Hello! We're planning to remodel the kitchen in the 25-year-old house we moved into last November. We are two retired senior citizens and don't know many people here yet except for one son who lives in the area. So not many social gatherings happening here. We both cook but usually not at the same time. I like experimenting with food, recipes, and cooking.

Right now I'm trying to come up with a good layout. Basically, the kitchen is okay, sort of functional, if you don't cook much. There is plenty of space around the island, the appliances, such as they are, work. We can usually stay out of each other's way when both of us are working in the kitchen at the same time, which isn't often. The wood floor is in really good shape except for the finish in the area between the sink and the cooktop. I'm guessing it could just be refinished/touched up there. We'd like to keep it. I think that's all we like about the kitchen. Oh, the countertop has worn like iron (or should I say granite?). Not sure if it's some kind of epoxy-treated Formica or what. If only it weren't so dark.

What we are looking forward to is:

- improved lighting

- big single bowl sink with a good faucet

- good actual venting (currently there is only a recirculating fan)

- more counterspace for prep (ideally between sink and stove, but the island is a good prep area too)

- improved storage (all drawers below the counter, full-extension, soft-close ; adjustable shelving)

- lighter colored countertop

- extended island counter overhang for better seating. I typically eat breakfast and lunch at the island even though there's not enough room for my legs. Sometimes the island doesn't feel big enough when I'm baking or otherwise involved in a big kitchen project.

- 30-inch induction range/cooktop

- counterdepth fridge?

- pullout trash cabinet with space for compost container

- microwave closer to the fridge?

Nice to have:

- tall pantry cabinet (not really a fan of the upper corner cabinet with its lazy susans); the pantry cabinet with pullout shelves is one of the things I miss the most from my previous kitchen

- maybe a beverage center for the coffeemaker, electric pot, sodastream, water filter pitcher (although we may get a RO filter installed and do away with the pitcher)

I have a good supply of small kitchen appliances: Instant Pot, KitchenAid mixer, crockpot, blender, food processor, wafflemaker, Foodsaver, and a countertop steam/convection/toaster oven (still dithering about a built-in steam oven). Most of these live in the corner cabinet/area. I'd like to find a place for the mixer in the kitchen proper, but I don't care for those lifts in a dedicated cabinet.

The kitchen does have a "breakfast area", but we chose not to put a table there. Right now, we use it as a library/conversation area. We have some bookshelves (and books!) there as well as a couch. It feels like not such a great use of space given that the kitchen itself can't hold something like my mixer.

At first, I thought that the fridge and oven should swap places. It feels like a long walk with hot pans from the too small oven (24") to the cooktop. (I am getting better at remembering to set up cooling racks on the island, but it just feels inconvenient.) Anyway, now I'm wondering if that swap is a good idea. I should probably just give up on the idea of a cooktop + wall oven, get a range and leave the refrigerator where it is.

Further notes: the house has a slab foundation so plumbing changes are problematic/impossible? as I understand it. Exterior is fiberboard siding so moving windows shouldn't be too much of a problem, right? The house needs new windows too.

Thanks for taking a look at our project. I look forward to your thoughts and ideas. Hope the layout is readable.