nkkp-No idea about the title being marketable and insurable, but will make sure to ask. Not something I'm familiar with. I do plan on doing a title search and get title insurance. My parents are giving me a mortgage so not sure if that would make any difference about the title being marketable and insurable??? I appreciate you giving me a heads up about this though. sailorman, thanks for your input. A hutch type piece may be a good addition on that one wall. You mentioned putting up a fan in place of the exhaust that's there - but what about the rest of that area? I have a piece in my current house but I don't think it would go, but I'm sure I could find something. Trust me, if we make an offer on this house and get it, I'm going to be thinking good and hard about everything - it will probably be an obsession from the moment I put in the offer!!! plllog - thanks for the laugh, I too went oye! So it's not an actual pass-through - is it actually a peninsula? Personally, I like just a regular stove with the back panel - not this flat looking thing. Not sure about those posts being structural or not, someone would have to tell me. I've seen pictures of other kitchens that have those posts while others have nothing on that end, so really not sure. I'll definitely look in to Circuspeanuts post - sounds interesting. I like funky, but I think I'll probably just stick with something a bit more subdued - my mind says funky but my age would say otherwise. I think the countertops aren't in bad condition, they're just white, plain and blah! Will double check tomorrow when I go again. I thought, if I did keep the cabinets, a tan colored countertop (granite or similar) would be nice - would lighten up not only the cabinets, but the darker floor as well. Thanks for all your ideas! desertsteph, there will be a table on the other side of that "peninsula" as it will be the only place to put a table to eat. Since it's just the two of us, we'll keep it to a small table that we can expand when company comes, but this is the only "dining area" we have in this house - not sure why it was built like this (lets not mention the staircase that's in the living room going up to the attic!) I need all the cabinet space I can get. My current home has a LOT and while I want to downsize, I don't think I can downsize that much. Def. cabinets in the laundry room - can't remember how big that area is, but hoping it can be both a mudd room and a laundry room. I'm hoping they'll accept my offer if I should decide to go ahead with it - they may laugh me right out of the office though. lilyfreak, can you post pics when you're done, please??? rjr220-I too thought about possibly putting the fridge where the pantry would be, but honestly, I forgot how wide that area is and if there's a door there, or a solid wall and if there's even room to stand in front of that space and be able to open a fridge door while standing in front of it, but will look tomorrow and measure as well. I think that wall that juts out may be the garage - my age and mind aren't letting me remember - when looking at so many homes, your mind goes to pure mush! I like the idea you gave of putting the stove where the fridge was - will look at options tomorrow. Well, I'm going to see the house again tomorrow morning and then will (hopefully) make a decision on which way to go. My offer may be so low that I don't get it and all this will be for naught, but better I go in with some type of ideas than none at all. I plan on taking more pictures and measurements as well. Will definitely post an update along with more pictures when I get back and can get some computer time. What's the opinion on building a pantry along the wall where the countertop is - nothing as deep as a cabinet, maybe around 12-14" deep - I have a huge one at home that I keep my food and cookbooks in (not that I cook, mind you) Any ideas for the area where the dining table would be. That area actually leads out to the backyard, so it would also serve as a walkway, so I really can't have anything more than a table I think. The view when you walk in the front door goes through the living room straight to this eating area - the pic below shows the french doors that go to the backyard from that eating area - the doorway you see way in the background is the front door, so it's a straight beeline from the front door to these double doors right through that eating area. I don't recall the size of this area, maybe 10x11, but again, will double check tomorrow. The other side of the eating area, across from the peninsula is what we consider the den - the owners, for some reason put a big opening in the wall - makes no sense to me, and I'd definitely close it up. The 2nd pic below is this patio/sunroom that needs major help, but those are the doors from the eating area that leads out to this, again, some major help is needed in this area!!!! If anyone comes across any ideas on the web, or has/had a kitchen like this they are renovating, would LOVE to see pictures. Will be updating soon. I'm a firm believer, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be - should I not get this house there will be something else. THANKS ALL!!!!!

Thanks for the link to the backsplash. I would have been interested in somthing like that, but I had a sheet metal shop make me a backsplsh (stainless) and bought a Grundtal shelf form Ikea...also got the s hooks! I think it will all be hung tomorrow. Still trying to decide about the canisters in pic..have more of them, but they just are not going to work for me. Maybe my DD could find a place for them I know about the Harwich tile shop. LOVE the items you got from them.I am going to do just a simple subway tile in a brick pattern, but I will go and look at their fabulous selection..As you can tell from my name -nauset (as in beach), I am in Orleans.

Sure, if you are just using it for occasional serving food (parties) and for putting "stuff", just do it up like a nice window sill. A nice piece of wood shelving and some trim around the undersides, and you're golden. With wood being light (and not life-threatening if it were in some off chance to come crashing down if someone sits on it or does something else silly), you could probably get away with doing a nicer overhang, too, so I'd probably make it at least 12" wide, probably 16" wide if that works for you, for plenty of serving space and to allow for the possibility that maybe your kids might end up using it as a perching spot eventually -- to do some homework and chat with you while you work in the kitchen . . . (My kids love to do that at our bar height counter that divides the kitchen from the dining room.) Another thought is to do built in book shelves below your top serving counter, if you really don't think anyone would sit there. You could make the shelves 2" (or so) shallower than the depth of the top surface, so it'd still feel nice to serve snacks/drinks at that top shelf . . . (but that would eliminate the option of seating there). Personally, I'd paint it with an oil-based semi-gloss trim paint in whatever same color all your other woodwork is, because I've found that oil-based paint holds up WAY better to actual hard use as a shelf, etc, and wipes down beautifully. If I used latex paint on such a heavily used area, I'd end up repainting it annually and then it'd get icky after a while.

Beautiful home. Even if you don't like the wood paneling look, keep the ceiling beams and the paneling -- get a pro to paint both. Paint the beams the same color as the ceiling -- some shade of white or a very pale shade of your choice of wall color.