can't figure out that assembly built into the wall with the plants and glass shelves by the dining table.I'd change the pale blue paint-clean up that wall assembly, or do something with it-in the middle-there isn't anything there...I'd go for a new dining set and chairs and barstools that blend together..get the style that works with the cherry kitchen. For a 5 yr stay, the kitchen looks fine...that's not what you want to hear.....

Thanks herbflavor. I wanted someone to tell me to rip it all up and make it exactly like I want it to be, but you are right, with a few tweaks it can be pretty good. I'm glad your baffled about the wall unit too. My husband likes it. I think it looks like they forgot part of it. I think my biggest issue is the placement of the cooktop, but I'm not sure where I would move it to even if I wanted to.

With young children, I would NOT want that cooktop in the island. If it had a decent amount of space behind it and on both sides, I'd recommend leaving it for the five years you think you'll be in it. But it obviously does not have enough space behind it (I cannot tell about the far side). I would at least find a way to fix the cooktop situation.

Some thoughts...

1. Move the cooktop...

• What is to the left of the refrigerator (where there is an opening with two pictures placed vertically)? It looks like a cooktop might fit there.
• How wide is the space b/w the corner and the refrigerator?

The oven seems orphaned on that wall. Do the openings flanking the ovens go to the same place?

• If so, would you consider closing off the left one? You could move the refrigerator there and open up the wall where the refrigerator currently is to add more workspace to the right of the cooktop's new location.

If they go to two different places, is there a doorway into the room on the right from the left area that would still allow you to close off the left with the refrigerator w/o adding too much travel time/distance to get to the kitchen?
If the refrigerator can be moved, you might even be able to move the opening for the cooktop to the right 18" or so...just move the cabinets over...you will need to fill in that area anyway.
If you want to and can remove the "random peninsula" in the DR, you might be able to re-purpose the cabinets in the peninsula as upper cabinets in the kitchen on the "new" cooktop wall...assuming they are the same cabinets as the kitchen cabinets.
Where is the DW? It looks like it might be to the right of the sink...is it? If so, that might make it problematical to move the cooktop unless you can also move the refrigerator.
I'd have to see more pictures and closeups of each section of the kitchen and DR to tell if this idea might work.

Leave the cooktop, but...

• How wide is the aisle b/w the island and the oven?

If there's room, could you add 42" tall 12" deep cabinets or open shelves to the back of the peninsula and then put in a raised counter behind the cooktop? It would at least add a bit of safety buffer behind the cooktop and raising the counter would add even more.
I would not put seating there b/c the aisle would definitely not be wide enough plus people would be sitting too close to the cooktop even w/a 12" deep counter behind it.
I'm not sure if this suggestion will work since the pictures do not give me enough information, especially measurements.

One final question...are you sure you will only be in the house 5 years? Most people stay in houses longer than they expect to.

Good luck!

Boy, Buehl's last thought can be so true. For instance, if a future runup in housing prices were to coincide with personal retrenching, such as due to medical bills or a period of unemployment.

Your kitchen seems pretty nice. My knee-jerk problem is with that random counter plunked down over there. Maybe if I were there and had a young family all sorts of functions would occur to me, but from this side of the screen my first thought is to get that thing out of the way of everything, then look at the rest, including the wall built-ins. If you have generous space for dining with them there, perhaps just pull off the top, leaving a serving/storage counter on that side with room with a nice place to display family art above? Expense for taking out the "random" counter, would, of course, depend on whether it was installed on top of the finish flooring.

In any case, to me the first step to "pretty" would be to open up and declutter whatever isn't pretty and valuable to you. Create visual and functional spaciousness, then refine that.

Does that 12' width include the ovens? Would support members be on the kitchen side of that vertical block holding them, or on family room side? If the latter, I'd be very inclined to consider reclaiming the kitchen-side 1.5-2 of depth' for the kitchen, allowing a deeper island with room for stool overhang. A small job if no structural work were involved (with the exception of the flooring, but maybe you guys really want to replace that soon anyway? :). It would also "declutter" the kitchen view toward the sitting area, the view of ovens replaced, perhaps, with just a simple wall if there were structural members there.

Regardless of all that, though, the stovetop could be removed from the island, and a stove/oven unit placed on the short counter by the fridge. This would give you an efficient work area, with plenty of island to spread out on as needed. This should also be a fairly easy and inexpensive job. If you needed an additional matching lower cabinet to make it work, it could be scavenged from the island itself. Islands are often created (as inexpensively as one needs) from cabinets of different style, anyway, plus the inside of yours is out of general sight and could just be retrofitted with different doors (and cabinet box as needed) and look great. Many do that on purpose.

If Husband likes the wall unit, I'd go for a lg painting in that middle area...maybe a decorative/colorful mosaic scape on that wall. Take away the numerous small objects-one large piece or focal point in the middle-the lighting is there.The shelves flanking it look usable-do you have some larger scaled pottery pieces to show off there, with a decorative table runner-[compromise with hubby and go for hardwood dining set and new stools].Address the cooktop issue, and your goals will be within reach.

Wow. Thanks for all the suggestions. It gives me something to think about. I know we may end up here for more than five years, but I doubt it. We are relocating back to the US after living in China for seven years. We are excited about finally being home, but neither of us are opposed to going back if the right opportuinity came along.

Buehl, you nailed my number one issue, the cooktop. There are only a few inches between the edge of the counter and the back of the cooktop. I'm worried about little hands. I do think that it could fit to the left of the refrigerator. It would give me a really small triangle, but would definitely be better then the current set up.

I would love to get rid of the ovens, put the refrigerator there, put a large range on the current refrigerator wall and call it good. Probably not going to happen. The ovens seem reasonably new and although it seems that Thermador ovens don't have the best reviews, I hate to get rid of something that is in newer working condition.

If we closed off the entry way to the left of the oven we would have to walk down a small hallway, through the living and dining rooms to get to the kitchen. I think this might be difficult if loaded down with groceries after a trip to the supermarket.

The dishwasher is to the left of the sink. Maybe to the left of that I could put the cooktop or even the refrigerator.

rosie and herbflavor, you guys have convinced me to get rid of the peninsula and maybe even the wall unit. It didn't take much convincing, but everyone here has tried to convince me to keep it for a while to see if I liked it. I know I don't like it and I figure if it's not there we won't miss it. I would much rather get an antique hutch if I needed more storage. The flooring runs under all the cabinets which is great. The problem is the flooring needs to be refinished so I would like to get rid of the cabinets I don't want before doing that.

Hubby was supposed to get some measurments at the inspection, but he got sidetracked. I know it is impossible to make any real suggestions without having the dimensions of the kitchen. I'm going to try to get into the house with my tape measure after closing but before we take possession.