I can't get the 70s Disaster Link to work, so I'll try this again.

Here is a link that might be useful: 70s Disaster Retry

Given the size of your kitchen (just about the same as ours) I would not recommend trying to fit in a wall oven.

I would consider moving the stove to the pantry/bathroom wall, so that you get the full benefit of more light and openness between the two rooms. Are you going to look into a vent hood that could vent outside?

Your husband needs a desk. Preferably a secretary desk, that you can close up... link to one possibility below. It doesn't have to be five feet wide, but if you don't get him one, then your new peninsula area will just collect more of his stuff. (Trust me, I speak from experience!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Secretary Desk

Eastbaymom -

First of all, I love that desk. It's just our "style". And I totally agree with you about the clutter that accumulate on the island. I've already warned him that he will need find another space in the house to collect things.

The one problem with putting a range against the bathroom wall is that it is really a busy place. It's the main line in and out of the house. If we put the fridge there...which I think works, it's not like anyone, except my 8 year old stands in front of the fridge. He, of course, stands there and stands there hoping something new will appear. But, if I put the stove there, I'm standing in front of it, so everyone will have to walk around me to get into the house.

I do want to vent the range. Am not sure what/how. I had a previous post about the whole dilemma...I'm also thinking that if we are opening up the dining room wall, it will also work to put in whatever ductwork we need to vent to the outside. I'm afraid hubby is pretty set on peninsula range/cooktop.

Thanks.

Your space is very similar to our current kitchen, except that we have a breakfast room instead of the backyard on the other side of the door, and one less doorway in the kitchen itself (it's just outside the kitchen instead). Is your circa 1970s, or older than that? (Layout looks *very* similar to the 1910s and 1920s bungalows where we live---I've been watching MLS listings for kitchen ideas ever since we decided to renovate!)

We turned our layout inside out and upside down and ended up with something not too dissimilar from what we started out with. We do have our fridge on the wall where your pantry is now, and will in the new layout too---not my top choice but we ran out of places it would fit. Our bedroom's on the other side so we don't have the option of recessing it, unfortunately. Could you recess it into your bathroom and hide it with a built-in cabinet that looks deeper than it actually is, maybe?

One house I saw with a very similar space to yours opened up the wall partially into the dining room to make a raised breakfast bar on the dining room side with a big pass-through window, and then a slightly lower counter on the kitchen side. They put their stove where your refrigerator is now, with cabinets on either side. I think the refrigerator was on the wall where your drop-leaf counter is. (A little hard to describe---I have a photo but not sure it's kosher to post since I have no clue whose house it is! If you send me a message I can email it to you, though---it's also cherry shaker cabinets with some sort of dark counter.)

Alternatively, if you take that wall out all together---could you maybe do an island with your range there?

Artemis -

You're right. The house was built prior to 1901. I just know that the kitchen had to be renovated in the 1970s...that's the only explanation I have for the brown sink and green and white formica countertops.

I talked to DH earlier this week about moving the range to the back wall by door. He hated the idea. Didn't like the idea of putting the pantry there either. After visualizing an open counterspace and cabinets where our enormous fridge resides, I think it's hard for him to put anything else there.

We are really thinking about putting fridge where the MW currently is, and recessing that in the wall. If we put the range in the peninsula (where we knock out the wall, essentially keeping it where it currently is), then we'll have a perfect triangle! Not that that is necessarily my goal. It makes sense on paper. But because of the constraints in the size, it still gets a little tight.

We were visualizing something like you described above with the breakfast bar on the dining room side of the wall we move (part of the peninsula).

I'll email you cause I would like to get more ideas. I never thought about looking at MLS listings. Hmmm...one more spot to get ideas. Thanks.

Here's how we're doing it, in case that helps---pretty similar since, although we're spilling into our breakfast room, we're preserving it as space for breakfast table + mudroom/broom closet, so the actual kitchen is roughly the same footprint as yours. I'm not a huge fan of the angled counter, but lost that battle. Oh, well. :)

Our kitchen is 13 feet wide---if you draw a line across from the end of the refrigerator to the dog bowl (the weird thing with circles!), that's about 12 feet long (and is where the wall between the rooms is right now).

You know...this is very similar to what we were originally thinking of. Only we were going to run some cabinets along your imaginary wall between dog dish :) and fridge. We wanted to put a pantry where your fridge is and move the fridge to the left of pantry and try to squeeze in a small angled cabinet to the left of fridge. Our two issues with this are: 1) venting range (I could go with an island hood, but it adds more money to the whole reno and my husband has already tripled his original budget) and 2) if we put the pantry or fridge where your fridge is, it's next to a wall and we'll have issues with opening a door (I suppose a pull out pantry there is a possibility...then again with cabinets across the areas maybe not). We currently have a big hummer pantry in the proposed pantry space. It has pull outs that have dug grooves in the door and I can never find anything because the drawers are so deep. I really need something where I can see what I have so I quit buying multiple cans of black beans!

You've been really helpful! Thanks.