Here are a couple of if-it-were-me ideas. From your picture, it looks like you need more storage. I'd put a skirted counter top at the level of the hoosier's, at least on one side. Below it I would put shelving that is hidden by the skirt. Above it I would put open shelving with some baskets, but not on every shelf. I am not sure that I would leave the hoosier center; I'd play with how it looks over to one side, with the shelving on the other side. The shelving would be less deep than the countertop so that you can use the countertop. I would not completely stuff the area; the idea being that the hoosier should be the focus and the shelving and counter just blending in with the wall.

Another idea would be to make a built-in pantry on one side with the same material as the wall. Hoosier would sit on the other side - again not crowding the whole back wall.
Diane

Thanks! I'm definitely open to moving the Hoosier from center depending on what else I can come up with. It's really handy because I can use the top--which pulls out-- for serving appetizers for parties or Thanksgiving.

Some open shelving with baskets may work OK.

I've also thought about a built-in pantry-type of thing.

Yes -- Ikea "Billy" shelving in fresh white would certainly "fill in" that entire wall space on both sides of the Hoosier cabinet. Then you could hang the pretty "barn" artwork above the Hoosier.

Look for a vintage-style clock to hang in the same place as your wall calendar.

Check out their options for the Billy system of bookcases ... doors or doors with windows. You could use baskets or closed containers to hold smaller items together on the shelves. Also check out their option to add an additional "high" cabinet right on top of their regular-height shelves -- of course -- this option depends on the height of your ceilings!

Measure carefully -- and then use every possible inch of space! :)

Jan at the (very small) Rosemary Cottage

Why not try the Julia Child solution of hanging kitchen utensils on pegboard? It would fit in very nicely with your kitchen style.

Yes, I love Julia's pegboard! I do have an Enclume potrack on another wall.

Will the items in the drawers be what you need to store? If so then I'd think about adding another base cabinet to the left of that gorgeous refrigerator with three or four drawers, depending on the depth of what you need to store. Also have them pull out fully which gives you full access to every inch of the drawer.
I'd move the Hoosier to to the left and add wall cabinet from floor to ceiling. Wall cabinets work well as a pantry since they are only twelve inches deep. Oops, just re-read and you mention IKEA Billie bookcases. They would work great and are probably less expense than wall cabinetry is. I think they'd look great with the frosted glass doors you can get them in too.

The kitchen redo is gorgeous. Not just the fridge!

Sorry to say I am not too creative with the storage solutions.........but I have to re-affirm for you that you did do a great job and your kitchen is fantastic. I love your taste, and it just looks great and not cookie cutter even though you do have some very stylish elements--(read that unique in the good way:).

Thank you for the compliments! It has been a work in progress over about the past two years done in stages, and I'd really like to finish this end this summer while I am off from teaching because otherwise there is no time! Our home is 1960's, and we like to keep the retro feel. Also, the blue ceramic tile floor was already here, so we just coordinated around it. DH really wanted white in the kitchen. The floor is a huge pain to keep clean with the light grout, but I do have Stanley Steemer come in between my own cleanings.

We've done most things on a budget with the obvious splurges the Big Chill and the blue pearl granite (gift from my mother's estate). I've had the Hoosier cabinet for about 10 years from my former home.

Lots of good ideas here! Thank you for your help. The granite folks built the cabinet around the washer so I could have more counter space above it, so perhaps their woodworking guy can build another cabinet for us. I'll still have to go back to Ikea again, but make sure I have careful measurements of the space.

I thought I'd have a little fun and add an extra base cabinet to the left of that awesome fridge. I know how important extra counter space can be and since you also needed extra storage this seemed a logical place to add it. If for some reason, that I can't see in the photos, you need the extra floor space here you could always add a wall cabinet or an angled corner cabinet.
{{!gwi}}
Click photo to see enlarged version.

I'd put an old wooden table to the left of the fridge with a big basket under it for kitchen laundry or recycling.
I'd also put a back on the kitchen side of the open shelves on the wall to the left of the Hoosier, and use it to be seen from the hall side, which would allow you to use all of the space on the kitchen side.
Then I'd buy or build two fairly shallow cabinets on either side of the Hoosier...one as a food pantry, and the other for your kitchen dishes & silverware, and all those cooking and serving things you use less than once a week. You've got plenty of room for generous ones side to side, and if you keep them shallow, you can get at everything in them.
I would take them almost all the way up, with closed doors. You can keep your clean kitchen linens there, and all the cookbooks you have too many of and don't use all the time...and you can keep one shelf empty.
(My grandmother used to call that the "parson's crypt." You're sitting at your kitchen table with a nice bourbon and water and the newspaper and a lot of other mess around, and suddenly you see the parson coming up the walk.) My daughter calls it the mother-in-law shelf. Same idea.

Wow, these are good ideas! I normally keep the trash can on the side of the fridge, but clearly we are not optimizing prime potential storage space there. Besides a cabinet or table, I could put a small movable cart there.

Never thought about putting a back on the open shelving. That would allow more space on that wall and would be easy to do. It is not like a whole lot of light comes through to the hallway anyways.

We also need a new trash can! We have an old rubbermaid plastic 'bullet' shape in beige, so that needs to go, too. I can find a cobalt blue bullet or else just go with stainless.

One note on trash cans...I am not by nature extravagant..but in this kitchen I don't have a narrow drawer for a trash can and have to have it out, so I sprang for this simplehuman stainless one (I chose the one in large photo on the left of the page because it fits beside my island and opens in the right direction for me), and for the first time in my life, I love a garbage can! Imagine that...

What I like about this one is, first, it has an inner can which is very easy to lift out into which you put the bags, and you don't see those bag edges hanging out (I hate that!).
But most luxurious of all, when you take your foot off the pedal, it closes slowly, gently, without a sound! No bang. Ahhhhh...

(I'm not connected to the company, by the way.)

Here is a link that might be useful: My wonderful garbage can

Thanks for the heads up on the trash can!

Now I must present these ideas to DH.