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.

I just love the concrete bench top. There are not a lot of comments around about practicality though. What are you going for?

Sounds quite good. I love basic black and white. But will it suit the rest of the house? Take holistic approach to see if it will be a good fit. It may need decorative doors and panelling rather than plain and featureless like a minimalist fit out. Start choosing the doors at the same time as looking at colours.

oops had a mishap with comment! understand that you are wanting to change floor tile but you may get more suggestions if you share a pic of your tan granite benchtop, splashback etc. Need to consider all the room, not just the adjoining hardwood floor.