Hi - I'm pretty sure my sizing on this is waaaayyy out - but it's the idea I'm trying to get across ... I've put WM and TD under a wide worktop that could also be used as a breakfast area for kids on the end - and fantastic double depth prep worktop and folding clothes area etc - there's tall pantry cabinets and a cabinet to house the boiler and a family size FF - there's a change of layout - in that I thought the playroom could be at the end of the kitchen with a whole wall of tall storage to house all the kid clobber and also have more kid / garden friendly flooring and the dining room moves to the old playroom for dining and informal tv watching maybe ?! Then the formal lounge becomes twice the size as it takes over the old dining room too ! I've just used a basic 'interior design for iPad' software ... Not the CAD stuff I would normally draw with - but it is quick and gives you the general idea !! Let me know what you think !? ( I toyed with doing a separate laundry room - but didnt want to cut off your windows - so thought this was a good compromise ! )

Its beautiful but having lived in a home with similar skylights in a much higher ceiling, it sure would not be a design choice I would make. Even though our skylights included blinds, the family room radiated heat 12 months of the year in CO. Unless you can count on huge shade trees, your looking at a heat sink with faded fabrics and melted candles.

If money is very tight and you are not even sure if new cabinets are a possibility, you can be very creative with what you have - if you like an somewhat vintage - cottage / european - cottage style. This would involve removing some of the upper cabinets and replacing with shelving - very inexpensive, but can reduce the amount of storage. Bottom cabinet doors can be replaced with curtains or baskets. If using curtains, make sure they swing back and forth easily to make it easy to retrieve items. The walls that had the cabinets may need a little patching. The beadboard wallpaper could be used as a back ground for shelving, or leave the wall plain - or if you really get into DIY, you could tile it. This might allow you the money to get new countertops. The least expensive are the stock laminate at the home center store, or check your local ReStore habitat for Humanity Store - they have gently used / leftover construction materials and might have a countertop. I got an inexpensive piece of butcher block form a home center store for my small island.

Your choices are identical. The lowest cost makeover would be spray painting everything flat black and installing large industrial style lighting.