This kitchen which is beautiful in many ways has frustrated me for years. I really do not like the peninsula, my husband and I always fighting to use the one best spot for prep, the corner between the sink and stove.

I have looked at a variety of floor plans over they years, and keep coming away scratching my head. The kitchen measures 9 wide x 14 long with the eating area measuring 8 long x 12 wide making the room shaped like an "L".

There are a set of stairs in the 9x14 section, and I haven't included them in the measurements. That is, the 9 feet wide section is 9 feet from the outside wall to the wall of stairs. The stairs are open to give the room a larger feel. I hope that makes sense. Underneath the stairs are the stairs to the basement. There is a pinch-point when entering the kitchen from the living room.

The room currently has lots of unpainted wood, which I love but think it may be too much. The floors and window frames are fir, the cabinets may be maple, and have aged nicely.

I had considered switching the kitchen and dining area (there is no other dining area in the house) but the cost of creating a new drain and moving the plumbing is outside of our budget.

The other thought is to create a galley kitchen along the 14' wall with the fridge and stove, and base & wall cabinets. And the dishwasher and sink along the 7' wall up against the stairs, no wall cabinets, so the staircase remains open. This would leave us with a 5' space between cabinets. Is that too far to have to walk between cabinets and appliances?

I have also thought about reducing the amount of unfinished wood by replacing the cabinets with white fronts. We are not certain if the fir floor is in good enough condition to keep, so we may replace it with marmoleum - a product I like alot and can be creative with. My first wish is to keep the fir floors.

Any and all suggestions will be hugely appreciated. Including thoughts on colours, layouts, cbinetry, flooring, etc. But layout is prime - as I'm pretty good with the other stuff, just like hearing others' ideas. Thanks in advance.