Yeah that is one concern about knocking down the wall is that I loose cabinet space. Right now the wall holds the range and "the pantry" which is where the original refrigerator was I guess.

Is that wall that you want to knock down a support wall?

The best thing to do is to get a contractor in there to give you a ball park figure as to what it is going to cost to completely re-do the kitchen and knocking down the wall and what can be done, if anything with the HVAC situation. You have to remember that the number he is going to give you is probably going to be on the low end once you start picking out your finishes and a good chunk of that figure is going to be labor and demoing. And in 2 yrs cost could be a lot different along with finishes and colors. You also have to decide are you replacing the appliances? The next 2 yrs is when you educate yourself, research and more research and grow your ideabooks. And as you do, you'll get a better idea of cost based on what you want and what your budget has to be. Just start saving as much as you can right now..

They do make beams now, that go above the ceiling height view(in the attic space)to bear the load, the wall did. I have used one between my living area/kitchen and front entry/dining area. You could do the same over your open(current range wall area), and drop the cabinets from above about 2 full feet likely(I think you have 8 ft ceiling in the kitchen, but it may be 8.5? hard to say for sure in the pictures..LOL) between your 2 areas making sure they use some long sturdy eye bolts into that attic enclosed beam to support them! You could have recessed LED lights installed in their lower base, to the bar, or you could certainly have pendants of an appropriate scale mounted to the exterior lower cabinet. There are so many lighting options today it is fascinating to learn all of them! My puzzle was with your exterior window and door I see, trying to play with the location of the appliances and the plumbing not knowing what you expected. I know one thing, do not hesitate to place the refrigerator as close to that exterior back door as possible. You will love not having everyone come get some ice and water thru the length of your kitchen, especially if they have mud or sand on the soles of their shoes. And you could have your microwave near the frig also, and perhaps a warming drawer beneath it? for most microwave items come from the refrigerator or adjoining freezer anyway.. If you have more than 7 feet of floor space width in your current kitchen, you certainly can have the interior surface 12 inches narrower, into the current space, if you want a bit more room on the living/hallway side. If you do have 7 feet of floor space you can have the short side of an L shaped bar opposite the entry door side of the kitchen and probably seat 1 on the inside and 3 adults on the dining side(where you currently have your table. Than, if you need more seating, you know you have your open living area- hallway- floor space for more. Seating people in a circle or L has the same advantage over seating in a single line. More conversation and eye contact happens....If you do that you can determine from the current pantry location next to your range, if you want that area open or walled with cabinets up and down and counter top, or a wall of cabinets for 4 feet or so, than transition to your dishwasher/sink...which only works if you were planning to place your range and hood area where your current dishwasher is now, which could be great, and eliminate the bank of cabinets/microwave/refrigerator that is there now. That could be an area for an ice machine/trash compactor or desk area, even? Just a few ideas, but they may stray too far from your vision, so that is why they cost nothing. :)

I think you need a kitchen designer for sure. As for removing the wall is that what you would think is an improvement ? MCM homes and galley kitchens work well together if you want to keep the styling. Could you post a floor plan . I love opening walls between the DR and the kitchen but not usually between the LR and the kitchen so think about how this would function for your life. BTW galley kitchens are awesome to work in when done right.

I was thinking of getting a kitchen designer because of how weird the previous owner's remodel is but have never hired one. I also live in a place that has a lot of cookie cutter homes and I would say I am a little more out there with my style so I want to make sure that I get a designer that is in line with what I want. I believe the wall I want to knock out is not load bearing. I have wondered if that would be odd to open up into a living room but we actually have two living spaces. The front room we don't really use at all and was considering making it a dining room but I don't know if that is weird to walk straight into a dining room. Here is our layout and here are some photos of the living rooms on the other side. I am open to keeping it a galley kitchen because I do have concerns about losing too much storage and I also know it would be way cheaper if I kept the wall there. I also care about the environmental impact and don't want to create unnecessary waste.

Cute house! I like your inspiration pic too, that vertical tile is super cool. With the layout, can you please add dimensions?

https://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767033/how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-and-what-information-should-i-include

Not sure how it will work to tear down that wall. Usually it's better for the fridge, range, and clean-up sink to be on a wall. Not impossible for sink or range to go on the island, but I wouldn't do it unless you have a real jumbo island where there's still plenty of workspace (hard to have in a small kitchen).

