Laughable- thanks so much for the link, perhaps we can do something like that this summer when we have more time. Looks like a great fix for now until we can save the 3K for window treatments. Whit- our kitchen is just over 16' long and 12' wide. For the lighting plan we actually have a small pendant to still put in over the kitchen sink. We originally purchased 2 pendants over the peninsula, but with the kitchen light fixture, dining chandelier so close by we nixed it. We used the highly GW rec. home depot LED 4" lights. We had the electrician put them where we needed them most and have 8/9 in the kitchen and then more threw out the first floor. They are all on dimmers. With out the uppers to worry about shadows on the countertop we rarely turn them all the way up. During the day I rarely turn on any lights as the place gets lots of natural light. Good luck with your remodel. I really working in this kitchen and find it plenty big for us. We hosted Christmas and had about 5-6 people cooking/prepping and it was great. Cleans up well and the peninsula has been perfect for my 3 year olds meals and craft time and keeps her at bay while I cook. Just wanted to ad our much anticipated new addition finally made her debute fashionably late on 2/13/13, a successful VBAC: We are enjoying her just as much as the kitchen ;)

On costs: I assume you're wanting to know generally how much things cost so you can make a decision about whether you can afford this. This advice is just ballpark general, not meant to give you a solid number, but an idea. Are you thinking of a contractor to take care of demo, electrical, plumbing, cabinet installation, painting, and possibly flooring? If you need someone to remove a load bearing wall and add in a supporting header, you'll almost surely need a pro. The advantage of a (good) contractor is that things will get done on a reasonable time schedule and done right (cross your fingers). He or she will also pull permits and call the permit people for inspections (if someone says he "doesn't do" permits - run). Using a contractor will almost double your budget, but has obvious benefits. If you DIY, you save money, but you also extend your timeline and rely on your ability to do the labor. You'll probably still need to find a plumber, electrician, and maybe a cabinet installer and flooring person. If that's a load bearing wall, you'll probably need a carpenter and a drywall person. You still need permits, so you have to go down to the city and figure out how that works. DIY should only be undertaken if you're good with tools, good with measuring, have patience and an even temper, and know what lies beyond your skill set. If you work full time, plan on this project taking a goodly amount of time and stress. Do you need new appliances? The first time we did this we only needed a new fridge. We're pretty middle of the road on our appliance tastes and budget, so a refrigerator we were really pleased with was around $1200 on sale. More recently we needed everything, so around $1300 for new fridge, $1100 for an induction range, and $850 for a Bosch dishwasher (worth it!) - we try to hit sales. Cabinets come in a big price range. At the least expensive end you can go with Ikea cabinets, which people here think highly of. Prices I've heard range from $4000-$8000 for Ikea. Along the same lines you can check out Barker and Scherrs online for doors for Ikea boxes or the whole cabinet. Both come with good recommendations from GWers. After that, you can find decent to fabulous cabinets fully assembled that will run from around $10,000 to $60,000. Ours for a small to medium-small kitchen ran about $14,000 and we'd do it again even if we had $35,000 to spend if we wanted to. Other stuff: Sinks can range from $150 for something simple to $2000 for fancy-schmancy. Figure at least $400 for a main sink and possibly some more for a cleanup sink. Faucets can range from $100-$1200 or more. Range hoods, microwaves, backsplash tile, countertops (at least $5000 unless you do laminate), pendants for over the island, and general and undercabinet lighting (always more than you think) all add up. If I had to guess based on your current kitchen and what you want to do, I'd guess you're looking at a minimum of $35,000 if you spend very carefully. $50,000 wouldn't be unreasonable.

damiarain, I don't want to have a giant table for 15 set up all the time. That isn't practical, and I didn't like that humongous table my architect sent me. BUT, I do want there to be some way I can set up a large table for everyone, or two smaller tables for everyone. I think most women want to set a table with pretty dishes and a tablecloth for the holidays. Right now my dining room is only wide enough for a table that seats 6. I can't extend it easily without blocking the back door (and we're in the south, people go outside, I have a deck) or moving all my living room furniture. There has to be a way to make a layout that works for everyday and entertaining. That was why my original thought was to eliminate the island, and use a table in the kitchen. I liked the pictures I found of that. My kids tend to stand in the kitchen with me and eat anyway. I could also do a counter height table that doubles as an island, a moveable island that can be wheeled out of the way to extend a table, an island with seating that a table could be pushed against, etc. But I don't really want a table that has to extend into the family room- I have that now and don't like it.

Hi Gretchen. I can’t see the layout 😢 To me, when I look at that door I see way too much detail in the profile, all of it outlined in black, in addition to the distressed wood. It is a very heavy look for a small space. This is about what you like. If you like the glaze, go for it, but I think you should look at images of spaces in which that door has been installed, and make sure it gives you the look you are hoping for. So what is the look you are hoping for? I think you need inspiration images. Google images of small kitchens that use wood cabinetry and see what you think is pretty. You will learn a lot about your own taste, and you will get a lot of good information from them. I only found one with wood cabinets that I thought pretty, but I’m sure you will find more. By the way, the way to keep your space from looking like a wood suit is to choose a darker (or much lighter) wood for the cabinets than the oak of the floors. Since you used the word “modern” I’m going to just let you know that a simpler door profile in walnut would be gorgeous. It could not be more different from the door you are considering though.