Thanks, @baileysr! Great idea on the vertical space!

If you now have a range, I would lose the tall cabinet with the wall oven and replace with a base and wall cabinet. That will give you some additional counter space and storage. I find that deep drawers give you the most efficient storage. Of course that would involve new countertops.

Main Line's suggestion is what I was thinking--with the range you (probably) don't need the wall oven. Take it out, and move the sink farther toward that corner to maximize the counter space between the range and sink.

Is the pantry useful? It looks too small to be very functional. You might get more storage with pull-out pantry cabinets, I would be thinking about taking out the pantry, moving the fridge toward the dining room, and put the pull out pantry cabinets where the fridge is now. (It looks like you would lose a bit of space where the pantry is recessed into the LR, but I still think this would result in more storage and more functionality).

Could you put a base cabinet on locking wheels/rolling cart in front of the pantry? Use the pantry for rarely-used things, like holiday decorations,specialty baking pans, etc

I'd think you'd get as much use and storage out of a rolling cart, especially if it has a high back, kind if like a baker's rack has, and it gives you a work surface.

My favorite kitchen of all time is a galley like yours. I would change the current pantry into the pull out pantry referenced above. Does the laundry chute run to the upstairs so the bedroom occupants have access to it, or do you have to tote the laundry to the kitchen to dump it into the basement? How about changing the door by the wall oven cabinet to a pocket door if there is no electric or HVAC running in the walls there? Base & upper cabinets instead of that now useless wall oven should help tremendously with work surface. When you do the big reno, consider drawers instead of cabinets for a big improvement in storage and accessibility to pots/pans, etc.

Pantry Pullout Shelves · More Info

Pullout Pantry Storage · More Info

I love my narrow kitchen!

I find that I'm OK w/ a 24"-wide basic prep area that has a "wing" off to the side. The space between your sink and stove is pretty much what I've got, and I find it's enough for one person to cook there.

HOWEVER: I just realized, you may have filled some of that up with a dish drainer My niece gave up almost all of her counter space to a honking big dish drainer--all but the front 4 inches of the single 24"-wide section she has. I tried to talk her into getting rid of it and using a kitchen towel.
That is the single best thing I've done in my kitchen. Setting the stuff on the kitchen towel is a strong mental signal to put it away.

You've also got that area across from the stove, where you could set up a second "prep" person to work. Or, if they need the sink, they can work between the sink and the wall-oven cabinet (though that's narrow).

I also got a giant cutting board--one that will fit over my sink and completely cover it except for leaving a small gap in the back (I turn the faucet to be over that gap).
I really only used that for major baking, and sometimes for prep. Certainly one that could be turned lengthwise and laid to cover half the sink would be useful; it would leave you half the sink to work in.

I made a tray to go over the stove top in my niece's teeny kitchen--just this weekend! It becomes a work surface. It's not quite cutting-board material, because it's pine, and we stained it. But it's prep surface that you can set a cutting board on.

I like the idea of a rolling cart in front of the pantry. And on a busy day when you need the pantry, the cart can go in front of the basement steps, maybe? (depends what's in your basement; or it can go back and forth)

My own personal response to anyone who is asking for how to get more storage space is to offer the advice to take a critical assessment of what you have and what your priorities are. I lean heavily towards eliminating any unneeded item and towards being completely honest as to it's true value.

Other than creating a totally streamlined kitchen, it looks as if you might be able to eliminate that laundry chute, it that adds enough space to make it worthwhile. In your small area it seems to be taking up valuable real estate.

Another option might be to create a remote storage space for those rarely needed items, that you don't feel comfortable eliminating, or for those bulk purchases.

I have seen so many storage issues centered around the fact that many Americans buy household supplies in such major bulk packages (Costco and Amazon) that it not unlike storing pieces of furniture. For many , this contributes to their storage "issues". Not that I know this to be true of your situation. I am just saying that this is one issue that many households have.

So you have both a range and a wall oven? It is doubtful that you need both.

I have a friend who is a true cook and has a nicely appointed large kitchen. She has both and uses both, but she has no space issues. I like the wall oven. It is at a nice height. If I had a choice, it would be my choice to have a wall oven and cookware kept under neath a cooktop.

Hi chc27-

I have an idea that although would not give you more counter space in your kitchen, would find you more storage space.

What is in your dining room now besides the table and chairs?

You could store quite a lot in there if you are clever about it.

I have seen many articles where people have purchased stock kitchen cabinets, either upper or lowers, depending upon their preference and the desired height, and put a toe kick below and a nice molding above and a flat plywood on top, and painted it nicely and installed hardware it desired.

Your dining room probably isn't wide enough to do it in the middle of the long walls, but you could do this in all four corners of the room, no one will be sitting there. And depending on the configuration of your room (I don't have all the measurements of the corners to gauge, or maybe middle school geometry was too long ago:) in some corners you can fit more than two cabinets in each corner. Maybe two in one direction, and one going the other direction. Some can have drawers, some shelves.

And here's the great thing about this. They can be overflow storage for your kitchen storage for the things you don't use that often, like the waffle iron or the crock pot you use only once a week, and the good crystal and silver and the liquor. And those cabinets can also become very helpful to you when you have company, too.

Instead of leaving the tops painted, you can have a piece of heavy glass cut to fit the top so you don't have to worry about stains or burns and you can serve from them. If you do that, don't give the measurements for the glass to be cut, have the glazier come to you, so he is responsible for any mistakes!

When you entertain, you can put out yourdesserts on them. If you are serving buffet style you can put your food on them and have different stations, with different things, different places.

If you use warming trays or crockpots, etc, plan in advance if you want to attach an outlet(s) to the underside of the edge of the cabinet on the side or the back near the outlet where you can reach it but where it is not visible. Think about it you want to mount a power strip/surge protector, a better idea. If you would want to put somethings on a timer, think about that as well. I am not an engineer type, talk to someone who knows about electrical things about your needs in this area.

Here, they use three cabinets to build a sideboard.

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/how-to-build-sideboard-stock-cabinets