First thing to find out is if garage conversions are allowed. I wanted to convert my garage to an office space in my last home and found that it was not allowed. Our neighborhood required every house to have a 2 car garage. Actually - it required 2 covered parking spaces, but you needed the covered parking spaces to be set back 30' from the street - which was where my garage was located. If they are allowed you need to price the cost of the renovation and balance that against the cost of the house. Renovation is expensive, but being that this is your grandmother's home, you may be getting a good price that will offset the reno costs. There are 1000 things that can change the costs of your reno. The worst case I ever ran across was when one of my employees decided to remove a wall between their kitchen and living space. It was a 200 year old home and by the time they were done discovering issues they were down to the foundation and one outside wall. This kept it in the renovation space vs new build space and cut through a lot of red tape and allowed them to keep the original footprint and setbacks which had changed after the house was built, but their $30k reno turned out to be $300k. I have also known many people who have gone through renovations without any major issues. You will need to consult an architect/builder or design/build company to get an idea of what this will cost where you live. It is not all bad to play with ideas before presenting to an architect, but you will want to keep some things in mind. The wall that runs between the kitchen and living/dining space is most likely the major support wall for the home (notice how it runs from one end to the other. You may be able to open it up some, but removing it entirely will be a major, major expense. Moving plumbing is always expensive, if your house is on a slab, moving the plumbing means jack hammering out the slab. Leaving the kitchen where it is and just creating some openings with support posts would be a far less expensive endeavor. There may be many options that you have not even given a thought. A good designer will think of ways to make the house work for you and will know the pitfalls. Not saying this is a good design, but an example that I did in 10 minutes that is a completely different thought than you considered. You really need someone who is a pro who will take the time with you to discuss budget and the needs of your family and figure out the best plan for your home within your budget. Most of the time this means making some compromises and making something better without fulfilling all of our dreams or breaking the bank.

@shasta, unfortunaly can't do recessed light over the sink since it will cast the shadow overhead. @chispa, the cabinet is ok to open.

Thanks @hallettco will definitley think about it! I struggle with how a closet via bathroom would work for a couple. @Diana Bier your suggested approach was pretty much my original design. The closet is plenty big as it is and I think the link to the bathroom will be a nice feature that elevates the room. I should have provided some more context. This is a northeast urban core environment with highly paid professionals and some of the premium projects in the area take inspiration from loft-style living and ultra-modern hotel designs where you have things like open bathrooms and open closets, muted tones and natural materials, and minimal ornamentation (e.g., not thick shaker cabinets; not giant wall sconces; not aggressive wall paint colors; not mega moulding; not gold faucets). I took a look at both of your portfolios and your work is nice (the Lafayette project was terrific @hallettco!). But, it seems that you're coming in thinking about a different type of end user.

For those that didn't notice, this is actually the floor plan: In order to get help beyond general concepts, the 114"x147" dimensions are not adequate. It requires more and marked up on a drawing as indicated by the "read me kitchens" thread. But first, it seems like you are very, very early in this process. Like generally frustrated, and finally clicked that you want to act on it. However, there are 30 different directions this could take. So to help you form this project, other pertinent information would be helpful. For instance: - A little deeper insight to goals, including budget. Because just saying "dark," "outdated," or "clutter" is too generic. As examples, for "dark," the low window (caused by a 9' ceiling) allows more prominent shadows above the cabinets. The bulkiness of the shutters exacerbates blocking natural light. So no shutters, or adding a transom, could help that. Or opening up the back wall with bifolds, could be a $50K+ project unto itself, and I'm guessing you are in Canada from the Builder's "Parlour" spelling, so a bi-fold door may not be worth the price. The single boob light does not help at night. So, is it just the wood color, the lighting, the window, all of it? For "outdated," maybe switching out laminate, getting new hardware, and stainless appliances is enough. Or maybe you want shaker style or inset. Is the flooring, house furniture, street exterior, deck, etc also outdated? Will the kitchen be on par with the house, it's bellweather, or unicorn? For "clutter," that may mean everything has a hidden place, so lots of cabinets or a huge Pantry. Or it may mean in reference to design, so you don't want upper cabinets along a prominent wall. Is it regarding "stuff" or minimalism? - The thread has run with a peninsula, but you have not stated that you would like to eliminate the Breakfast table, and still show it in your sketches. So your way of living in this house might determine if you should open up the wall to the Dining Room. It could also determine if having an island is a dealbreaker for your family. It could determine if an addition is more appropriate. - The hallway soffit is probably because of a header. There is a second floor which eliminates a Solatube suggestion and explains why there would be a header. But that keys in on why it stands out to you, do you want to open up the Kitchen to front or upstairs circulation more? Make the Kitchen more physically central to the home? - The above are just big concept ideas, you still have the kitchen. Like evaluating your cooking style and needs, and family/guest interaction with that. That would determine storage, appliances, how you move and Edit: hmm, lost the last paragraphs. Oh well, you get the gist.