Hi everyone, hope you all had a wonderful holiday! I wanted to reach out to you all to see if any creative juices are flowing where mine are so incredibly stuck. (as well as our contractor who is working on our mudroom and tried hard to give some input on this kitchen)

I'm not looking for a gut job - just some ideas to make the space bit more functional.

I've added some pictures below from when it was listed. As you can see, from one of the entrances into the kitchen, there is a flat screen TV the previous owners had placed up there. They removed the cabinets that were originally there (you can see the other set of cabinets on the right) because when you walk into the kitchen they felt like it was too tight of a space with the cabinet there.

I don't like the TV there - it's way too dominant in the kitchen - and I'd like to use that space wisely. (not many cabinets as you can see) I'd love to add a super small in depth microwave (the cabinets on the right are 12 inches deep - but I understand that creating something 12 inches deep on the left would obstruct people - or at least feel that way - that are entering the kitchen this way) I'm not sure if there is such thing as a microwave with a depth of just 8 or 9 inches. (I'd barely use it - and when I do it's to heat up tupperware - not dinner plates)

Down below are the lower cabinets.. and they are so. shallow. I'd say generously 8 inches deep. Past that single cabinet up above, there is a refrigerator that's paneled in just so funny to me. I'm not sure what it is - but it just seems so off. There's this space above as well that's just lost...

On the opposite side of the kitchen is where the OTHER two cabinets used to once live, and the previous owner took those away so they could have a view of the backyard. I liked that decision but our contractor can't stand that there is only that one single cabinet to the left of the stove and then nothing on the other side of it.

Without hopefully making matters more tricky... I already purchased a Lattice Quartz (pretty white with some streams of gray) for the countertops. I also added three inches of counter in depth to have behind the sink as another counter for apps or beverages.

The contractor is also stuck as to where to stop the backsplash that is going above the sink. Does it go all the way to the top and then to the right where it ends up hitting the east wall?

And I purchased a new stainless steel sink as well...

(other updates we've done before moving in include painting the room BM edgecomb gray and staining the floors a more consistent, darker finish)

Any help you can give would be so helpful. Thank you all so much!!!!