Your pics do not enlarge enough to see anything. How about drawing out a floor plan with all dimensions filled in and post that when you post better pictures.

46”H is way too high to be actually used to sit at. It’s not safe, and requires custom everything for seating. 36” counter height is not even really safe for small children and grandpa’s.

Thanks for the comments. We will definitely be lowering that counter. I’ve attached more photos. Hopefully they are good.

We are also trying to decide between stained or painted cabinets. We love the warmth of stained but are worried how it will look with the floor which is Mohawk cedar chestnut laminate. I’ve posted a pic of a French cherry stained sample that looks really good with the floor but it may be way too dark. We weren’t even thinking dark. We do get decent light thru a patio door and big window in the dining area at the end of the kitchen and we will be adding lots of recessed can lights. We would definitely use a light quartz and backsplash.

On the other hand we also love painted cabinets but worry they won’t stand up as well. It is only the two of us so that might not be an issue. We’d probably do white but have no idea which shade to go with. We prefer a softer, warmer tone and not the bright whites. We are also not opposed to an off white/cream or soft warm green but not sure how to find the right shade. It’s all very overwhelming and we need to make a decision as soon as possible.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

Consider drywalling that area closed and pre-wiring it for a larger TV on the other side.

Too much is wrong in the kitchen. Post a floor plan that shows the kitchen all the adjacent areas and dimensions.

Perhaps a previous owner did some work. Not good. Before you embark on cabinetry,, much needs to be addressed. Sorry.......You actually need some wall. Poorly located appliance, storage issues, all should be addressed before cosmetic concerns, or ..............a breakfast bar. Which in this view of pics should not be there at all.

This is buggy ahead of horse right now.

Sorry for the late reply.

Jan Moyer,

We will reduce the length of the breakfast bar by adding about 32 inches to the already 24”full wall the bar is connected to. This will also enable us to have about 54” of upper cabinets on sink wall. The bar would still be pretty long (about 93”) but worried that walling it up any further may interfere with the site lines from the kitchen to living area. We like that we we can see each other and the TV while working in the kitchen. The center of the kitchen sink will be 30” from the edge of the new wall. Maybe wall could come further?

We are not sure if we want a breakfast bar with stools, but if we decide to, we would cut the height to 42”. We don’t like that the barstools and overhang would be on the living room side, facing the kitchen. To me barstools should be in kitchen/dining area, but that can’t happen here since the wall(149”)behind the bar is all cabinets and sink. It’s just the two of us and a breakfast bar wouldn’t get used often and probably not for eating. We have a table that can seat 8 if expanded.

We are considering leaving counter at the 46” height and capping it with a nice wood. However, I do like the idea of a wider ledge/counter to be able to sit/display items on. Not sure how to accomplish that without a big overhang. The wall is 5” thick.

We are still trying to find a cabinet color. Thinking a soft white, but the choices are overwhelming and the samples I have tried seem so stark. Also considering a darker color on the lowers.

As background info, we had just purchased this home, had all walls, ceilings, and trim painted and installed all new floors. The kitchen was going to happen much later. We then discovered mold under kitchen cabinets and had to remove the wall of cabinets with sink. We are replacing all cabinets and countertops as well as refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave (which will be on a shelf and not over the stove). Although I would like to make structural and layout changes, it is just not in the budget.

I appreciate the comments and advice.

You have much better solution, remove it completely and insall large island. all same level, it will make comfortable sitting, and access to living room will improve. Make sure that island is deep, so you will have more storage and distance between sink and fridge/ oven will be more reasonable.

^^^ exactly. Fridge and door switch positions so the fridge can be surrounded by deep cabinets. This eliminates the inside corner. Big island, all one counter height. The kitchen will flow better and feel thirty years newer.

Soflkbr & Hallett: Thanks so much for the comments.

