First you need to determine if it's a bearing wall. Either way, cost will be a factor. If not load bearing, you'd be looking at new cabinets, countertops, and perhaps matching the flooring some. You could make it a half wall adding some storage along there; but I see you have a heat thing (sorry... Floridan here so not sure what you call it) coming out of the floor along that wall. That may need to be revented then. BUt if you could, with storage along that wall you can do an over-hang to give it a more open look.

I really like the island table with the black - it makes the piece much more crisp. It makes me realize that I really want to mix painted and finished wood in my house - blasphemous for this cabinet-maker's daughter. Interestingly my family is in the process of selling my grand-parents house - who were also artists who were in the WPA and FSA. Small world. Luckily my uncle and mother are in agreement about the sale of the house. I'm glad you have a piece to remind you of that legacy and those people. I have a few pieces from my grandparent's home - it's nice to carry them forward in the family.

Agree with Skippack Tile. No cart. No island. Take some time to edit what you have on the kitchen counters. It looks like you have lots of decor items taking up valuable real estate on your counters. In particular all of the items to the left of your sink and on the peninsula can be removed IMO. I would also edit the items to the right of the sink. If you remove part of the decor, you should have plenty of room for actual prep and cooking tasks. IMO most of your kitchen counter items look like items that belong elsewhere in your home and not in the kitchen. While you are editing your decor, take down everything over the cabinets.

I don’t know if you ever finished your kitchen, but in case you did not, and in case others come across this thread, I thought I would tell what we did. We remodeled our kitchen using a 24 year-old high end kitchen from a kitchen charity reseller (Green Demolitions). It had a huge island that I could fit into our space if we did not have a kitchen table. I have lifelong knee problems and could hardly rise off a regular chair height, so moving to 24” kitchen stools sounded like a solution. We went with the island, with space for four to comfortably sit. It turns out that my knees don’t much like sitting on stools, either. We are a family of two and take our meals in our recliners, anyhow. The issue became how to have people over and sit comfortably. Then I discovered convertible furniture of Italian design! They make coffee tables that rise up on scissor legs to dining height with tops that swivel 90 degrees and open like a book, doubling their size. There are other designs as well, all creating full size dining tables. We found a leather sofa at Macy’s that has a seat height of 20” and we keep our old dining chairs in the basement to bring out when people visit. Our family room is now easily and quickly converted to a dining room with banquette seating. Here is where I got our table. If you live near NYC there are local choices, too. https://expandfurniture.com