Samantha B I just completed my kitchen Reno in Perth. My pantry was also bricked up like yours. Literally doubled the space by getting rid of it but we found out after that the pantry was structural & we had to put an extra support beam in the roof instead ($800) so be careful of that! We completely moved the plumbing, gas & electrics & it only cost a few hundred! So don't be afraid to do that as long as u know decent priced tradies! We ended up doing nearly everything ourselves & went with a masters flat packed kitchen & sourced our own stone benchtops dirt cheap ($2500 installed for a 2m bench & a 1.5m island each with one waterfall edge.). Heres before & after pics.

If you have not already made this kitchen I would like to help, it lacks adequate storage for good pantry space. If you need a lot of fridge space I am not sure that is the best method as it takes up a lot of space. The idea of adding the bench for the kids is a good concept but the high back means the kids can't see you all the time and they will end up on your side of the bench so they can see you. Incorporating space for the kids at the end of the island bench would be more functional for both you in the kitchen and the kids would be able to see you move around and feel a part of things. Also how will they use this space kids don't just sit still they will want a bench or something they can use to draw do homework etc. Colour contract of light and dark always looks good. If you need help call I have a kitchen company called www.louisdivine.com.au. My kitchens are more traditional styles but I can do whatever is required and given the detail used in my kitchens my prices are competitive. P.S white bench tops are not hard to keep clean and they don't date, the nature of the stone itself is easy to clean.

If you want Scandi or rustic then an oak benchtop on your existing kitchen and new door handles will do wonders. I know you don't want wastage but your kitchen is already 30yrs old so it's hardly that. It's the colour of the benchtop that dates the kitchen the most. A solid oak benchtop is a very minor update that will last at least a few decades to come. If you update the splashback then use a composite board or pressed tin over the existing tiles it's economical and fast with impressive results. I'd go pressed tin in brick or traditional geometric if I wanted rustic. You can have it powder coated any colour you like before installing and they do look great in modern homes. Easy to clean as well. Here's a smart modern example of a final look....Oak and pressed tin on white kitchen I would see painting either tile or laminate as a last choice. Unless you have it done professionally (they use an acrylic resin not paint btw) and spray it on with professional spray guns, it generally looks terrible and wears even worse. Having it done professionally is surprisingly expensive and you may find the upgrades above are the same or similar cost. I wouldn't change your top cabinets for open shelves unless you love cleaning and the look of clutter. It looks fab on Pinterest but that's because they've got those shelves styled with rows of uniform bowls, glasses and canisters. I have in them in my current home the only way they look good is if you do exactly the same. I bought sets of canisters and changed all my glasware for that reason. With the usual mishmash of items in a normal house they aren't a good idea.

i would have thought that painting a kitchen refers to painting the walls as i'm not sure there is much call for bright orange kitchen cabinets although some colour could be a nice change from our sometimes too safe styles