What if instead of tearing out the counter wall and adding an island, we leave the 5" knee wall and lower the current counter to 36"? We would still add more upper wall to lessen the length of the counter and gain uppers. Would this work? How long should that open counter be? Total wall is 149.5" on kitchen side and 154" on living room side. The current countertop is 126"

What are we not considering? We shouldn't have to alter our current cabinet placement plan unless we need to move sink slightly to center it in the open counter space (or does it need to be?) We would like the sink closer to the stove but don't know how to accomplish that. As it is now it's 4 or 5 steps (approx 6 ft) for me. It's manageable but wish we didn't have to cross the open floor to get to it. In a perfect world we would change more walls, but we are trying to do what we can with the space/layout and budget we have. We are okay with the fridge location

(2 or 3 steps from stove or sink)

I have attached a few photos of different views and the cabinet maker's drawings. The drawings don't show that we have moved the microwave to an open shelf in an 18" deep wall cabinet at end of sink wall and a stainless steel hood over the stove. The uppers will go to the 8' ceiling, the counter depth fridge will be enclosed in cabinetry and we will do a backsplash and quartz countertops. Lighting fixture will be replaced with recessed lighting. Thanks so much for your help.

Counter with attached wall. Ignore the sideboard. It will be moved.

Plenty of space between sofa and counter.

Current sink wall. Will add more upper wall for 1 or more uppers. Upper on end will include bottom shelf for microwave. Uppers will go to the ceiling (8')

Stove wall will be slightly longer adding a pantry next to patio door and range hood above stove.

75" opening from the living room to the kitchen

View of most of the Living Room from Kitchen Table

Overview

Sink wall (microwave shelf not shown here)

Stove wall

Fridge wall. 32" opening goes to hallway and utility room.

Hi HU. Not a pro but my kitchen renovation poses almost exactly the same footprint and dilemmas as yours so I’m glad I came upon your post.

You mentioned not being sure how to shorten the walk between your sink and stove. Your fridge being in a L shape to your outer wall is what is causing that issue, so I agree with the last 2 posters that you should remove that L and put your fridge in line with your stove and outer cabinet run.

You can then shift the peninsula side of the kitchen 18 inches closer to the outer cabinets as long as you’re able to shift the walkway to the utility hall over. If there is no ductwork or plumbing in the wall currently right behind the fridge that shouldn’t be a huge cost, and you’d make up for it in not having to buy corner cabinets which tend to be more expensive and not all that functional. You’d also have less countertop costs since the top would just be straight pieces on the outside of the stove and between the stove and fridge. Also, you’d have enough space for at least a 36 inch cased opening to the hallway, which will feel much more open than the current 32 inches with a fridge to the side of it.

I don’t think you’d have enough room for a pantry on the outside wall with this plan but you could create a pantry in the 18 inches of space made by shifting the peninsula over. Yes it would face the living space so not ideal but it would be wider and building a pantry closet is likely much less expensive than buying a pantry cabinet with rollouts. The shallower depth means you could use the entire shelf without things getting lost at the back like they tend to do with 24 inch deep cabinets.

You would then have a nice overhang behind the sink for seating or for additional storage if you didn’t want the seating. That could be a nice place for open shelves facing the living room if you wanted a display area. Personally I’d keep the entire peninsula at 36 inch height but you could make this part 42 inches height if you wanted to shield the sink more.

I know you wanted to stay within your current walls but the only demolition with this would be the wall right behind the fridge to move the hall into the utility over. As long as it is clear from obstructions this really isn’t a huge change to your footprint and you’d get a much more functional kitchen other than the pantry being just outside of it.

I did a crude drawing to show this in picture form since it’s sometimes easier to decipher even with finger drawn lines. Selfishly I’m very interested to see if anyone has other thoughts on your layout since I’m having trouble coming to conclusions with my own but am too nervous to post it and have it get ripped apart.

Forgot to say that I’d move the stove over if possible so it’s not directly lined up with the sink but that’s also just my personal preference. Just make sure to keep at least 18 inches of countertop on the side next to the sliding doors.

I would remove the entire breakfast bar. An island is a much better choice.

