I can add any additional details that you ask for to the graph paper drawing that I posted. The kitchen has no window, only the sliding glass doorway leading to the back yard. Right side operates. The opening to the dining table is staying as it is. We are opening a doorway to the kitchen from the hallway, but I do not have the exact dimensions but it will be a wide opening about 4 feet.

It will look something like this, which is a similarly house in his neighborhood.

I’d move the stove out of the corner or at least move the dishwasher to the other side of the sink

I hope this is readable. The reopened doorway creates a traffic path between the fridge, and the range & dishwasher. So, should we switch the fridge with the upper and lower cabinets, as marked, to get the fridge out of the path? I see congestion during clean up times, otherwise.

I am also wondering whether the counter top microwave should be moved?

Are you planning on gaining a foot in the kitchen from the hallway opening? (I can't read what's on the right side of your plan above "up stairs" but thinking you can move that wall into the hallway flush to your living room wall?) I like the idea of a sightline to outdoors from the front door. As for the microwave, it's practical to have it near the fridge but usually, we need an interim step before heating something in it anyway so, it depends on how you use it. I have two similar openings in my kitchen around the fridge and we make do. I'd want to move your range though.

We had not planned to move the wall, just re-open the doorway space in it. The right side of the wall is the staircase to the basement, and cannot be moved. The door opening will be about 4 feet wide.

Your idea of moving the left wall is interesting and we had not considered it. There is a flooring difference between hall and kitchen which we would have to resolve. It might well be a weight bearing wall, and if so would it require a beam across.

I had thought to perhaps add a closed-door tall cabinet there, to act as a pantry. That would not add the space to the kitchen, but would be pretty close by. What do you think of that idea?

We would love to move the range, but there is an shed attached to the house behind the sink area, and moving the range would not be possible because of the fan requirement. We may move the dishwasher at some point but for now it works well where it is. It's an older one and we don't want to replace it right now, and are concerned that moving it may cause it to stop working properly. That would be bad. So for now, that side of the kitchen will need to stay as it is, except for my question about whether we should move the counter top microwave.

Any thoughts on the refrigerator/counter switch?

Too much trouble to move that bit of wall then but do you need a 4' opening? That's pretty wide and I'd want as much wall in the kitchen for storage as possible. A pantry on the other side could certainly work. I understand about keeping the range wall as is. We have an older dishwasher as well and I do my best to baby it. (My gosh, do I ever fear the day we'll need to buy new appliances.) I think the refrigerator/counter switch makes sense. Would you have enough room to put the microwave on the side of the refrigerator? Enclose the fridge and have drawers and an opening for the microwave on one side. That's what we have and it's pretty convenient.

The framing for the opening is already in the wall behind the drywall. It was an opening at one point that got closed off. So we are just reopening it to the existing framing. We are guessing a bit as to its width because it's inside the wall.

Thanks for the idea about the microwave. The wall is 50" and the fridge is 36". So when we pull the fridge away from the wall a bit to allow for door swing, (2"?) that leaves us with 12" - too small for a microwave I think. Too bad, it would have been a good spot.

Are you just reopening the space or are you also redoing the kitchen?

You're right, 12" probably wouldn't be deep enough for a microwave. My cabinet is around 18 inches and the microwave is perpendicular to the fridge. Hope that makes sense.

We re just reopening the space. We are not redoing the kitchen. Sorry if that was unclear.

But we think we might be able to switch the existing cabinets with the refrigerator location. Given the location of outlets in the kitchen, we think they may originally have been where the fridge is now.

Does anyone else think the switch would be a better work arrangement?