The island seems small. What about doubling its size?

Mocreidhl,.....Good idea about the island. It is small. That's a good reason to take out that intruding pantry.

First .... I agree and like the idea of doubling the size of the island. BUT put doors on the back side as well. Otherwise, everything in back will get 'lost' and be a pain in the neck trying to use. You should have less of an overhang of whatever counter you select and therefore easier access to the backside of the cabinets. The pantry ... is this a 'walk in' pantry? If yes, seriously consider keeping it. A deep walk in pantry with deep shelves can store your mixer (the big kitchen aid style), bread machine (if people still have them), steamer/fryer, whatever odd appliance/cookware you need to store. Not only is the storage good, but the demolition is major and once you have a shallow/flat pantry, you may regret it immensely.

p.s. I have always been a BIG fan of dark wood floors. LOVE that idea.

Your ideas sound great. I agree with turning the pantry in to a less deep rectangular shape. Keep us posted.

That large pantry juts way into the room. Could still do a flat pantry but make it oversized depth to fit those bigger appliances.

I agree that it looks better to run the same flooring into the kitchen as the rest of the house. Dark floors are a nightmare to keep up. How much distance is there between the stove and the island? Is the light I see in the last picture by the pantry a light for a kitchen table?

I was once skeptical of flat pantries too. But my 24" pantry has deep drawers and shelves that easily hold appliances, bulk cases of beverages, bulk cases of paper towels, etc. It works great for us.

1st, yes there's hardwood in entry but it's coming out and all the floors on first floor redone in same wood.

2, ceiling light for table? Yep! But once we take out pantry, it'll be moved to another spot.

3, all cabinets and appliances will be replaced, including backsplash.

Once we redo pantry and replace cabinets I'll repost. Then......granite countertops and backsplash need to be chosen.

Thanks everyone.