I only have a couple of suggestions: ”We will be staining the floor to be a darker color.” I don’t recommend this. Dark floors are a maintenance nightmare. They show every speck. You will have to clean them constantly because a couple of specks look so glaring against a dark floor they’ll make it seem as if the entire floor is not clean. I am not exaggerating, so mark my words. Meanwhile, the natural stain that is on the floor now shows nothing. I’d keep it if possible. ”Any ideas on backsplash?” Backsplash must be chosen last, after everything else is installed, especially after the counters. Even seasoned interior designers with decades of experience wait to install the backsplash. If you try to pick a backsplash too early you will make a mistake. ”The current island is 3x4. What island size do you recommend?” It is impossible to answer this question without having precise measurements of the kitchen. Anyone who says they can answer this question without drawn-to-scale kitchen measurements you should run far far away from. Plus are you going to have seating or not at the island will certainly affect island size. There are also aisle clearances to keep in mind, and things like can you open the oven door with a bigger island, and what about the flooring under the island what happens to that, and what about seating and counter overhangs for seating, and what about electrical for the island as there are building Code requirements for electrical in the island. As mentioned in the post above, don’t dive in too fast or you will regret it. Though I don’t think you need 6-12 months; I think 3-6 months should give you an idea of what you like and don’t like about the kitchen. It will also help to have the time to research and learn some things about kitchen renovation. In any case, lead times for contractors are, like, 4-6 months these days, so you won’t be able to implement changes in a short time in any case.

You might be surprised at the miracles the pros here can work with complete information. If you are putting in new cabinets you may be able to shuffle appliances around without any added expense. As far as materials are concerned you will want to stick with the retro look if you are keeping the tile. I hope you are planning to have the tiles thoroughly cleaned and re-grouted. Other suggestions would depend on budget and square footage.

My boyfriend put a tv there for who knows what reason (bachelor at the time) but that would be taken down and the blue cabinet would move. It’s a huge open area with living room on the other side. The open space area is about 12’x13’.

@Jennifer Svensson The 3D Software isn't showing it correctly, but the fridge cabinet door connects to the fridge's door. It's pretty common in Germany. You can see how it is supposed to work in the picture below. You got my reasoning for the shelf right. However, I think rather than putting another row of cabinets in place of the shelf, I would instead leave the wall as is or hang art or some sort of visual accent. The room is small as is, and I don't want it to become too claustrophobic. Cluttered shelves are a major pet peeve too. I'll consider skipping the shelf. Thank you for the comment!