Magsnj, I'd almost certainly want to protect that nice window in the pantry too. Sigh. I liked my idea, too. The big issue is obviously what to do with the elephant-in-the-kitchen. 1. How about seeing what reframing the door from the DRM down in the lower corner does for you, like Bellsmom's but all the way down? You'd be able to go in and out from the back garden without actually walking "through" the kitchen. The refrigerator could go left of the doorway, invisible from the rest of the house (you put a panel across its side), the stove would be on the LRM wall, and there'd be work counter to the fridge's right to join the counter around the stove. 2. My favorite option from a distance: How about moving the door to the back yard out of the kitchen and into the dining room, giving it the work space it needs? Perhaps as one a trio of French doors. I imagine those three windows there are a very nice feature you'd like to leave alone but, ultimately, opening up a direct relationship between your living spaces and the rear garden would improve livability as a whole and, of course, allow you to set the elephant down into that lower left corner where the current door is, with storage alongside. Then the options would be much more fun: * Have the stove back to the DRM wall in a closed kitchen, * Put it on the LRM wall and create an open work counter at the DRM wall. * Slide the DRM door up against the closet for the additional layout options that offers. (You'd probably have to reframe it anyway to fit in the fridge.)

whatever has been said..your landlord sounds like a real nice guy..:) unless of course you have agreement that your improvements hugely lower your rent? what I'd do though..if I was as handy and as eager as you.. -the mosaic in the kitchen where the backsplash is-hard to see whether a real backsplash or wallpaper? if wallpaper-get rid of it and repaint. if real mosaics-just repaint. ETA-ok reread your post..real mosaics. I love peel and stick options that do exist, but I'm not sure I'd go for them here..it's not so much mosaic as its placement..countertop backsplash plus mosaics plus wrap around..too much. And it won't be easy to find something that will work. But. Check your options. Etsy has pages upon pages of tile decals, for example. https://www.etsy.com/search?q=tile%20decals&ref=auto1&as_prefix=tile%20decals -you seem to have no space next to the stove..I know IKEA carries these narrow tables you know? or something of the kind..that you can put in between the stove and the fridge, have some landing surface, spot to place a pot you know -is the floor in the kitchen real tile or linoleum/vinyl? you can try and cover it with something if it irritates you of course(to me it's actually the worst offender. along with the blinds that I'd take out and put on curtains. but you're going to do that anyway). it can be tile decals, it can be floor cloth, it can be big inexpensive rug.. the rest of the kitchen, just deep clean and let be. new paint will make a huge difference -your door is fine..hard to see the living to make helpful furniture placement suggestion, but generally I find that sofa plus two chairs is the most versatile in most cases -the bathroom is cute and blue in cabinets picks up the flooring. Wallpaper is best to go though since it clashes with flooring. Clean the grout..and ask your landlord to change faucets etc if they're problematic. If they're not but you hate them-well maybe you can split the price. New paint, shower curtain that you love-and you're good. What's your style preference? I'm crazy about shower curtains so can look them up and suggest for you, and would be my pleasure:) you do need some "landing strip" as they call it..and I can't see whether youn can fit small dining table in the corner of the kitchen? .. if you want more suggestions about colors, furnishings, furniture layout and such, I recommend cross posting in Home Decorating forum. They(ok, us. lol) will ask you a bit more about dimensions, layout, preferences in style, budget, needs, etc. Congratulations on your first renting place, it's exciting..and good luck!

Pardon my ignorance, how do you intend using the area above the kitchen on the front side of the house? Could that be used as the dining room? It wouldn't get the powder room any further from the kitchen, but the pr would no longer be opening out of the dining room, nor would the mudroom.

Hi there! My husband and I are in the process of buying our first home, yay! We should be able to start work in the next few weeks--a month before we will move in. We are prioritizing which projects we want to tackle first--flooring and paint before we move in. I am a huge fan of fireplaces and mantles as centerpieces and am looking for advice. The first photo is what is currently in the home. Ideas on cost/effort to tear off outdated stone? I much prefer brick-can we add it on top? Cheaper to just whitewash paint the ugly stone? (Least favorite option but I'm assuming much cheaper). We will be adding new luxury vinyl just to get an idea on the room, it won't be carpet. Thank you for your help and advice!!