This is my niece's and her DH's new house. They are planning to remodel the kitchen without replacing the cabinets, and they have a few questions about this penninsula. These are the changes they are making to the kitchen and the fireplace:

- Removing the raised portion on the penninsula to create a flat counter-height penninsula.

- Intalling new countertops and backsplash (something like Ceasarstone Frosty Carrina, using the quartz for the splash as well).

- Installing new sink and faucet

- Upgrading all ceiling can lights to LED throughout house.

- Painting throughout house.

- Changing the fireplace hearth and surround to something that coordinates with the changes to the kitchen.

- Keeping cabinets.

- Keeping appliances for now and will upgrade as $$ allows over time.

These photos are from the listing:

Question #1: Penninsula countertop extending past adjacent wall: They met with a contractor who told them that the overhang where stools would go would need to be extended because it's only a few inches of knee space. If the countertop is extended to provide adequate knee space, then it will extend out past the plane of the adjacent wall (near the white door in the second photo). Would that be okay, or would it look out of place and unsightly?

Question #2: I am assuming that the pony wall behind the penninsula is there to accomodate plumbing and electrical. I know nothing about plumbing or electrical. Is it possible to remove the pony wall and gain back that knee space? Meaning, can any plumbing or electrical that is in there be re-routed somehow to do that? Then they could have cabinet panels made for the back of the penninsula for a clean look. If that's possible then maybe adaquate knee space can be created without extending the countertop out past the adjacent wall?

Here's a close up of the current overhang, and you can barely see in the upper left hand corner of the photo that the current countertop is flush with the plane of the adjacent wall.

Note: The sellers left an extra box of laminate flooring in the garage to patch that area where the pony wall meets the floor and fix any other areas that might be affected.

Thanks in advance for any replies!