Oops. I didn't add the pics. Sorry. I'm new.

Apparently I do not know how to add photos.

Under the comments box you’ll see an icon for ”Photo”. Click on that, upload your photo, and then you have to WAIT to make sure it’s fully-uploaded. You’ll know when because the photo will no longer be grayed. Do not hit Submit until then.

Thanks. I'll try again.

I am not a fan of what you propose. First off, what will you do with the furniture if you do lower it?

I also don’t like the stove in a penisula.

What are your goals for making these changes? If you lose the hanging cabinets above the range, what will you do to make up for that storage? There doesn’t look to be the space for a peninsula between the kitchen and dining table - if that is what you meant - but it’s hard to say without measurements. I don't think there’d be much benefit from painting the cabinets green, but I need to know what you are aiming at with these changes.

The bar/peninsula is already there, just unused on the living room side. If we made it one level we would shift the living room furniture around to put a few stools there. We could use the extra seating for kids. I guess that and allowing more light in the living room would be the goal. The cabinets are kind of an ugly orange and very much

in need of refinishing or painting. Can you suggest a better color? Here are examples of the pale green we were thinking.

We also need to replace the counter tops and have considered refacing the cabinets.

Despite the advertising, refacing is not a money saving proposal. It can easily cost as much as moderately priced new cabinets, and you're stuck with the same layout.

I think that for anyone to offer good input on whether or not it makes sense to remove the upper cabinets & lower the upper bar to counter level you should post pictures of the room next to kitchen & also provide a drawing of layout with wall measurements. From studying the kitchen pics, it seems you would lose too much storage by removing the uppers. With the stove facing the room next to kitchen, if counter lowered, an upper hood still needs to be there & there’s no barrier to the cooking in the next room so the lowered counter would need to be quite wide going into that room.. As far as light - are there windows in the other room so if upper cabinets gone, kitchen gets more light? i see the window ini kitchen so I understand that light would benefit next room if uppers removed. Many things to consider & more info needed,

Yes. We realize the counter would need to be fairly wide and a new hood would need to be installed. we have also discussed moving the fridge and adding some storage there. We just don't care for the bar height as is. We have thought about just taking the existing upper bar top off.

I would leave it -- a low bar right by the stove top isn't great, and if your kitchen is small, that's a lot of cabinetry to lose! The wood cabinets look very nice as is (and your LR art pulls in the orangish tone) -- I'd just add some pulls to give a slightly updated look.

New Kitchen 2016 -- wall 2 after · More Info

Removing the wall cabinets and installing an 'island' hood would open up the space, as long as you have room for 12" of counter behind the stove I don't see a problem. I would not put any money into those cabinets- you would be better off with IKEA cabinets (the finish will be better as will the storage, soft close, etc) Whatever you do put sides on the fridge cabinet so the cabinet over the fridge can be 24" deep

IMO the whole kitchen needs a redo so what you ar eplanning makes no sense since the floors are not the same in the 2 spaces so the stools woulld be sitting on the wood floors with the kids making a mess . I would wait and do this right is that the only dining space you have . If you really want help post a to scale floor plan of the whole living space showing all windows doorways and where those doorways lead plumbing if it can't be moved and also gas lines . FYI walk in pantries are ahuge wate of spce so make sure you show that area in your plan

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. We don't have a huge budget. Most work would be diy. Would ikea cabinets be the way to go? My existing cabinets aren't my favorite but they are in good shape and wood. The house is just shy of 1200 sqft. I just wanted to make it look a bit better and add a bit more seating. We will not be changing either floor out as they are both pretty new. You should have seen the 20 year old dirty blue carpet before. Lol. I tried to add more photos. I will try again later.

Lowering the high bar counter would give you a bit more workspace but as @HALLETT & Co. said, you need a minimum of 12” extension to be able to use the lowered bar for counter height seating. That would require major rearrangement of the great room - that couch, chair, rug etc. would need to move more than couple feet away to make room to access the counter stools. As for the new lowered counter, where will you put your toaster & coffee pot? Not on the new counter as that would destroy the look & purpose of new counter. And, as already asked, where will you store the things in those upper cabinets if they're removed? Will you install pendant lighting over new bar? You will also need to move your electric plugs from your current counter back to the open end cabinet side & that will require electrician which you may also need for new hood unless you get a new stove with downdraft. If you move frig, you’ll need new wiring at new spot too. Where are you thinking frig can go? Is there space we can’t see at other end of the table so table can be moved away from end of kitchen? Too many questions! As I said before, & @Patricia Colwell Consulting also said, to receive realistic input, a detailed floorplan is needed.

As far as a quick, cheap fix, just take the existing bar off and put a top the width of the wall on it. There will still be a small ledge that you can set "stuff" on but it won't protrude and take up space in the living room.

Think about it: do you really want your kids sitting at a bar counter space that is the same height as the range and within very close proximity? I don't think so.

Another cheap idea would be to just take that bar top off and fill in with sheetrock. You could then put a backsplash on that wall. This solution does not add light to the living room, but you'd maintain all of that desperately needed cabinet storage space. Put some more lamps in the living room to compensate.

I'll have to get my husband to draw the floor plan for me this weekend. . I also switched to the app and haven't figured out how to upload photos.  Nothing seems to be ideal with our bar situation. We may just end up removing the upper bar. I guess I should change my question to what is an inexpensive change you would make too refresh, not remodel my tiny dated kitchen? Thanks.

Do you or dh have DYI skills or family to help? Its not hard to paint cabinets. The age and layout of your cabinets are not worth the refacing or paying for professional cabinet painters. You would do better saving up to remodel in the future. But for now you want pretty so paint and a new laminate countertop can give you updated nice kitchen. Go to Facebook Kitchen Cabinet Experts. They have step by step dyi and what paints primers to use. I would do the 1 level countertops if you have enough space from stove that a kids can eat at bar and not touch stove. If there is not the space keep the 2 level once you paint the upper cabinets it will all look better. The orangy cabinets being seen from your pretty living room is a eyesore

Thanks. What color paint would you suggest? And yes, my husband is fantastic at diy and has had a lot of practice. Thank goodness.

If you need more seating, what about a banquet type bench with storage underneath along the wall next to your last kitchen cabinet. You’d need a new table and the corner cabinet would need to be moved elsewhere, I think. Maybe think of some way to cover the back of the cabinets in the living room (maybe a Living Wall? ) Paint your cabinets - they will need lots of prep…but it is defintely doable.

maybe replace the overhang of the bar (I think a previous poster suggested this) and cover the remaining ”pony wall” with a nice piece of wood, If there is nothing wrong with the rest of your laminate, keep it. it goes with the style of your caninets. Nice laminate is not cheap

• car_711 I would go with white because you already have all gray walls. There is a blog I like she covers best whites for cabinets The 5 Best ALMOST FOOL-PROOF White Paint Colours for Your Home - Kylie M Interiors There are many cool cabinet colors but you would need to see how they work with your walls, counter, floors. Whites easier kwim White also makes small places appear larger more open. The professional may give you more ideas. The home is cute just needs a little bit love.

Say the bar is lowered and the counter made larger, I still wouldn't want kids eating there by the cooktop.

Yes. I get that. That has been what's held me back this long. The bar seats would be intended for the almost 12 year old when he has company. I do realize it wouldn't be easy to keep the little one from trying to climb up. Oh, well. I will probably give up on that idea.