I agree that you need a KD. We can help you brainstorm ideas though!

With using the front room as a dining, maybe you could also do something to create more of a defined foyer/entryway.

Post your floorplan on a separate “layout help” thread in the Kitchen forum and you will get lots of help from people who can really find ways to make things work.

We took down the walls between our kitchen, dining room and living room in our remodel and put in a large island and LOVE it. Best thing we ever did! The houses with that layout in our area also go for the most money, and sell the fastest, if resale is a concern for you. We did Work the design to where the sink and fridge area weren’t visible from the front door, but it is all open to the living/dining room.

Cute home. Love the floors and stone wall.

The kitchen has so much potential.

Whoever does the design if opening it up, note the ceiling height levels with dotted lines to remember to work that into the design as well.

I don't think it is necessary to tear down that dividing wall.

See if you can find the blueprint to the home it will show support walls or get a layout with measures.

Write down the things you like about the current kitchen & the things you can't stand.

Interview 2 kitchen designers & 2 general contractors that specializes in kitchens.

Ask for

a portfolio.

an approximate estimate.

Since you're not in a must have now, ask

- if there's a season there not as busy.

-how many projects they do per month.

- How long will it take.

Patience pays when planning out a whole kitchen remodel.

I think trying to change the layout, demoing walls etc. is going to be a nightmare. It's not a lot of room to work with and you're going to lose cabinet space. I'd also be concerned about getting your money back in terms of investment.

I think the best approach would be to "fix" the errors. Have someone come in an fix the cabinet doors that aren't matching, extend the cabinets where the gaps are etc. You can change the counter tops for something nicer and then buy some cool vintage, chrome handles to put on the cabinet drawers.

Instead of totally knocking out that wall, you can have glass cabinets that you can see through on both sides. It will feel less claustrophobic and you can you put some cools items in there. That way, you keep your cabinet space as well.

After all that's done, you could repaint the whole thing something a little more fun. I think that off white is not doing it any favors. Could be a really fun kitchen!

Your house is great. Your kitchen layout isn't bad. I would tweak the locations of stove and fridge a bit for more efficiency, but leave everything on its current wall. I would not open the long kitchen wall; it would make the kitchen the first thing you see when you come in the front door. And I have a personal aversion to having a dining area next to the front door.

That said, you don't appear to have a real dining area. How about losing the breakfast nook and opening the kitchen into the sunroom, perhaps with a peninsula/breakfast bar there?

I would gut the space and replace cabinets and lighting with ones like those in your inspiration photo.

My 1st thought is the space is nice & open as is. The dividing wall has function & I don't prefer seeing the kitchen all day. Maybe shorten the wall some or a pass through or keep as is. Just depends on the future layout what's needed.

Here's an article of pros and cons to consider for open kitchens.

https://casedesign.com/inspiration/the-pros-and-cons-of-open-floor-plans/

I don't know - photos can be deceptive - but that kitchen wall looks an awful lot like a load bearing wall to my eyes? If so, add some $$$ in labor for replacing it with a beam (been there, done that). If you can't find the original blueprints, an engineer or experienced contractor can tell you if it is.

They do install load bearing beams above the ceiling in the attic space, so you can have a clear uninterrupted view if you do remove a load bearing wall.

Here is a shot from the other side.

Also here is the breakfast nook and the other side of the sunroom which was completed by the previous owners but it not a permitted room. I actually like the idea of pushing into the sunroom so that I get more space that way. I guess that is my biggest complaint is that we don't have much of a dining table set up but we have these two large living room one of which is not being used. Again I am not super bent on tearing down the wall I am open to any suggestions. I agree that it might be kind of odd to just walk straight into a dining room from the front door.

breakfast nook and only seating area

Sunroom which was outside patio and converted but is not permitted.

Depending on what finish you have on the outside of your home, consider relocating the back door to provide a longer run of cabinetry..If the sun room has access to the back, do you need another door? Ditto for second opening by the hallway. All depends on your budget. A kitchen designer will help you get the most for your budget.

