Well I think my husband mainly wants to hide the chocolate stash away from me as where I would use it to store vases and everything else that you usually keep in the top of the pantry(you only get out once or twice a year). He does have a point but I am worried about boxing ourselves in - no room for growth. He is definitely not itching for his next project (we have been working weekend, after weekend on this house - decking, paving, etc) I worry about the lack of storage. Mainly because I really just like to finish a room and move on. Because I use this space every day its annoying me with how uncompleted it feels to me. I do think it needs something to finish it off and look complete. But I'm glad you like it though Madeline :) I have been researching with what people have suggested and the main trouble I foresee having is actually getting the right product delivered and available. Most don't ship to where I am (I live in a small coastal city) and its about 5hrs drive from the only Ikea in the state or I will have to wait 8 weeks for delivery from over east. So I really have to plan it right. I am reading the reviews on open shelving... well lets just say that is interesting. Thanks again!

in order to avoid compromising the original style i suggest investing in a cabinetmaker to rebuild the existing cabinets by removing only the front panels of the voids and all the random doors, rebuild the spaces with new full height cabinets on either side of the panel backing the vanity and installing new tall cabinets (same height as fridge space) with adjustable internal shelves, including a dedicated shelf for a suitably sized microwave (and a coffee maker and/or mixer etc) with power points and then adding full height white doors to match the kitchen cabinets..the original doors being used for internal shelves) The panel on the left of the fridge appears to conceal a support column so that needs to be retained, the panel on the back of the vanity and the wall to the ceiling also retains the veneer....my very poor pictures attempt to display before and after but in order to highlight the shapes i needed to use wrong colours and hope you see the idea...unfortunately custom cabinetry won't be cheap but anything less wouldn't be precise enough

just realised that my suggestion has overlapped with Dr Retro and i agree that you should be able to have (from left to right) a 900 wall cabinet with three equal doors, a 900 wall cabinet with the 900 wide rangehood and three equal doors and a 600 wide wall cabinet with three equal doors ie 8 x 300 wide doors with the left hand side of the range hood wall cabinets lined up with the 900 corner cabinet BUT is there any special reason why the wall cabinet for the rangehood was suggested as 1000 wide?? if so, the same concept applies ie left hand wall cabinet would be 850 wide with three equal doors, 1000 wide range hood cabinet with three equal doors, right hand cabinet 550 wide with two equal doors..ie 5 doors about 270 wide and 3 doors about 330 wide above the rangehood but aim for the 8 x 300 doors.. the cabinet maker should allow for all the necessary clearances and fillers to create a uniform appearance

Another option instead of a light well is to have a glass floor section in the ground floor just above were the stairs lands. and open the wall in the sitting room/use steps hanging in a wire. so there is plenty of light coming in one side of stairs plus light above the landing area. this brings some cool features to the house, which i am already thinking to have a glass floor section somewhere and a mesh floor section somewhere probably in the first floor above entry. Light is not an issue anymore again the big question is when you enter do you want to see the stairs going up or down. Hmm.. tough decision to make