Keeping things cosmetic will mean that. Angled dwarf wall will need to stay, if not refaced. With terra-cotta tiles that look to be laid around your joinery, your footprint will remain, and replacing doors won't address the side panels of the wall oven Adjoining the cabinets, as to replace this, you need to uninstall the back units adjoining them, so it is almost a rip out and refit. The alternative is paint. Without correct and proper priming products and aplication, this is risky, doors and end panels are quite easy, hoer adjoining wet areas or heated panels, unless you use the right product things can go wrong. Fr light, all horizontal surfaces boulder reflect and bounce light around the work surface, so light, stone is great, but will cost what a new kitchen would, if your painting cabinets, a stone top may be an over capitalization, replacing your doors with new and a laminated top would have an overall improved aesthetic instead, and save stone for a future new layout. That's not to say the bar top couldn't be. I would use this dated feature to create a new one. A stone waterfall or slab end as their known would help draw your eye down to your floor, and provide a contemporary element to clad. Go with a chunky stone edge build up, say 60mm and then it will frame the back wall area to display a feature material, in this case, I suggest a horizontal timber plank. Yu could do a laminate, but a pack of engineered flooring will provide the character aswell as durability, choose something that ties into your floor, and this could be used elsewhere as a feature. Re tile over your spalshbackin, and if you go with all white cabinets, consider a patterned or aggregated white counter, with lint cabinets, then a stone to in a solid white, to stand out against the patterned laminated benches. Or opposite for te same reason, the bar top is what will be touched and stone does that, so an interesting pattern, pebble or grain would add to the interest, and plain white laminate in the practical space will juxtapose this. I would think of using a vinyl (thermolaminated) profiled door, something simple. Like a square shaker style door, both modern and classic but not old fashioned. It will create focus in the kitchen and again front he simplicity of the Benchtops, The splash back could be anything, but subway are great I agree, there is also a DIY acrylic sheet from laminex called metaline which can be installed right over tile, you can even co yourself or have the cabinet maker do it. It has the appearance of a glass splash back with great colour choices. There is a pewter or grey metallic like argente perle, which would tie in your stainless appliances making it overall modern and clean. Good luck?

My son used to help me cook in the kitchen - he is 190 cm, I am 175cm. I have an old-fashioned breakfast bar which is raised above the level of the kitchen benchtop. My son would stand at the raised section, I would stand at the lower section, it worked really well. An alternative might be to have a pull out step in the kick board spaces for your wife to stand on - I don't know if it would be high enough, but it might make things more comfortable. Speaking from the point of view of a tall woman, I will have my next kitchen cupboards and laundry raised at least 10 cm to make my life more comfortable - bending forward for any length of time is seriously UN comfortable!

they're great looking stool but perhaps you're ready for something a little more comfortable ...could you add a cushion in a light coloured fabric to soften the seat?

I have white fabric chairs and have had luck with Magic stain remover for fabrics, test on a patch under the stool first just to be safe, once dry , treat with Scotchgard to repel stains,this has saved my chairs, both available at Woolies.