rtwilliams - You are too kind! What a beautiful kitchen! I wish I could get my kitchen to look like that, but our soffits go over the eating area too, not just the cabinets. If we painted only the soffits white, it would look like the ceiling was low (well, which I guess it is!). Our DIY kitchen remodel is being done on a strict budget. One day, for a future remodel, I hope to have enough funds to get custom cabinets (or at least custom doors) and completely remove (or at least shrink down) the ugly soffits. I can't WAIT for the day when I can take a sledgehammer to them!! It will be SO gratifying!! :) I talked the ideas and photos over with my DH. He doesn't think the crown where the ceiling and soffit meet will work b/c our kitchen has some strange angles and opens up to both the den and foyer so we couldn't continue the crown to envelop the kitchen - it would have to stop awkwardly in a number of places. =/ Sigh - I think, in our case we are going to have to "embrace" the soffit. Maybe I can dress it up with some pretty decorative plates, and add some collectibles over the non soffited cabinets to try to make it look cohesive. Our kitchen is never going to be anywhere Near as gorgeous as the kitchens that are shown on here. It will probably look like most people's before photos. But, we just have to try to be grateful for what we have, and make the best of it. Thank you again, for all of your thoughtful help!

Many of those types of cabinets separate easily--mine has cast iron braces to hold the top on the base, so separating them to use in the same space is no big deal, IMO, and removing a door is a good solution, if you want to use the two pieces in the same room. I'd save the door, and all hardware, and keep it nearby, in case you want to restore the cabinets. The 'top only' piece makes that a moot point, so I'd choose it, and the other cabinet which most closely matches, and would be most suitable for a desk. I like option #2. You can replace the glass panels to match one or the other, and keep the originals with the door and hardware. My cabinet has replacement glass panels, done by my sister before she gave me the cabinet. ETA, as for height, you can get a wooden island stool, and cut the legs down to the correct height for the countertop. We did that once with two matching stools, when toddlers needed an interim chair height between high chair and regular chair.

I'd want it to stay separate. What is that window in the laundry facing? Would it be possible to have a door on that wall? I'd put a door across from the pocket door and put the washer dryer to the longest exterior wall. Then you could probably fit a sink in there somewhere. If you move the doors more to the center then you have space for a whole wall of cabinets on the interior wall. You could do a tall cabinet for cleaning supplies, brooms, etc. Then have a folding counter if you like. I'd move the pocket door from kitchen into the pantry up as much as you can. As it is now, you don't have anywhere for a lightswitch in the pantry or the laundry. If you add a 36" exterior door from the laundry then you can have the pocket doors be 30". I'd use the wall inside the pantry to hang aprons or have a shelf for cookbooks or even wine. Also, think about how you will use the pantry. A sink is good if you will actually work in there, but if not then a sink in the laundry is better. You can use that sink for messy stuff. I use the sink in my laundry to wash dogs, arrange flowers, clean bird feeders, wash up from crafty stuff, clean the grill grates, etc.

More of a difference of opinion with hubby. Cabinets & flooring in storage, I feel the outside elevation is critical. But having a back splash above the sink and below the window is pretty important. He doesn't want to have to change two window openings and I think its worth the effort and time to do it (move both windowopenings up) so it's done properly but its him doing the work not me. We have room 14-18" above the roof overhang (exterior of house) to move both windows up but again - a lot of work! One window will be four or so inches higher than the other if we don't change the other window. You wont notice from the inside but from the outside I think it will look horrible! The finished product will last a couple of lifetimes...