Think twice before opening it up too much. Our new house came with a remodeled open kitchen. You can't have one person open a bag of snacks in the kitchen and hear the dialogue on TV and you can imagine what a Vitamix or a food processor sounds like. You also can't hide any mess from the guests. In my experience, the totally open cooking show kitchens look fantastic but don't function that well, especially if one person is cooking and someone else is trying to enjoy the rest of the space. In fact there's a trend where people are creating two kitchen spaces, a dirty and a 'for show' because of the drawbacks of the totally open kitchen.

Good to consider. Thanks for the advice! the thing is I have tons of living room space and not very much kitchen/dining. It opens up into the front living room which is rarely used. However I think I will not open it up based on the suggestions.

Yes, my daughter LOVES to cook by herself, with her husband entertaining their young son on the other side of the wall especially in the evenings after work... LOL. It's her 'alone' time,and they get more homework done, or watch action movies(she likes the radio on) and the child has Mom 'out of sight/out of mind' giving more beneficial time for Dad after a day at work. Also, when their friends pop in...no one sees all her dishes at work, and the rest of the house looks nice. (She especially went looking for a home that did not have an open kitchen--- built in the 1970's-- after realizing that a child /toddler that sees Mom, will be underfoot, after living in that situation with a new home, before they were transferred to a neighboring state for work) -- while one that doesn't, is quite happy with Dad time tooo! And they have a circle floor plan, eat in kitchen when dinner is served... so you can go left or right out of the galley kitchen and make your way to the front door thru the dining area/living room or the back door den, when needed. I like my open kitchen, as an empty nester, but open just enough to see the family/interact, but still keep the majority of the 'creative tools/pots and pans' from lookin' messy during meal prep. And I have less storage admittedly too.

Adjusting the wall slightly to keep deeper pantry & fridge together then center stove on wall for more countertop space on both sides.

Min 15" on both sides which is still not enough imo.

You'll have a lot if you move that pantry somewhere else.

Recommend filler then pantry then filler then fridge on right for door swing clearances.

Great house!

I actually see the front door open into or next to a “formal” dining room area often (I guess idea was that when entertaining guests could stay in front of house?) but that does not mean that is something you would yourself like. I personally am a fan of some privacy from front door, but there are ways to add that without walls - privacy screens, etc. It does seem a waste to not use that front area though, after all you pay for it, so I would give some thought to using or for dining, or making it a more comfy reading space/library, etc.

Whatever you do with front space, I would keep your kitchen wall and the galley style. If suits the house. But do focus on making it work better for you and fixing the past owners design errors :)

PLEASE move the towels from over the stove unless you want a fire remodel!!!!!

Good eye & point, schnable1.

No combustibles like towels, or tall wood cabinets should be near a stove.

Accidents happen.

The current layout has another potential fire hazard. The cabinet pantry is not suppose to be right next to stove. That's a big no no.

See in the photo above the burn marks on pantry in another kitchen!!! Thankfully this was caught in time.

Please, Swap that fridge with pantry,asap.

You have a beautiful home & soon a upcoming kitchen remodel. Safety 1st ;)

.............

the following info will hopefully help others to stay safe always in there kitchens...

I work with water & fire restoration clients every so often. Fires happen when you least expect it. It is sad when it does. But most could of been avoided.

1 story comes to mind here. A husband was frying on the cooktop & oil caught on fire, he panicked & threw water on it! That was a huge no no! When that water hit that oil it splattered the fire all over & unto the too close pantry. It engulfed into flames unto ceiling. The whole kitchen & top floor had to be redone! Thankfully no one was seriously hurt.

So, this is a safety reminder

Oil fire never ever throw water on it!

Smother it! Throw lid on it. Turn off burner. Small fire throw baking powder, extinguisher. Big fire, call 911, evacuate,

3 Ways to Put out a Grease Fire - wikiHow

wikiHow › Put-out-a-Grease-Fire

Fire extinguisher for every kitchen within close reach of a stove. Read instructions. Let everyone in home know where it is & how to use it. Keep it maintained.

Fire/smoke alarms

Stay safe everyone.

Prepare for the worse, pray for the best.

I think those fire directions should be the "inspirational mottos" for a kitchen. You can't "live, laugh, love" your way out of a fire.