A newly retired couple had purchased their 1989 home because it offered everything they needed on one level. He loved that the house was right on the Mississippi River with access for docking a boat. She loved that there was two bedrooms on the Main Level, so when the grandkids came to stay, they had their own room. The dark, traditional style kitchen with wallpaper and coffered ceiling felt closed off from the adjacent Dining Room and Family Room. Although the island was large, there was no place for seating. We removed the peninsula and reconfigured the kitchen to create a more functional layout that includes 9-feet of 18-inch deep pantry cabinets The new island has seating for four and is orientated to the window that overlooks the back yard and river. Flat-paneled cabinets in a combination of horizontal wood and semi-gloss white paint add to the modern, updated look. A large format tile (24” x 24”) runs throughout the kitchen and into the adjacent rooms for a continuous, monolithic look.