Hi. Yes, the spice racks must go ;-) Well, it depends on your budget and if you want to change the cabinetry at all? The walk in pantry is huge and could cater for the hundreds, let alone a family. Maybe you might want to consider extending the dining room and removing the pantry altogether. Please let us know your kitchen tastes (shaker, modern etc.) whether you want to change the cabinetry and/or the wall positions and we will offer you some ideas.

So many things to say here. Agree those spice racks are awful, but that range hood is much to high to function properly. The regulation on that is where you have a gas cooktop the minimum being above is 650mm and 700 if electric, you can go higher, but unless your range hood has great exhaust, and therefore an expenssive silent system like quasair then it won't do as it's intended.
No overheads because the fridge is in an odd spot, but it could go in that massive pantry. Te island should be a feature not a space filler, at the least, new bareback panels (those panels on the back of an island) and some overheads to tie it in, with a stone bench top to the island.
As the pantry door is paneled, I'd also prefer to see something with a profilemon your doors, perhaps clip them off the hinge which is easy to do, and have a cabinetmaker quote to replace and refit all door and drawer fronts including panels. Tis will mean a new look and a big bright space, add some interest it is all looking one dimensional, with no upper focus. Either introduce texture or to em some pendant lights above the island, make it the rooms hero to take advantage to an impressive large kitchen layout like this, just Improve it's look. It has great potential.

Hi thanks for the reply! Yes the pantry is excessive! I would love to move walls - I would remove the wall that boxes in the fridge and change the entry to pantry to a cavity door and bring the kitchen more into the corner- but I think this would lead to issues with gaps in floor coverings and as it is a large area (extends down the hallways/powder room/laundry) it would be an expensive exercise to replace flooring. I had considered a quick fix for the time being to paint the cupboards and perhaps square the island bench off and have stone or granite veneer applied over the top as the existing laminate is faded and dull. If the cupboards were painted in a white gloss perhaps could then get some overhead cabinets or shelving installed? Not sure what to do near sink. I also thought about a glass/mirrored splashback behind the stove but heard it is very expensive. Lighting is a huge issue - what do you think of hanging two pendants over the bench and adding extra downlights in the bulkhead. Painting this whole living area could also help...

So yes, low budget I guess at this stage and see if we can live with that!

Thanks :)

http://houzz.com/photos/6941607


Could you build cupboards around the wall like this?

http://houzz.com/photos/6941607

Would it be possible to build around the fridge wall like this to conceal it?

Yes, you could do that.

Just my sugestions:
Simple
1. Corner off the pantry.
2. Change the pantry to a centre study area.
Extensive
2. Change Laundry to a rear sun room
3. Where is have changed the Pantry to a study, use that as your laundry, the waste and water would already be close..

That is what i would do anyway?..

Hi Jody, to do this return cabinetry you need a minimum of an 1800mm wall, because if the fridge were a pantry accessing this corner would be fine as standard 600mm bench top depths are reachable, however fridges are ordinarily 800mm deep, making it difficult to reach past to shelving. It appears as though the Bec hypo that runs into that corner currently has a slight return, and perhaps a corner cabinet, so if the fridge moves down you could build shelves or a microwave appliance nook there, but again pushing it back into that corner with the fridge there will make it Lu possible for you to reach, I suggest a non structural change.
Remove the nib wall which encloses the fridge, and extend the back wall the fridge is currently on, this extends the hallway, and allows you to build in an appliance cabinet after the corner, and then the fridge to follow. I would create a new island coming off that new wall, effectively creating an enclosed u shape kitchen rather than the L SHAPE and island you now have. Removing the nib wall and extending new stud wall from the existing will be easy and cost effective, even something that your partner could do. Tis way you can have an improved work area, and new overheads on the back wall, visually linking in with the new front bench. Tis gives you an opportunity to basically re style the kitchen with minimal changes. While you Re busy ordering overheads, a new island section, the cabinetmaker would be happy to also supply change over doors to the remaining sink length if cabinetry, thus giving you an entire new look kitchen.
I do also like the idea mentioned about closing off that pantry for a study, it is AR to big for a pantry, and really wastes the fourth bedroom. It could bebetter utilized in many ways.