EXAMPLE #1: L-shape, Table & Chairs, Remove Bench for Fridge and More Counter * Your Back Door: where they have large ceiling to floor window. * 1st Counter Along Window Wall: counter top with sink under window, and upper cabinets over counter on either side of the window. * Turn to Right Side and Create 2nd counter: put your full stove where this picture has a cook top. * Removed closed wall so your kitchen is open to the hall. * With this expanded "wider" space that combines with the hall, you can put a round table with four chairs. (Almost where they have their "counter island". * In your diagram, to the left of the door is your bench. If you have a table & chairs in the "wider" space, could you remove the bench? * On the wall where the bench was: a. put a fridge, b. build a counter with cupboards overhead. ********************************************************************************************************************* Example #2: U-shaped Kitchen In this photograph, beginning from the left-side corner: * Back door. * Fridge (theirs is built-in / too expensive for me / just put a fridge with freezer). * 1st Counter: Your sink under window. * Right turn: 2nd Counter: Stove (they have stove-top and built-in own below). * Since a full fridge & freezer is beside the door, you can use a longer counter to the right of the stove. * (Ignore their sink in this picture.) * 3rd Counter with cupboards below and above. * Remove bench. Along the "removed bench" wall: a. buy an "island" on wheels with chairs; b. when you are alone you can use this table-top for large cooking projects; c. use the island and chairs for eating; d. use a chair to change your shoes coming/going into the backyard. ******************************************************************************************************************** EXAMPLE 3: L - SHAPE * Remove lift-top freezer. * Keep sink under window. Have counter on both sides of the sink. * Counter on the right. * On this second counter, put stove (they have a stove-top and built-in oven). * Remove the wall so the kitchen and hallway are combined. * Move the fridge against the Bedroom #1 wall (on the kitchen side). * On the bench wall. Make the bench smaller so it will fit under a kitchen table. Use the table top for food preparation. When you have company, pull the table away from the bench so you can sit on the bench and use the table. With a small bench, you can put a table on this wall. Build the bench in a U-shape. Put baskets or wood boxes underneath to keep your boots and shoes. This table costs $99 at Ikea. When it is folded in, it can be used as a counter-top. So you don't obstruct the back door from opening, you can push this table over the bench. When you have company, you can pull-out the table's sides to make a larger table top. www.ikea.com Table Name: BJURSTA Table Description: Extendable table, birch veneer Size: 19 5/8" wide x 27 1/2" deep (when table is folded) x 35 3/8" height x 35 3/8 " (when table is unfolded). ******************************************************************************************************************** EXAMPLE #4 If you remove: * the lift-top freezer, and * the wall between the kitchen and hallway. * Will you have room to build a counter from where the freezer was into the space that was the hallway? * Move the fridge to the wall against the 1st Bedroom * In this photograph, there are many "fancy extra" to ignore (i.e. built-in ovens). I think your stove would be on the counter where this picture shows just a built-in range top. Hope something from these suggestions is a help to you! - K

After taking a while thinking about your proposition the biggest problem with that is not having a cabinet with large drawers. I think there are other interesting ideas I can appreciate from your photos apart from my primary dilemma. The area alongside the cook top isn't used for it's intended purpose as a work bench. We simply have our appliances set there and this gives me food for thought as a pantry next to my stove. I would like to have cabinets above my fridge too, I use the top of the fridge for bread, cereal, etc. It gets dirty and things fall behind the fridge. Lastly I think the position of my fridge is impractical and better placed at the other end of where we have foot traffic.

if you love the kitchen why not have the same colour but depending on the materials in the kitchen you could probably choose more economical cabinets and counters in similar colours

as usual price depends on quality and labour but basic flatpac white laminate kitchen cabinets and counters cost about $5000-$15000 plus installation, splashbacks, tiles, taps, handles, lighting, sinks, appliances etc and all the trades: plumber, gas fitter, electrician, tiler etc... a custom made kitchen will dramatically increase the price at least double or triple for the fitted cabinets and counters but other costs are similar subject to quality and careful selections of fixtures but sometimes it more cost effective to save elsewhere than scrimp on the most important expensive room in the house but our last tiny holiday house kitchen was built out of a 40 year old kitchen we recycled from another property and, including the old sink and flatpac counter and new handles cost about $200 and our most recent custom made modest mid sized kitchen was $25,000 for laminate cabinetry and counters (stone counters would have added another $9000) but putting together flatpacs can be tedious and difficult to get a quality finish