This is the kitchen area from the living room/dining room area. It is very small and have a bar area from the dining room. The posts at the corner could possibly be load- bearing walls.

Have you changed anything yet. My kitchen is kinda of like yours and I'm looking at options.

Yes I have! Thanks to the Houzz professionals suggestions, and a terribly traditional husband, I found a happy medium in styles. I have taken out the old cabinets, replaced with light oak cabinets,added space-saving corner units and modern backsplash, and eliminating the door from the living room. We ended up widening the door opening, and extended the lower cabinets towards the opening. That within itself greatly improved the space. The upper new cabinets were repositioned two inches above where the others were, and an over- the-hood convectional microwave was added. The stove was shifted to the center of the lower cabinet space, creating more counter space to the left of the oven.(WILL UPLOAD PICS LATER)
My husband would not let me eliminate the enclosure over the bar area(on the dining room side), which would cause a loss in the cabinets he had already purchased.. What we agreed to do was to lower the bar area even with the counters and extend the counter into the dining area another two inches, giving a more open see through space. Overall, I am pleased with the compromises made to update the kitchen, and with all major changes finished,I am confident to complete the minor touches in the near future. I'm looking forward to changing out the ceiling fixture and flooring to flow with the decor in the adjoining rooms. (again, pics are forthcoming)

Great! Look forward to seeing your new space.