I cannot wrap my head around the glass block. Is it serving a function? Do you need to see into the hall for some reason but don't want to allow foot traffic? Did it used to be a doorway?

I think it used to be a solid wall. But, honestly I don't know. It seems very odd.

eliminate as much of the wall with glass block as you can..it doesn't sound like an important wall....maybe keep some of that wall near entry and dining room. Use some of your laundry and vestibule zone near garage for pantry storage.....use your 12.5 foot wall and sink/window wall for a more compact L shaped kitchen .....Use the opened up area, without the pantry and so forth for an island. Maybe you could shift passage from kitchen to garage over a bit and create a recess alcove for fridge. To the right of fridge, if you need it place shallow counter for misc-like coffee/toaster/setting out things...if you need it. The island would have a lot of space and unite the end of living room with kitchen.....

I like the idea of moving the dishwasher to the left of the existing sink -- but I'd consider going one step further and taking a small notch out of the living room in order to extend the counter space by 2-3 feet (instead of the cart like you have on your proposed plan or where the abstract art is with the wine bottle and 2 glasses in the photo). Also look into removing the dropped ceiling if you can. I'd rather have soffits over the cabinets than the lower ceiling throughout the kitchen. Definitely remove the upper corner cabinet to the right of the sink. As for the glass block and purple/pink/blue paint definitely one of those "what were they thinking?" moments! Also just noticed what looks like a beam going across the kitchen that is painted blue (also odd). Is the kitchen an addition to the house?

Yes, you are right, they did have a table there! When I took this picture, they had already started moving and had removed it.

You know, I am not a fan of corner sinks, but I have to admit it's an interesting idea here.

i do have that wall dimension, let me go back and find it.

Glass blocks out....

What is the laundry room like may be you can use (part of) it as a walk in pantry?

What is outside of these rooms, is there any reason to consider making this a galley kitchen with French doors so that you can walk from the kitchen straight to the outside?

Unless you have regularly used a cart in the past and know that you will use it again in this configuration I would not plan for one. What is the cart giving you? Do you really use it fully loaded with food to move food from one room to the other? Or is it really just extra countertop or storage space?

Forgot to mention--I would keep the landing space between the fridge and existing pantry, with the MW on a shelf.

I would try to keep the area between the garage and kitchen as mudroom, including extra space in the laundry, but if there are no children in the household, and the weather doesn't warrant a mudroom, then the suggestion for pantry storage there might work. If you're able to do some structural work, you could move the door between the kitchen and LR, and have a wall of shallow storage, or a breakfast/serving bar, partially open to the LR, or a wrap around counter. The counter would work well in a vacation rental, for entertaining, and would provide a second prep area for helpers. With the DW on the end of the sink wall, dishes could be kept in the shallow tall cabinets, or in drawers under the counter, if you choose that option.

And speaking of structural work, If you choose the corner sink, would the existing windows be replaced with wider windows? Many of the corner sink pics in the link have windows that go all the way to the corner--beautiful!

The recessed wall with the sink is 91" long. I hate to take away square footage from the living room because I think I'll need it for furniture placement. But the open shallow bar/storage idea could work. To answer a couple other questions:

The hall to the garage probably won't ever be used as a mudroom. The climate is mild and we plan on parking in the driveway and coming in through the front door. I didn't draw the laundry room to scale because I wasn't thinking of using it in any way, but now I'll go back and measure it and draw it out.

Practigal, I like the idea of galley kitchen with door to the outside, I never even thought of that. And I've always wanted a kitchen with easy access to the garden. But I'm guessing that would require a bit more construction, and I am trying to keep costs down.

And yes, to removing the drop ceiling. I don't like those paneled light fixtures and plan to put in recessed lights and maybe a pendent over the sink.

Ok, based on the input so far. Here's my take on version 2.

I'm thinking of getting a small bottom freezer refrigerator and making it look built in. I still have the apron sink under the window because I just can't bring myself to do a corner sink. And I like the idea of getting rid of as much of the glass brick wall as possible. If we need posts or supports, do you think that will look strange?

I don't think it will look strange, as long as the supports match the style of the house.

