lwt's Profile

First I agree that if you are planning on being there for 5 years, you may want to consider doing a real fix now. I moved into a NYC 1 bedroom with worn wood floors that I should have refinished. 10 years later I was still wishing I'd done it.

So a few ideas for you...

A friend of mine painted a vinyl floor with heavy duty paint. It was a hideous floor and he used the type of paint you'd cover a garage floor with. He picked a pop color and it turned out amazing...just be prepared to allow for several days for it to dry, more if the room doesn't get great air. You'll still see the texture of the tiles but they will all be the same color.

Second idea which was mentioned is cut a wall to wall sisal rug. It's cheap and instant and a nice look. But plan to use rugs and towels to keep it dry or it will age quickly...it gets black and can even mold if you are not careful. If you do this, I'd remove the few chipped tiles on the wall. They will be easy to patch.

Third idea: I've used adhesive tiles from home depot before. You'll have to cut around any odd shapes and corners but it's easy (use an iron to heat them for easier cutting). They don't wear that well in the long term, but for 5 years, they should get you by.

Fourth idea: move? Buy a large bath matt now and when your lease is up, look for a place that you can grow into over the next 5 years.

Good luck!

Also, I have to add Linus Bikes, from Venice Ca...check out linusbike.com They are elegant and much less than the Gary Fisher.

I am pretty sure too the stair would not meet code, and especially in NYC where stair codes have just become even more strict. However, that being said, it looks amazing and that will only be a factor when and if the place is sold. If you do ever get to that point, you could add glass to that side and keep the effect of the open stair. Love the high gloss black and white. Very nice.

I would think of it in two stages....what you can easily do now...and what you want to save for later.

For now to do a cheap remodel, I would paint the cabinets (inside and out) a glossy white to match the trim on the doors. Sorry to disagree with all the posters who said they like it....I think it makes the room look heavy and unfinished and has no connection with the tile. Switch the nobs to a nickel finish or even ceramic or glass to stay with the time period.

If your wood floor underneath the linoleum is good, you can expose that. Second option would be if it's not looking great but is solid, you can paint the wood floor-- color choice can go more neutral or a bright like the orange/red in the current linoleum. Third option would just be to paint over the linoluem itself. I had a friend who did this and it turned out great. The texture still shows through -- he painted his floors a dark blue. It took about 3 days to dry but it don't be impatient. It's worth it. Or one more idea...inexpensive self adhesive tiles in black and white checker board.

I would also remove the hutch with the microwave. The placement of this is not great for the room flow. The room seems to be large enough that you could have an island or cafe table -- for example a butcher block top with some storage underneath. It would add some counter space for cooking.

I'd also try to get as many of the small items put away and remove the pieces that aren't kitchen-y like the library chair. Add some roman shades on the window and that should get you through the immediate future!

If you decide to invest in a larger remodel, I think you'll want to reconfigure the space and think about what time period you want the kitchen to read. Without seeing the rest of your house, it could easily be made to look more 50/60s...which could mean a great authentic stove....black and white tiles on the floor painted cabinets, etc. Or you could change the style and update everything....but the layout will be an important place to start and you will probably want to make the counter wrap at least one of the corners so you don't end up with the dead space in the corners, like where the refridgerator is now.

Best of luck! Looks like fun!