What is your long term plan for this house? Are you staying a while? Moving in a few years?
Of course, being the die-hard restorationist that I am, either way I would advise against replacing everything with new overlay cabs. :-)
But suppose you are staying there a while. Not everything has to be done right now. I've been working on my kitchen for almost 3 years now. Yes--it can be hard to not have a "finished kitchen." Very hard at times. But I would much, much rather get what I really want in the end. You say, for example, that you would love soaptone, and would prefer to take money from the "cabinet fund" and put it toward that. I also wanted soapstone, but couldn't afford it at the same time we were having some reproduction cabinets done. So for 2 years--yes 2 years!--I had a plywood counter, with plastic (and later marmoleum scraps) stapled to it. And after a while, I kinda forgot about it! A nicer option might be an Ikea butcherblock. But even Ikea butcherblock is more expensive than the cost of plywood and a dropcloth. And now, 2.5 years later, I have my soapstone!
We used a local guy for our cabs, and, uh, we got ripped off. They weren't super expensive, all things considered, but they were more than they are worth, quality wise. So I recommend going local, I also recommend researching whoever is going to do them.
Our original cabs are quite shallow. My main upper run is only about 13" deep! Here it is:
That counter is pretty useless for prep, because it is very shallow, and the space between it and the cabinet is only about 14 inches. But I've been able to make the cabinet space work for me by getting rid of the nonessentials, and really paring down the way I do things in the kitchen. I wish I could come to your house and get you excited about your little space!! I'm just convinced I could make it work on a small budget (spread out over time).
Although this forum has been so absolutely wonderful for me during the past few years (has given me so many ideas, and MOST importantly, has picked me up off the floor when I've been sobbing in a puddle of tears because of the MANY mistakes that have occurred, and the meanie "workers" who have taken advantage of my wimpiness), there have been 2 bad things for me: most of these kitchens are BIG, and have left me wondering how I can ever function well in a small, dysfunctional space. And it often seems like most of these kitchen owners have more "resources" than I will ever have, and I find myself trying to "keep up." For example, after a few years reading this forum, I decided I had to have a Shaw's farm sink. They are very common here, and I decided it was reasonable (based on how common they are here) for my kitchen to have one. But my husband is forever trying to make me understand that just because I see lots of something on this forum doesn't mean that it isn't a high end luxury item that is outside my reach. So he thinks my constant reading of this forum has made me covet things that I can't have. My compromise has been to wait several years for the things I really want. But I have always been the type who would rather have one lovely strand of pearls, than a whole jewelry box full of cheaper stuff. So I am patient...
So I guess what I am trying to say is that it is easy for me to look at the kitchens here, or on the finished kitchen blog, and feel like giving up. Or like going into debt! My husband won't allow the latter, so I've sometimes been left with feeling really deprived and depressed!
But I always pull myself out of that, because I'm so committed to my "original kitchen." The BEST thing about a tiny kitchen is that it is cheaper to fix up! (Btw: I haven't given you any concrete costs, because I don't really know them. But I would speculate our kitchen falls into the under 25k category. Hard to say since so many things, like floors and ventillation piggyback on other whole house items.)
Ok, I'm starting ramble here. Let me throw out a few things I would probably do, if it were my kitchen (realizing that my priorities won't be the same as yours):
1. Keep the dysfunctional window because, despite being a "space hog" it lets in an abundance of light, and is too costly to replace/rebuild. Work around it.
2. Do the necessary heating work to remove radiator, and lay grounds for a hood someday over the stove (put off hood expenses for a few years, and open the window when you cook. This is exactly what I'm currently doing in my own kitchen because the hood I want is friggin 2K!).
3. Put in a vintage, or vintage-looking stove. To me, an important aspect on vintage looking is a no-glass oven door. But new ones are pricey!!!!! What I really like about a vintage stove is that you get excellent cooking performance for a much lower price. AND, if you get a fold down top, you get crucial counter space! Mine was $800, which was double what my miserly husband thought a stove should cost, but far far less than a high-end vintage looking stove. Check craigslist EVERY day. That's how I found mine. Search for Wedgewood, and Okeefe and Merrit. I'm not sure if I would get a Chambers (more available on your Craigslist). Maybe... The stove could stay in present location.
4. Cabinets. I can't see them up close, examine how they are put together, how they could be separated, etc. But from your photo, I'd keep the "hutch like" one on the end. Remove the next 2, and the other lowers on the adjoining wall. I would have a local cabinet maker reproduce lowers to EXACTLY copy the style of the hutch unit. I had this amt. of cabinetry done (paint grade birch), and it was a few thousand dollars. I would probably keep the other upper for now, to save money, with the idea that in another year, I'd have the option of removing it and doing uppers to follow the new lowers along both walls. Does that make sense? From my thinking, that would give you a very nice L-shaped counter work area. The counter area on the hutch is decorative/storage.
5. But what about a dishwasher? I can't live without a dishwasher! Where could I fit in an 18" unit? Personally, I wouldn't be willing to sacrifice the hutch, so I would have to work around that. Would a dishwasher fit on the wall perpendicular to the sink? It looks like it would have to go there. Unless maybe you did a corner sink? Then it could go next to the sink, on either wall.
6. What about the fridge? It looks like there is a corner spot for it? If this is the only location, and, like the stove it has to sit there alone, then I would want it to be as gorgeous as possible! So I would hold out for a retro fridge for 4K! If I had to wait a few years, I would. A retro fridge looks awesome sitting by itself. It is a decorative piece as much as functional. (We don't even have room for a fridge in our kitchen, so it is in the garage!! Again, this is a compromise I made. We might squeeze in a drawer unit someday, but spending thousands for 5 cubic feet of storage makes me choke!)
7. Refinish the pine floors. I would hire this out.
8. Cheap counters; save up for soapstone. Or just stay with butcher block long term. I kind of wish I would have gone with butcher block. I would look for an old piece of wood for the hutch (that's what i waned to do on mine, but husband talked me out of it. I still regret it).
A few other thoughts re: shaker overlay doors. I did these in my former kitchen (that kitchen wasn't original, and I didn't have the knowledge or money to do inset). It looked fine. Lots of folks do these, and they can look lovely. However, when I look at vintage kitchens with inset doors, my knees feel weak, and I know that is my true love. What do your knees tell you? But--you do have that hutch to consider. I wouldn't keep the hutch, and mix in overlay doors. And I'm committed to that hutch! So that removes the option of overlay. Please view the folling kitchens, and see if they make you weak in the knees:
http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=5562017f33e593ff&sid=0Has2bFsxca
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimberly4/987754430/in/set-72157601170944612/
http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/klb_2000/Kitchen%20Remodel%202006/
Ok, I'll stop for now. I hope this is helpful! Don't give up on your vision!
:-)
francy
Q
really cool ideas for 1930s kitchen remodel!
Q