Try again with the photo -- use the little camera icon under the text box, and be patient!

Would you consider white quartz counter tops and butcher block on the island? What color are you thinking about for the walls? Could you post another photo showing the wall where the counter ends and the waste can is?

I would LOVE white quartz counters but Im finding quartz about 75 $ a square foot. Was considering new 180 formica with real edge to mimic marble. Trash can is to left of fridge in small cubby in front of chimney. Color scheme Im thinking of is almost all white with beadboard on walls and ceiling. Hoping to tone down the checkerboard floor.

Your kitchen is very nice !!!

IMO, if this is a 'forever' house, you'll be glad that you installed a built-in microwave / fan above the stove. If budget / cash-flow is an issue, you could do the project in stages. For example, leave the backsplash tile, wood countertops and farmhouse sink for Stage Two.

Maybe you can put up shelving where you have that hook with the towel to house your microwave.

certainly thought about open shelving to open the space up. I'm actually leaning towards replacing some of the top cabinet doors with glass. Could also modify for microwave. Thanks K2 for the advise on built in microwave/fan. Really not much counterspace so no where else really to hide it. Really need some sort of pantry around fridge since half of pantry items are hiding in door that opens to lead down to basement.

We've installed bead board on ceilings and walls. We've always been very pleased with the results.

* If you're using 8' x 4' sheets, don't purchase the plastic, pre-painted product.

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Suggestions for the Ceiling:

* Find a good instruction video on 'This Old House'. Watch the tutorial.

* Prime and do the first coat of paint before you install. It will save your neck, and give you a better final finish.

* If you can access the attic above the kitchen, check on the condition of the ceiling's studs. If they're in good repair, your work will be much easier.

* We did the ceiling before the walls. We located the ceiling studs, and drew lines from the end of each ceiling stud on to the wall, so we knew exactly where to nail.

* Cut a few 2'' x 4''s the length of the ceiling to the floor. When you put up a sheet of bead board, use these pieces to help hold the sheet in place until you're finished nailing.

* Use carpenter's glue on the back of the bead board sheet and then nail.

* If you don't own a compressor and nail gun, consider renting one for this work.

Our "contractor" who was really our professional tile installer who also took on all the extra jobs like beadboard, paint and trim will be doing the beadboard in the kitchen. He was really a miracle worker for us in the bathroom room (see below) and I'll be glad to have him back for the kitchen. He was sensitive to our old space.

Deephaven, MN – Cottage completed in 2009 · More Info

Consider extending the cupboard above the fridge. The cabinet space will be larger and more accessible.

That treatment would also be a natural way to 'build out' the chimney stack so it becomes an enclosed closet.

Wow Jeremy. Love the glass cabinets. Also digging the clear barstools which also open up the space visually. I was thinking of keeping the barstool backs low to not block the view visually through the space.

Cupboards above fridge:

Cape Cod Style Remodel · More Info

Greenwich CT Kitchen · More Info

Here's another treatment for making the space above the fridge more useable:

Sonoma new construction · More Info

If you apply bead board to the chimney stack, you could build a thin display rack:

Sonoma house is exactly the style I'm going for. LOVE retro fridge.

If you decide to build-out a display rack, here's a template / diagram that you can show your contractor.

LOVE holophane light fixture over the island. What brand? Also great open shelving.

If you move the coat rack [your 1st picture, on the right-side] to the back of the door, you could build a pantry the full height of the room (from the ceiling above the current coat rack area down through the lower open shelves).

If you do this in conjunction with moving the microwave over the stove, you'll have the same amount of counter space.

@nnigrt, I have the "same kitchen" also. Its renovation is pending. Noticed that you removed the doors of the upper cabinets. Have you been happy with this decision? Pros? Cons?

See what you're saying. However, its hard to see but the reason the cabinets don't go up to the door is that the backdoor only has about 12 inches of clearance from end of door frame to wall. Not really deep enough even for a bench there. I guess we could do a tall skinny sort of pantry.

elhardcast,

We moved our garbage into a narrow lower cupboard near the sink / prep area. We're really happy with this decision. The mechanisms come at many price points.

We reinforced the interior of the cupboard so that it is airtight and washable.

elhardcast,

Can sympathize with the measurement issues. Our kitchen has three door openings (stairs, exterior door, hallway) and, like your room, a window that's lower than the counter height. Plus our heating is gas, and along a full wall there's a baseboard gas run.

Many opportunities to be creative !! LOL !!

In our "skinny place" we've talked about modifying one of these treatments:

I realize that with limited counter space the logical place for the microwave is over the stove. However, I am 5 ft and find my mother's similar microwave hard to use at times - fine to heat up water for tea. Mine was on a cabinet high shelf but I just moved it down to a cart for easier use. I love the way newer builds are placing them above a built in wall oven. I prefer if possible a pretty hood over the stove. I think your kitchen is cute now and going to be lovely with the changes you are planning.

Menard's has a quartz called "cotton" which is $39 a sq ft and sometimes goes on sale for $35. That does not include installation. I am looking into the install cost soon. It is mostly white with specks of glass. I have butcher block on my island - also got it through Menard's. It is Birch, which is nice, but not upscale. They have counter width also. Ikea also carries wood counters. Lots of bloggers have used them in their kitchen renos.

http://stpaulhaus.com/2014/05/04/ordering-and-installing-quartz-countertops-from-menards/

my over-island light is a seagull fixture, Prat Street, from Lowes or some place... was happy to finally cheap out on something. it comes in 3 sizes. you'll notice one of the pics has the school house style light from the previous owner, left it there for light during the renovation. the over sink light is from shades of light, i think.

i'm happy with the no-doors cabinet; i had removed the doors from the cabinets before i renovated to see if i liked it, and they really get very little dust in them. these were built without doors, they have a face frame instead for a finished look.

it makes it so easy to empty the dishwasher when you dont have to open and close cabinet doors. i wish i could live as a hermit and take off the remaining upper doors... the cabinets are a mess inside but its so annoying opening and closing the doors every morning getting out the coffee beans and filters.

Dear jhmarie, thanks for the tip on the quartz. I'll check that out at menards. Also, we have an 8 year old who will have trouble reaching the microwave if we moved it over the oven which is one of the reason I was hesitating on that decision. I guess he can always pull up a stool.

I'll put that on the list of things to ask our contractor as far as budget. Very interesting idea. Would involve some projects to the outside of house including building a small deck (which we would like to have done for a while anyway). Great idea.

A fun article on cottage kitchens that another 'Houzzer' shared with me:

http://www.bhg.com/kitchen/styles/cottage/cottage-style-tips/?sssdmh=dm17.825251&esrc=nwdi100615

'how to have your decorator read your mind'? link hasnt arrived, K2

Second article.

http://www.bhg.com/kitchen/remodeling/makeover/before-after-cottage-kitchen/#page=1

I would do what my mother in law just had done which is to cut down the cabinet to allow for the additional space. Might just leave an open cubby above instead of retooling doors at a smaller size.

Count Them...There's 9 upper cabinet doors, and this includes 2 over the refrigerator and 2 over the range hood - the 5, appear to be installed too low. I think that is a TV close to the ceiling in the corner - this can be moved and as suggested on this post, the cabinets can be raised.

That might be a great idea. One of the problems is we already have undercabinet lighting installed which would make things extra tricky to move up. But I'll definitely inquire about this possibility (and if this is possible, we could add the extra shelf below to deal with microwave).