Here is a before shot. I live that we got rid of the tiny island I constantly had to walk circles around.

It looks wonderful! I can't believe those cabinets are that old - they are some of the nicest looking oak cabinets from that era that I've ever seen. So glad you kept them. The removal of the island makes it seem very spacious, and the new hardwoods are beautiful with it all. Great updating!

Wonderful job, thanks for posting it.

Wow, it looks like a high end complete remodel. Good move on keeping the original cabinets. All your choices are really complementary to the cabinetry. Really like the new floor, and perfect backsplash for the new granite. Thanks for sharing and best wises for many years of enjoyment in your "new" kitchen.

You did a great job! Your cabinets definitely do not look like they're from the 1970's. Love your floors!

Did you put in under cabinet lighting or was that there already? It looks like you might have had it before. I'm considering painting my oak cabinets instead of replacing them and was wondering how hard it is to retrofit lighting under the existing cabinets.

Thank you everyone for your kind responses.

My 'granite' is actually Wilsonart laminate. I am very happy with our decision to use laminate after agonizing over the decision for a long time.

We did put in under counter lights and plug-mold. My husband is an electrician, so that comes in handy. He recently installed under counter lights for my parents who have a small galley kitchen from approximately the same era. It definitely can be done.

Your kitchen is really very nice and pretty. I love the floors. Just goes to show you don't have to break the bank to have what is beautiful and practical.

I like your decision to get rid of the island. They're hard to work around in a smaller space, especially if you have a good run of counter space without it.

Did you do anything to the cabinets? When I had oak, I used "Cabinet Magic" which really spiffed them up. (Then I moved.) Yours seem to be a nice quality.

Removing the island was a stroke of genius that drastically improved the floor plan. All the choices look very well considered and the finished product is really lovely. Congratulations on a wonderful job! (And lucky you with a DH / electrician!)

Nice job....it's a very calm, serene space. Getting rid of the island makes such a big improvement.

Really nice! Smart choices!

We used Minwax cabinet cleaner and orange oil.

The cabinets are in great shape. That made it much easier to decide to keep them. They have pull-out shelves and an awesome pantry. Our dining room has similar cabinets but rounded top panels instead of square corners. I really would like to change those out. They look a lot more dated even though they are in good shape.

Lately I've been on a tangent about putting runners in the kitchen, so I'm glad you posted the picture to show what a difference they make!

Your kitchen is very cozy and inviting. Great job!

Turned out lovely! This is a testament to what can be accomplished when the space has a good layout and decent quality cabinets to start. I like seeing updates, like this -- budget-conscious, classic, and not jumping on the "must incorporate every trend" bandwagon -- great job :-)

Great job! And those are nice looking oak cabinets, you were smart to keep them.

Great update. You cann,t beat oak for durablilty

That's a wonderful update that proves you don't have to do a gut remodel to get big impact and better flow. It's a lovely, workable kitchen - great job.

Two thumbs up!

Lovely kitchen. Your cabinets are beautiful and your kitchen does look bigger without the island. Also love the runner by your sink area. Best wishes for lots of fun times in your beautiful kitchen.

It looks great! I really like your cabinets and it's quite refreshing to see them not painted or tore out.

Looks great! Perfect refresher while keeping budget in mind. enjoy it!

joey - thanks for the info on adding the under cabinet lighting. Is it necessary to remove the backsplash in order to retrofit the lighting? I'm not sure if I want to replace mine or not yet.

I think it really makes a big impact in your kitchen!

Congratulations on completing a thoughtful, budget-minded remodel. It looks terrific! I think you were very smart to get rid of your island to improve the flow. You had one bit of luck to start. Your oak cabinets don't have that arched panel that really harkens back to 70's and 80's style. Kudos to the original builder for using a simple profile that updates nicely.

Looks like home. Love it. You should show us more pics.

I like everything you have done... Especially the back splash and the flooring : )

Joey, and proud you should be!! The handles give a great updated look as does the tile~just those 2 things would have made quite an impact! It's good to see there are updates that can be done for a very reasonable amount of money w/o ripping up/out things things that still have 'life' left in them. So many useful items are destroyed in the name of 'updating'. Habitat for Humaniity folks.