I like the unusual shapes but would be tempted to make the whole area open plan. One of the doors could presumably be blocked up creating more space.

Thanks!

A kitchen designer could come up with a plan which would remove all the awkwardness. I would suggest you start there. Certainly, the separate dining area is a waste of space with current bar area.

Think about what your style is - how big is your family, and where do you prefer to eat meals? Basic info like this needs to be considered before any changes are made.

I don't see the breakfast area and table. It looks like a galley kitchen would be the best solution but need other photos to see the relationship between the kitchen and breakfast area.

It is really tough to get a full idea of what you are facing without seeing a rough floor plan of the entire area, including adjoining spaces. A true solution would involve a lot of costly changes, I'm afraid. In that case, don't invest more in countertops until you are absolutely settled on a long term plan. Also, don't move the fridge to the range area -- you would just be compounding your flow issues by concentrating all activity in a small area.

mgntrry- I think you have summed it up with your description- akward, claustrophobic, hard to access. I would be calling a few kitchen design centers and have them come out and make suggestions, sometimes they offer solutions and ideas that you would have never thought of. Taking the counter out and opening up the kitchen would be so much better:)

I'd replace the bar with an island set further back, possibly at a better angle if feasible.

PS- as far as the area by the window, it looks as though it is right off the entrance so I would make that a sitting area with a couple of club chairs and an accent table.

mgntrry - a few questions you really need to answer: how long will you stay here? how much do you want to spend to make this a functional kitchen? I can't imagine trying to cook in this space! Looks like the fridge won't even fit beside the stove and getting more pantry won't help unless you can actually function in the space.

You definitely need the help of someone who can walk through the space, take measurements and do some planning. Judging by the photos it looks like the area off the bar could be taken in and almost all the rest demolished and create a much more functional kitchen. It also looks as if you can create a nice flow between several spaces and have most of the public areas of the house tie together - but there would be a high price for that much work.

However, if you bought this house at a greatly reduced price b/c everyone ran screaming when they saw the kitchen, then putting the dollars into the project sounds like a way to increase the value of your home and make it work for you while you're living there. This kitchen is not worth adding high dollar items such as granite tops as it lays out now.

Wow! Thank you all for the suggestions!! I am most definitely looking at them all to see what works best for us!