. Don't spend too much unless not an object. Lol.