I hope you kept your overhead cupboards to be used elsewhere or sold them as they appeared to be in good condition. I have only just seen this post, and was going to show you a picture of a house that had just painted the cupboards and what a difference it made. If you like the beach colours, now is the time to add some of the colours suggested above as part of your accessory colours.....even via spatulas/utensils, tea towel, toaster, jug etc..

Benchtop oven is one of those round glass ovens with the element in the lid. Cost me all of $35 and it's one of the best appliances I've ever owned. I cook everything in it and the bowl just goes in the dishwasher. Much easier than cleaning an oven. And it costs so little to run, heats quickly, and cooks superbly. Can't build it in though because you insert food through the top, be removing the lid, and then it gets pulled apart to wash the bowl after use. Accurate dimensions are a problem right now because this terrible virus thing has delayed our move into the house until end July. Very frustrating, but can't be helped. And we can't go to the house at the moment either, so I'm just working off plans as best I can. It's not ideal, and everything will have to be checked carefully when we move in, before we start any work. But I want to get going as soon as we move in so I want to have most of my plans almost confirmed. With the latest plan, I don't think I will reuse the existing cabinets after all. The kitchen is in excellent condition. I just hate the design. I think I'll sell the kitchen and start over. The cabinets seemed to work for my original plan - even had those lovely corner drawers! But I like your idea much better, Siriuskey, and the existing cabinets just don't work with that layout. I think it would be cheaper to sell the kitchen and start over. Maybe keep the oven tower with oven and m./wave in it, as they are in excellent order. Also keep the dishwasher, which probably doesn't even have to move at all.

I've added the room measurements to the post if that helps @oklouise. Appreciate your perspectives. Great to hear the thinner cabinets will work okay. Hi @Maree. Thanks for your comments! I'm using 5D planner for the design work. It's really easy to learn and work with in 2D and 3D. It has limitations in terms of the furniture styles and colours you can pick from, but it's so much easier than other options the trade-off is worth it. I tried to teach myself sketch-up but it was way too hard.

Very common for cabinet door insets to be veneer. While completely solid cupboard doors are possible, weight and cost constraints make them rarer. The veneer, especially on older doors, may be thicker and allow gentle sanding. Replacing the inset with glass, mesh or even veneered jarrah if you can’t resurrect the original could all look great. As could other treatments. I love natural timber, and YouTube has multiple tutorials on restoration, but sometimes, for many reasons, that is not the best solution. Trust your instincts, and do what works for you