Yes- we have almost exactly the corner pantry set up you have, strangely enough, though on the side opposite the fridge we have a double oven (did you not want double ovens as part of your remodel? Just a thought ;) ). I do like it, though in my last house I had more of a long & thin walk in pantry that I preferred b/c of easier access to the shelves. In the current one, we have a narrower set (?2ft wide) shelves to the right when we walk in and then the left side wall is longer (4 ft) so the shelves kind of tuck toward the back (if that makes any sense- there is like 8" between the side of the right hand shelving unit & the front of the rear end of the left hand shelving...no idea how to explain that). Therefore, I have a little trouble seeing what is back there (I'm only 5') and have to pull out a stool to dig around on the upper 2 shelves. I have a lot of junk in there that I really need to store elsewhere which would free up space. I also have to keep the larger appliances in there (stand mixer, crock pot, electric griddle, etc) because I don't have room in my regular cabinets. I purchased some plastic bins to try to organize my different categories of pantry items and also have found the metal racks that slide onto shelves ('undershelf baskets') to create a little shelf under them to be very helpful for things like napkins, tin foil, saran wrap, boxes of plastic baggies, etc- makes better use of higher shelves that have wasted space up top.

Bee, it's upstate NY. It's just beyond the summer/weekend NYC second home territory. We're not in the Hudson Valley stratosphere, but talented local furniture and cab makers do work in NYC and Boston. It's probably the only way to make a go of the business. If you know of anyone in shouting distance, let me know! I do have the pie safe. It is narrow -- the old cupboard is a little more reasonable at 20". I'm also worried about losing too much storage, but I fear with this bowling alley shape that a long line of lowers on both sides might feel like a tunnel. There's also the cart to fit in. I should also mention that the ceilings will be 8 foot at best. Lighting is going to be tricky, too, since the window (room for a second, or higher fixed transoms?) faces northeast and the door northwest.

I have an almost 200-year-old house with the original wide pine boards in most areas. Sag? They roll like the mighty Atlantic. And make almost as much noise as a flock of seagulls (the birds, not the band). But they are structurally sound. So I don't give it a second thought. That word "unfitted" from igloochic is key, and the advice from Jane to look at British magazines and Web sites, where the look and furniture are more common, are very good advice. Fired Earth, Plain English Design, the Kitchen Dresser Company, Thomas & Thomas are among the companies that make free-standing kitchen furniture you can view online. It's not necessarily Victorian in style, but it is definitely meant to be used by people who, like you, move into an essentially empty room labeled "kitchen", so it's worth looking at. I'm not an island person, so I may be biased, but I think a nice oak table would be the thing for your kitchen. Some have a shelf underneath and can store pots. You can pick them up for not too much money, particularly if the dealer wants a huge table out of the store fast! A big armoire can be a pantry or pot storage. Things don't have to be on wheels, but if the floor is soft pine, it's good to distribute the weight of table legs or armoire feet on padded blocks so they don't dent the floor. Looking at a lot of magazines/Web site photos actually helps. And taking a stack of favorites and looking for a single thing like "how do they do X?" helps. Something as odd as "How did they get that stove to vent without going back through the wall? Could I live with that?" Sometimes seeing that someone else has accepted an odd solution gives you the courage to stick with one yourself. Good luck. And do take your time. Your house has waited this long for you!

I could be wrong, but I don't think those brackets are supporting the shelves. With no bracket in the corner, I don't believe that you can build structurally sound shelves this way. I think they are floating shelves with decorative brackets. I could be wrong. Maybe someone with actual carpentry skills can weigh in, both on how the shelves in the picture were hung and whether you can make floating shelves strong enough. I googled "floating shelve strength" and turned up a lot of stuff. Here is one link: Here is a link that might be useful: Floating shelves DIY