If you use a 33" apron sink under the window, you should have ap. 8" between the sink and the corner overhang. I'm accounting for a support panel for the left side of the DW.

I like the idea of making the fridge look built in--just make sure the doors protrude far enough beyond the cabinet faces to open fully.

Ya know, I'm one of those on here who frequently says people need to use more color and that I love glass blocks. However, after seeing your photos, I feel like I need to eat my words. :) Yup, "what were they thinking?" is right!

I really like practigal's idea of a galley kitchen with doors to outside at the end wall. Are you nixing that idea?

I like your ideas thus far! For the glass block wall, I think taking it out and finishing the walls would give you the open feeling w/o having to address additional structural issues.

Ok, I'm back after a bit of an interlude dealing with life, work and the craziness of getting another house. So, now we've actually spent some nights in the house (on a blow up bed without much else in the way of furniture), and it's interesting to see what I like and dislike about the kitchen. The good thing is that I like having windows on two walls and the kitchen is sunny and bright. The bad news is that I don't like much else. I kept wanting somewhere to set something down in the middle of the kitchen. So, here's my next stab at a design...

I'm still in the stage of "Kitchen Design Funsies" as Owlface calls them. And as part of cost savings strategies I will try to find really good deals on the refrigerator and/or range and modify the design to fit those appliances. The above plan is based on a 36" range and a 35.25 wide, side by side counter depth refrigerator, and the 44x20 Crate & Barrel Belmont kitchen island.

I think it looks good. Have you had a chance to do some pretend cooking in your space as if you had this layout?

I like Practigal's idea of having doors to outside. Carrie B's kitchen is one of my favorites and those doors she has are the main reason why. I realize you might use your interior courtyard for entertaining but wouldn't it be nice to just step outside off the kitchen to grill? Or for a different spot to sit to maybe take in the view?

I worked up an alternate plan. It may not appeal as you would have to go out to the hall to move into the living and dining rooms. But a large pass-through on each side of the kitchen should keep the cook from feeling isolated and make entertaining easy. Anyway, just a thought to consider.

I think you can really improve this without major Reno.

1) new doors in shaker style from barker. Paint white. Paint existing frames white. Add hardware.

2) remove glass block wall. Maybe add a row of shallow counter space where that little table is for a landing space/charging station.

3) new counters and backsplash

4) remove flourescent ceiling lights and add recessed.

5) SS appliannces

6) lots of new paint- a more neutral color throughout the living space- griege, grey, buttery cream, etc. that goes with your style and new counters. I see pink, purple, blue, yellow....it's like a rainbow unicorn explosion in there.

I have to agree with Navy Momma since you aren't proposing major changes. The location of the dishwasher is a major issue. I wonder if you could swap positions with the dishwasher and the base cabinet next to the sink? The cabinet to the left of the sink looks like it might be 24" wide so a dishwasher would fit there? If you paint the cabinets you'd be able to cover up the work needed to make the swap.

I like the idea of the doors to the outside, funkycamper, but honestly I'm not sure if that's really the part of the garden that we'll be spending time in. It's kind of a utilitarian side yard. The center courtyard would be the place for the outdoor grill and the dining area.

Navy Momma, your checklist is pretty spot on. I would just add that I think the cabinets need replacing rather than just new doors and paint, because I'd rather have them in a different configuration. Such as... Stan Z, I agree the dishwasher needs to be moved to the other side of the sink and move the sink cabinet down just a bit to make room.

I haven't cooked in the kitchen or done any pretend cooking, but I did wash a bunch of glassware. I could see that the dishwasher was in a bad location and that I really would like at least 24" on the left side of the sink.

I think a 33" farmhouse sink would work. I would love an even bigger sink, but I don't think there's room. And my DH said in our next kitchen he doesn't want a stainless steel sink. Even though I love my SS sink, I'm willing to try something different. He does most of the dishes and I do the cooking.

The hardest part for me to visualize is the glass block area. What will it look like with that glass block gone? Would it be better to remove the whole wall? And once you remove that wall, will the transitions to the dining room and living room look strange?

Here's a photo of the other side of the glass block. It is taken from the entryway. I'm wondering if I could put a wine bar against the wall or some sort of not too wide counter where the PO has the table.

