I have a different take on your space. It seems you are just creating a big walk in pantry, therefore the walk in part, is wasting space. There is no change to your awkward fridge situation. My suggestion is to extend bench on the oven side. Place fridge along that wall. Place either full height storage on opposite wall, or cabinets, benchtop and overhead cabinets. Then also place narrow shelving on end wall. This gives the walk in space a function, without wasting space. This would also enable the entrance to kitchen to be enlarged to at least 1000mm.

Visual examples of my thoughts. Narrow shelving is better for storage. You can see each item and items don't get lost at the back. You could store your larger appliances, pots etc in the suggested cupboards on kitchen entrance wall.

Thanks Dreamer, this is good food for thought about the wasted space

Thanks oklouise for your comments and questions. The pantry was for storage of kitchen equipment and bench to have some electrical appliances out more permanently. We’ve found in the five years of living here, we don’t get some appliances out and use like we did in our previous place which had more bench space.

The terrace is what we also call “the void” as it has no purpose and just looks to next doors house (it has no roof). We were going to build a solid external wall to continue the external kitchen wall to the en-suite, and remove the bricks to the kitchen side wall and extend the kitchen into this space. While it has windows now to the kitchen, en-suite and the door to the corridor, we’ll install skylights to assist instead. 2420deep x 1305wide with bricks to kitchen removed.

Nice idea about extending the cabinet over the stairs, haven’t thought of that. There is space.

before making any decison you'll need to check with Council about enclosing an outdoor space but, as your wish list included greater opening to the kitchen and better access when the fridge doors are open, my suggestion has new corner cabinets with splashback windows with deep counters and wall cabinets, space for the big fridge, stacked wall oven and MW and, subject to the precise location of the window, wall cabinets and built in range hood over a row of drawers under the cooktop as well as the standard dishwasher, double sink and cabinets...there's no tall cabinets to maximise counter space and the deep counter next to the fridge makes room for appliances to stand together out of the way ready to use and there's potential storage over the end of the stairs and extra shallow storage could also be inside the wall along the stairs ...the central island could be a simple table with space under for stools and bins or a fixed base cabinet with 30cm deep cabinets along one side and knee space for a couple of small stools on the other so, instead of a narrow closed in kitchen theres a much more open kitchen with a central island

Thank you so much, that is another great design to ponder over. We were liking dreamers plan, and then this is just different with an island kitchen and open feel.

This plan like okl has fridge on end wall. Could have one or two openings, overhead cupboard along internal wall with oven and stove. Corner pantry next to fridge and rest of cabinets along outside wall lowers only to add sense of space.

Thanks Kate for your advice, really appreciated. the corner pantry is an option we started to discuss last night as an adaptation of okl’s plan. Unfortunately overhead cabinets along the corridor isn’t as it is an open space with no wall and I would think overhead cabinets there would close in the space.

a corner pantry can have tall doors added to enclose the cabinets but keep in mind the narrow walking spaces all around and the narrow central island, preferably a freestanding bar table with space under for stools would feel much less crowded