After 15 years we are finally going too remodel our 1997 kitchen! Hope we survive it! Lol. We are gutting it and hopefully going to improve layout and design, as well as update and add some decorator touches. That means we are open to moving whatever around. We are both pretty handy, but may get help with anything too specialized, so will try and do most if it ourselves.

Here's what we have: kitchen is 7'-5" x 13'.0, 8' ceiling with a soffit, (that can go away, please, along with the 2'x3' florescent recessed light), replace with track/can lighting or ? The interior kitchen wall length is 13'-0, and the backside of that wall is our living room. The outside kitchen wall is 14'-5" to the slider door which opens onto our deck. There is the only window in the kitchen, 35"x35", which is currently centered over our dbl sink. Not only would we like to turn that sink into a single farmers sink, (undermounted in a wooden cabinet slightly extended past the edge of the countertop), we would like to entertain making a larger window. The kitchen is adjacent to the dining area where we have a cafe square table centered under a ceiling fan/light. The DW is on the short wall to the right of sink. We would like to move the DW to left of sink, so we could perhaps install a 30" gas cooktop (our range at v present is electric) near the center of the short wall and a cool hood and backsplash maybe. (How high should the backsplash extend up? Behind the hood?) On the 13' wall, possibly opposite the sink, we'd like to have a 30" microwave/oven combo built-in, next to that would be a French-door w/ freezer on bottom. I also saw a cool organizer cabinet only 6" deep that could be used at the end of the run next to fridge. As to the cabinets, they are veneer with real honey oak doors. I love chalk paint look, I think my husband does too. He saw some Martha Stewart pre-fabs he liked. My point being, I'd like to do something more creative with the cabinets, if possible, than the traditional layout. I'm open to a section being open, a cubby for a few cookbooks, or glass front. Gotta have something for our wine cooler on the other side of DW? Something interesting too over or around the window perhaps? I would love a coffee/tea center. I've attached a few pics/posts of features that have caught my eye. I included a picture of the kitchen at present. I pulled the refrigerator out of where it's been tucked into the corner of the short wall. It doesn't normally sit here. I am in process of getting this down on paper. The only dimensions I have are the walls and window.

Here is some additional info:

We have 8' ceilings throughout house, which us only about 1600 sqft. I am usually the one in the kitchen although I get help with cleanup. My daughter likes to bake occasionally. We don't entertain much, except the summer months when we are outside most of the time. I would love any feedback on how we can make the most of our space, so it doesn't feel so much like work when I'm in the kitchen, and get back my joy of cooking. Our appliances are the GE Profile series. We are researching and doing our homework. I hope the information I've shared is helpful. There really isn't much to it, woefully in need of a makeover. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Email: renodeecee@hotmail.com