Here is another picture from the wider angle (excuse the mess, we literally just had appliances delivered).

Yes, remove it, and the flooring shelves and pendant lighting sounds good. It just looks awkward there all by itself.

*floating not flooring gah

I agree. Remove it if you don’t need it for storage. And if you like how it looks when it is down. I would, however, keep it just in case you decided to rehang it one day. And don’t be quick to hang any decorative shelves there. Live with it for a while....and see!

Yes - we would definitely keep the cabinet in storage for a while, just to make sure!!

Ultimately, if we decide we are happy with the change, my husband will use it in the garage or something.

I would keep it. I have the same setup - it's closest to the dishwasher.

Yes, remove and no to pendant lighting. They would be to close to can lights. And block the view from eating area into kitchen

Great idea! I think you'll be so happy if you remove it. If you put in pendants, would you hang them where the two can lights are now?

Yes. The two can lights above the peninsula now would become pendants.

I would say take the cabinet down, put some colorful artwork there (NO shelves) and put pendant lights over the bar area. As long as you take the canned lights out and make them pendants. Will there be doors on your other cupboards?

Remove it. I think you'll be surprised at the extra light that you'll notice through the window as well.

For what it is worth I removed mine in a very similar layout. I'm happy I did...the kitchen is a bit brighter and I use the lower shelf in particular for our everyday plates and bowls. So it is convenient.

https://www.wayfair.com/lighting/pdp/three-posts-engelbrecht-3-light-kitchen-island-pendant-thps8701.html                            Just couldn't resist. Their are rules for length, and it appears these could be adjustable...seeing the view where they go from short, medium and full length... So pretty. Love the kitchen layout tooo.

https://www.wayfair.com/lighting/pdp/everly-quinn-vighnesh-3-light-kitchen-island-pendant-eyqn4693.html               Both are ON BIG Sale right now. Another style to consider!

Yes, the cabinet doors are being painted right now, but will be reinstalled,

@jules - beautiful! I like the idea of more light. Our kitchen faces north, so we struggle with natural light in there.

If you remove the cabinet on the left of the window it might look odd with cabinets right against the window on the other side. The window will be unbalanced. Unless you remove cabinets on both sides.

I would remove both cabinets, not just one, for balance.

Jules, very nice kitchen

I'd leave the cabinet and put rarely used stuff in it, and still put the shelves to the left of the cabinet to help fill that empty wall space.

I would leave the cabinet. And must every island and peninsula have pendant lighting? It’s fashionable now, but I’m wondering if it will someday be the ‘90’s palladium window? (BTW - in the 1990’s we built a house with not one, but two palladium windows. I always felt it dated a house that was otherwise pretty classic.)

Make sure the shelves make a statement.

I would lose that cabinet especially since you do not need the storage. The payoff in light and breathing space is well worth it. If you are wavering, take another look at Jules' lovely kitchen above ;-)

If we did add shelves, I would want to do something wood tone to give a more natural look.

What color stain would go well with off white cabinets and steel gray granite?

I would think almost any wood tone would work, but if you have any other wood elements in the room...table, bamboo shades...I'd try to link to those.

Go with your instinct and remove it, you won't regret the open feel of your space,

Once you replace the cabinet with shelves, what are you going to do with the empty space to the left. Jules looks so fantastic because the wall ends, yours continues...Good Luck.