I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. I think the original layout is good. If you move the cabinets, you're losing a lot of storage and only gaining some stool space. If you insist on stools, you'd be better off to lose the island and add a short peninsula to the end of the sink countertop. Since your eating area is right next to the kitchen, do you even need stools? Whatever you decide, put in deep drawers in your lower cabinets rather than cupboards, which are so much more functional.

This article on the use of drawers rather than shelves could enable you to have enough storage in the kitchen itself to convert the entire pantry into your spice kitchen.

Also consider installing pullouts flanking the fridge, and also near the range.

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need a drawing of the kitchen with dimensions, which should include dimensions between wall and doorways

@calidesign thank you 🙏🏼 we thought about adding stools at the end of sink counter but dont want to lose island. Deep drawers are a great idea. Most of cabinet were messy and useless. Definitely going to add that in the new kitchen.

@decoenthusiaste Kitchen in the pantry is a great idea we always felt we had a lot of cabinets in the kitchen which we can use as pantry. I will definitely install pullout. My next question is if we convert pantry do we need to have a window in a spice kitchen or we can do without it? Our pantry cant have window nor a sunroof.

Light it with 4000K LED's to get a natural daylight feeling 24/7. If you don't have contractors in your area who are familiar with spice kitchens, you'll want to emphasize the need for additional ventilation. You may find a KD who knows how to design it.

Listen to Celadon. If not, they will want to clean your tile floor, carpet, and say it’s all as good as new....even though you can never get the smell out. They might say your electronics are fine instead of replacing. The damage will eventually be apparent..Luckily your cabinets are toast so they can’t try to save those.

you need someone on your side. hire a PA.

My friend just went through the aftermath of a small bathroom heater fire. She was out of the house for months and it still wasn't clean. All of her stuff was in three big pods and they paid her $1,000 a month for a place to live during the process. She's in the house now but still has one pod to empty. She had to hold their feet to the fire to get the same quality furnishings as she had prior to the fire. Gather receipts for anything you want replaced so you can prove how much you had invested in your furnishings. Lots of her fabrics were dry cleaned, but all the shades were replaced, once area rug was cleaned, another thrown out and replaced. New carpet everywhere except the stairs, which I still don't get. Her adjuster was with the insurance company and he was a real ass!

If that is fire man dust you need to have that P ROFF ESS ION C LEAned

Do you need a dining room and a separate eating area? I can see just having the dining room and making the kitchen larger by incorporating the eating area into the kitchen and making a U shaped work area with seating on the outside of the U towards the family room

I was going to say the same as cpartist- a full U with seating along the peninsula would make a lot of sense.

Can the pantry be vented to the exterior, for use as a spice kitchen?

Since you are considering removing the wall of cabinets and moving the fridge, I'd suggest moving the DR door to make a traffic aisle behind the proposed island. Then extend the kitchen into the eating space, as cpartist suggests, and make the island longer. You have space for the minimum aisles recommended by the NKBA--if you make the island only 36" deep. That would mean giving up storage space in favor of seating since the seating overhang should be a minimum of 15" deep, and the shallower cabinets (15" deep uppers can be adapted) will need extra reinforcing to support a stone top.

My idea was something like this. I had this layout in my condo and it worked very well. I feel an island will still be tight for working space even if changed like Mama is suggesting.

Thank you everyone for your valuable suggestion.

This fire was caused by our angry tenant because we gave him an eviction notice. The entire house will be rebuild. The restoration company have already removed floorings, finishings, walls and everything else. The only thing is remaining now is the skeleton of the house. They will be putting all the same type of finishings and if we need any upgrade it will cost additional $.

I am recieving a lot of architectural drawings, documents regarding building materials etc which i need to review and point out if anything missing but I am not really knowledgeable in this area. I am unaware of any departments or people who can guide me. I have an adjuster appointed by insurance company but clearly he is looking out for the insurance company.

You can hire your own independent adjuster and you need to, to protect your interests.

So sorry you had to go with this. Get an adjuster for yourself. My in-laws had a fire about 15 years ago and it is the best thing they have done. They had somebody to discuss with the insurance company and get them what the actually needed.

Also, either @mama goose_gw zn6OH or @cpartist 's layouts are better than yours,

How do I go about hiring an independent adjuster? Are there any companies out there? I am based in Vancouver BC

Hire a Public Adjuster. they work off percentage (if I remember right). But the amount you will get is so much higher and fairer that they cover their own cost and make sure you get treated fairly. He will help itemize contents and make sure you get a fair reimbursement for each item and not get forced to take back things that have been “cleaned” but still stink. Our PA was a bulldog.

he will make sure you are not bullied.

Your insurance company adjuster is not on your side.