@smalloldhouse - thanks for that link and ideas! It looks so nice what you have done! @kirkhall - my hope is to primarily eat at a stool counter facing into the kitchen… so I can look at the garden. The stairs come up almost literally into the bathroom. It is not so great. Hmmmm, I don't know which I would prefer to lose in terms of doorways. I *think* the one closest to the stairs? Ok, here is the drawing of my current thought…. Sorry for the weird drawings, but I didn't know how to do it. That dark blob on the drawing is me trying to depict a bar-stool counter that faces the seaters looking at the door to the deck/garden (with cabinets on the kitchen side) :) Also I have it now so that the door to the deck starts a food from the wall (and is a smaller door) so that I can put a shallow set of base cabinets (and shelving) along the wall that is shared with the 1/2 bath. I am still unsure about where to place the fridge and whether I should seal off the entrance closest to the bathroom, as suggested by @kirkhall above. In the drawing I have done that. If I do it, I would put shallow cabinets and shelving there too, I am guessing. Although maybe I could somehow put the fridge there? Or maybe that is weird? Thoughts? Clearly I am still open! This post was edited by LSSF on Sun, Jun 29, 14 at 3:11

Do you know where you will be storing dishes and glasses? Generally considered an advantage to have them close to the DW, but it does not look to me like you will have enough room in those uppers near the sink. If you plan to use drawers in the island across from the sink, then you could eliminate the uppers as berardmr suggested.

Well the other option, as lisa just pointed out, is to keep everything and change out the counters. getting a white granite or quartz would work better w/the warm wood cabs and the brick much better. All depends what you want to change the most. I would also paint a few more of those bricks that dark, black tone that's down in the left bottom portion of the pic. that makes a nice contrast. (do that if keeping the brick as is and changing countertops) If you plan on painting the cabs in the white color, do the island in the dark gray instead of the wall color. in fact, do the entire island in this one and if painting the cabs, have the holes filled in so you can redo the handles like this did you know you could make your existing doors shaker by adding simple trim around the edge? (ignore the piece down the middle)

suezbell........ thank you for taking the time to share with me. I think my plans may be a little confusing. The refrigerator is being pushed into what is the current stairway area, and remaining space of stairway will be turned into a closet pantry. The tall cabinets beside the refrigerator are what I use as my pantry now. The stairway walls cannot be removed due to support issue and cost but the steps will no longer be used so we are having a floor installed and using the space to widen our kitchen. Only storage space being done away with is 3 uppers beside sink and cabinetry around the refrigerator. We don't use cabinet above fridge and closet pantry will be larger than the tall cabinets we currently have. The kitchen connects to our family room. You also access the stairway to finished basement and 2nd level deck directly from kitchen via the eat-in area. The once white cabinets are very solid but have yellowed. The builder said it is from the oils in the wood. We have had a couple doors refinished only to have them yellow again within months. Some will have to be replaced due to water damage under the sink. I would also need an oven cabinet as I would prefer a built-in over another range. I have gotten a rough estimate from a custom cabinet maker to build a few replacement cabinets. If I were to keep the cabinets they will have to be refinished as they have yellowed in areas, another expense to consider if keeping current cabinetry. I am in the process of getting quotes for new cabinets through other resources. Would love drawers in my kitchen.