Depending on your style and placement. Use this limitation as an opportunity to add dimension. in classic style kitchens, the rangehood is central, and the depth of this service cabinet can be up to 500mm, make it wider than the cooktop slightly, then either side install standard depth, 350mm depth overheads with a glazed or panel door, use lighting both under and internally to frame the range hood which will have its own light source, it will centre your focus, add interest and dimension and stylistically, suit the hamptons provincial styles. when doing this, I often suggest the height of these flanking cabinets are also lower as well as slimmer, so then a capping can really frame them. this building of dimension works in both traditional or contemporary kitchens, just make the central cabinet an obvious design element. In modern spaces, it could be a mirrored box, with adjoining timber cabinets, of different proportions. it can work to create a unique and considered design.

Is this a recent kitchen installation? Could you ask cabinet maker to adjust the base units across to close the gaps up a bit more? Even if the splashback needs to be re caulked, better than trying to infil with stainless steel angles.

Please ladies, enjoy your kitchens - you have to live with them all day every day. Unless you are thinking of selling in the really short term then have what you love - the next person will probably replace it all anyway, especially if you plan on being in your home for even 10 years. Kitchens are changing so much with all the new technology and products coming on the market. Mcctrish more photos of your kitchen would be helpful, I really can't comment too much with the photo you have provided, but I have just totally redone my kitchen (all for me) and I intended having a glass splashback but when the time came, I found it was just too plain and would do nothing for my kitchen. I think with the glass, you need to have a stunning feature colour to make it effective. That was my problem, there was no colour I could have to make it 'sing'. Look at photos on Houzz and you will see that glass splashbacks are the feature of kitchens. Start with the splashback before you decide anything else. Also, if you are just replacing your doors, are there any other fixed panels in the room that will be replaced also or will it be necessary for them to stay, which will then affect what you choose.

Hi Katrina, I really love the horizontal wood panelling I think it's a great feature and from the look of it dark beams with upstairs floor timber on show. If this was my room I would likely make a feature of the wall panels and work around that. I find that because of all the dark, heavy timber the panelling is getting a bit lost (I lived in a house like this in Eltham many years ago and at the time loved it...but it's a bit dated these days) As I can't make out the layout of the room my suggestions are based solely on the picture you have provided. My first suggestion is to sand the beams back to their natural wood because I feel that the darkness of the beams is competing too heavily with the timber of the rest of the room. I'm thinking something like this: https://au.pinterest.com/pin/520588038153372539/ I would then find a cabinet maker to change the cd shelves and open shelves underneath to match the cupboards already in place and put in a continuous benchtop along the top of the cupboards. I would then extend the top shelf to match the other two long shelves and replace the baseboard so it is continuous. I would then ask the cabinetmaker to make more streamlined cupboard doors as I find the vertical lines in the current doors detract from the wall panelling. https://au.pinterest.com/pin/353814114454459992/ or if your cabinetmaker has some clever friends maybe something like this: https://au.pinterest.com/pin/518265869604062708/ I would also remove the light fitting poking out of the left of the picture. I don't know what colour carpet you intend to have laid so it is difficult to suggest a colour palette however I am a huge fan of charcoal and timber: https://au.pinterest.com/pin/406168460122166906/ I would paint the back wall only in charcoal much like the colour above to give a sense of depth. All books would be on the shelves. I'm sorry to say that the ducks would sadly have to be ditched. The bench would be used to hold that gorgeous clock and some of those special pictures that you have on show. Good luck, I hope I have been helpful :D