Doggiedoc. Thanks for taking the time to help me with my kitchen. I really appreciate it. Moving the fridge makes sense although it is plumbed for water. I really need the pantry to be on the kitchen side though. I’d be interested in seeing your kitchen also. You should post it. Thanks again.

Hi HU. Not a pro but my kitchen renovation poses almost exactly the same dilemma as yours so I’m glad I came upon your post.

You mentioned not being sure how to shorten the walk between your sink and stove. Your fridge being in a L shape to your outer wall is what is causing that issue, so I agree with the last 2 posters that you should remove that L and put your fridge in line with your stove and outer cabinet run.

You can then shift the peninsula side of the kitchen 18 inches closer to the outer cabinets as long as you’re able to shift the walkway to the utility hall over. If there is no ductwork or plumbing in the wall currently right behind the fridge that shouldn’t be a huge cost, and you’d make up for it in not having to buy corner cabinets which tend to be more expensive and not all that functional. You’d also have less countertop costs since the top would just be straight pieces on the outside of the stove and between the stove and fridge. You’d have enough space for at least a 36 inch cased opening to the hallway, which will feel much more open than the current 32 inches with a fridge to the side of it.

I don’t think you’d have enough room for a pantry on the outside wall with this plan but you could create a pantry in the 18 inches of space made by shifting the peninsula over. Yes it would face the living space so not ideal but it would be bigger and building a pantry closet is likely much less expensive than buying a pantry cabinet with rollouts.

You would then have an overhang behind the sink for seating or for additional storage if you didn’t need the seating. That could a nice place for bookshelves facing the living room if you wanted a display area. I’d keep the entire peninsula at 36 inch height but you could make this part 42 inches if you wanted to shield the sink more.

I know you wanted to stay within your current walls but the only demolition with this would be the wall right behind the fridge to move the hall into the utility over. As long as it is clear from obstructions this really isn’t a huge change to your footprint and you’d get a much more functional kitchen other than the pantry being just outside of it.

I did a crude drawing to show this in picture form since it’s sometimes easier to decipher even with finger drawn lines. Selfishly I’m very interested to see if anyone has other thoughts on your layout since I’m having trouble coming to conclusions with my own but have been too nervous to post it and have it get ripped apart.

You’re very welcome HU. It was nice to stare at someone else’s plans for a little bit. I have an irrational dislike of corner cabinets in kitchens and design them out of my renos when I can. I know you said you’re happy with the fridge location just thought it was worth throwing that option out there as a way to get the sink closer to the stove while still giving you more upper cabinets too.

If you’re still open to it you can think about putting your 2 foot pantry cabinet to the hallway side of the fridge in my plan, but that will only leave you about 4.5 feet of counters/cabinets for either side of the stove, which isn’t a lot of prep space. That also would put the fridge opposite the dishwasher, which isn’t ideal. You could also put the pantry opposite the fridge but that would take away a chunk of the upper cabinets that you were hoping to add on that side and the pantry doors could conflict with the opening to your hallway.

My biggest concern with your current plan is that a pantry next to the sliding doors could block natural light from entering the kitchen, which already seems a little dark in your pictures and has no windows of its own. Is there any room off the utility hallway for a pantry closet? I know that puts it out of the kitchen footprint but if you could carve out a even a 24–36 inch wide by 12 inch deep space somewhere near that hallway opening it’d be close by.

On the subject of natural light, I know adding a window on the stove side probably isn’t an option since it would cost you an upper cabinet but that could solve any natural light issues as well if that truly is a problem in the space.

I’m a huge fan of open concept and islands but I ended up adding walls back into my plan since I only had 6 feet of uppers with my original one wall and island layout. I’ve never private messaged on here but I can send you my plans once my architect updates them. I can’t believe how hard it is to find pictures of this type of set up since it’s such a nice, functional compromise between fully open and fully walled off.

I’m so sorry that my original comment posted again with my newest comment. I’m not sure why that happened and I can’t figure out how to delete it. The new part starts about halfway through the chunk of text. I also thought I’d spaced the paragraphs but guess not. Technology and I do not get along!!