No problem if that isn't a garden area you would want access to. I just like doors to outside in as many places as possible. When the weather is nice, I can't hardly bear an extra moment spent inside so I'm always looking for escape routes. :)

Would that utilitarian outside area be a good place for a kitchen/potager/herb garden? (Just trying to pique your interest, LOL)

OK, how about this: take down the glass wall and open it up to the hallway then add a window (or another set of french doors) next to the existing french doors so that you'll be able to open up the view from the kitchen into the courtyard. That would be a unique, special feature of the house for sure.

Stan, that's a good idea. I'm going to look at the courtyard and see if another set of doors will work there.

Funky, yes, I actually thought of putting in a raised bed for some herbs and vegetables. Then a door out there would be perfect. Worth mulling over...

Navy Momma, here are the colors that I am leaning toward for the kitchen and rest of the house. The warmest of these, Archive, I picked out because it looks good in the small north facing room that I'm going to use as an office. I think for the kitchen Elephant's Breath or Purbeck Stone would work well.

I like the colors! I prefer elephants breath personally but I'd wait and choose the other surfaces first if you are replacing cabinets and counters to be sure the undertones go.

Sorry...I just can't get over how much primer you're gonna need. Wow. Someone liked color. ALOT.

Do you think the entry was dark before they made the hole? Or maybe it was always open? Maybe a doorway?

I know... we were thinking of painting the whole interior of the house with a coat of white just to have a clean slate before picking the final colors. It's hard to visualize which shade of elephant's breath, etc., with all those bright colors right now. And it may be hard to tell in the photo above, but the hall and the living room is a light, pastel yellow green that is not easy on the eyes.

I'm not sure what, if anything, was there before the glass block. The house was built in 1989, so it could have been that way from the beginning.

So one of the things I am trying to figure out is what style should this kitchen be. I love craftsman kitchens in craftsman houses, rustic kitchens in rustic houses and modern kitchens in modern houses. But what do you do when a house doesn't have a clearly defined style? Other than 80s glass block and really bright colors....

I am looking for used appliances, so final dimensions of the kitchen design will be based on what I find. But I could use some advice on the design process.

This is my personal opinion. I'm no expert about this. I think if the house is a blank slate style-wise, you can take it in almost any direction you prefer. Although you need to have a vision for the entire home to make this work. You don't want to end up with a country kitchen, super-modern baths, and a Craftsman living room.

I guess I would start by asking myself if the lines of the home are more horizontal or vertical. Again, my personal opinion, but I think horizontal lines lend themselves better to more sleek styles like modern, MCM, or whatever. Just something more streamlined. While horizontal lines lean more toward traditional, transitional, and country-ish/cottagey styles.

What do YOU like? What do you envision for the rest of the home?

I'm sure you'll get better, more concrete advice from others. And it may be helpful to post this question in the Home Decorating forum, too. And probably time to start finding inspiration photos.

It looks to me like the living room may have been an addition. Maybe the dining room was a living room and the kitchen a former kitchen/dining? If this is a 3 bedroom, 1.5ish bath house with small rooms, that would have been proportionate to a small living/dining/kitchen.

Thank you, Funky, the vertical/horizontal concept is really helpful! I never thought of it that way. This house has board and bat siding, so more of a vertical aspect. I think it could lend itself to a more cottage look, but nothing too period. The exterior needs a makeover too, but I will save that for another board.

In terms of kitchen design, I think I will stick with modern SS appliances (even though I've always wanted a 1940s stove). And a white farmhouse sink and Shaker cabinets, then I can add some personality with other touches.

Benjesbride, I know it may not seem like it, but the house has not been added onto. We pulled the building history on it. And when the house was built, they built another one just like it, behind us, and it's the same footprint.

i actually like the layout with the central courtyard. It's just the kitchen and surrounding area that is so awkward.

Wow, I was sure the main part of the current kitchen was an add on because of the weird header beam right across the middle of the room (seemed to line up with the exterior wall of the living room) and strange layout of the rest of the room. I guess the builder had their reasons for doing what they did but they will be lost to history.