Any benefit to having the refrigerator at the end of the short wall vs end of long wall? The advantages to having the fridge on the short wall are that it's closer to the entry, where groceries are brought in, and so more convenient for stowing perishables, and more convenient for anyone coming from the bedrooms and living areas. The island can be moved toward the table to make the short aisle a little wider--maybe a moot point since you are omitting seating on the back of the island, and the long aisle will be wider. OTOH, it's nice to have the fridge near the dining table, if you need milk, salad dressing, etc., during the meal, but having it on the end near the table means it will block the light from the sunroom slider. You have the windows on the end to help alleviate that problem, and you might consider making the window over the sink wider, but that's more $$$, and you lose upper cabinet space. Another advantage to having the fridge on the long wall is better functional line-up--fridge-->sink-->prep-->range. DW and sink can also stay on the same wall, without DW being in the prep space. ... would I just add 6" filler panel between the range and sink to meet the 36" recommended distance? Did you mean range and DW? You could add a 6" or 12" slot for large cutting boards and/or baking sheets--I keep both in the same 12" filler cabinet that was plugged in between the end of a cabinet run and the wall. It's beside my baking counter, so a perfect location in my kitchen. If you're moving the DW, you have the option to use a 36" drawer base, great for pots and pans, convenient to the range, although usually in that case, you'd want the trash pull-out in the prep space between the sink and range, rather than on the left side of the sink. With the DW on the short wall, you can't move the sink any closer to the corner, and still have space in front of the sink to load the DW, so I'd leave the trash on the left side. That presents another problem--you'll need a 2-3" return panel on the left side of the DW, to support the counter (plus the fridge panel, if you decide to enclose it), so there will be only 12-15" between the open DW door and the perpendicular counter, to stand and load dishes into the upper corner cabinets. You could keep dishes in drawers in the island, which puts them just behind your prep space, or maybe in drawers facing the fridge: In your kitchen my preference would be the one you said you liked, with the sink, DW, and fridge on the long wall, and if you put an 18" deep pantry cabinet on the end, then there would be more space for the table. Think about the way you cook, and access the kitchen--maybe that will help you decide.

cpartist no, hubby doesn't do any cooking, as he leaves the kitchen a complete disaster, uses a hundred dishes, and always manages to use the wrong pots or pans, so has been permanently banned from using it. You would think he wouldn't care what I wanted done with the kitchen, but he is definitely opinionated. He is sweet, though, and did the pantry as a surprise for me, because he thought it'd make me happy. That's what makes my situation so difficult, because I feel bad and a bit selfish for wanting to tear it out. Again, the u-shape is out, because he has set his feet against changing the pass-through. I also don't want to hear another rant about how much he paid for the header beams (apparently they're very expensive) and how he's not moving them ever. Maybe I could convince him to turn it into a doorway and close up the other doorway, but even with the pantry removed, I think it would leave less room for cabinets than I have now. Do you think that would be a good option nonetheless?

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Congrats on your improved health! I agree with the idea of pacing yourself. So important. One idea in planning your space: reach out to someone who could help you visualize things with mockups. (You could also look into those paint colour visualizers on paint companies websites.) Another trick is to use sheets or poster boards to cover surfaces you're looking to change. Priming walls when you know you'll want a different colour is another idea along those lines. Have you set your budget? Very important to keep it in mind as you assess your options and timeline. Often, things can be done in stages. Btw, your space didn't give me a laugh in the least. Those windows look amazing. If this were my space, I'd probably keep the cabinets and wood trim as is (especially if you can change the cabinet doors to their Shaker side) and focus on lightening the space otherwise. Wood is trending again and painting oak cabinets isn't easy. My first priority would be to find effective window treatments for the sun because this can greatly impact one's comfort in the space not to mention energy costs. Window treatments can get pricey. Getting an onsite consultation with a window covering company can help to get ideas of options and cost. Looking at your space, this is what I'd do: -Remove all the stuff from above the cabinets. -Reassess cabinet storage and consider shelves or glass inserts to lighten uppers. I know you'll get advice to change your island because it's not a conventional shape but without being in the space, it's difficult to say if this is easily doable. -Make sure the lighting in the room is optimized. Could the kitchen benefit from under cabinet lighting, for example? Is the fan useful? -Replace the backsplash with a warm white tile and match the walls to this new tile. (Paint colour can be matched to anything so paint is chosen last.) -Consider using this backsplash tile for the fireplace surround. -Streamline the decor by removing everything off the mantel. Less can be more. A few large pieces on walls can have more decor impact than a bunch of small objects on horizontal surfaces. Good luck with your space transformation and all the best to you, health wise. Hope you keep us posted.