I would remove desk to open it up more

If you remove the desk, would you also remove the cabinets above it?

The desk placement is awkward. I’d remove it.

Do you use the desk? Do you need the storage the upper cabinets give you?

Less than 2 years ago I replaced a kitchen desk with drawers. I do not miss the desk and adore the extra storage with the drawers. I miss having a chair in that location.

Before deciding on cab color, you need to choose your flooring, and your countertops. Then you match your paint color to those two pieces.

Try to match in reverse is too difficult.

i think you should consider closing up one of these doorways in order to make your kitchen layout better.

Are you going to be using the formal dining room daily? I might close off that one, straighten out the wall ovens and scoot them over to the right, or move your fridge over to the left in the door way, giving you a space for your stove to the right of the fridge.

For sure I would move the stove against the wall. I think a stove top in the island is a horrible choice. Move the fridge and put the stovetop/range over against that wall, (it would be similar to this look w/the stove/hood against that wall, long island) locate the fridge elsewhere

or remove the desk and put the stove there. it's hard to tell from your pics where the best location would be, but that island isn't it!

do you have a walk in pantry? if you do, then you wouldn't need tall pantry storage. or would you?

the desk- Would you use it?

When I painted my cabinets I closed in the open shelves and did some mirrored doors. This is where we pay bills and keep all the misc household 'stuff'. my husband has one side and I have the other. I don't actually sit there, but the desk is utilized. If I had a room designated as an office, I'd move everything to that room.

I didn't need more storage in my kitchen (I have a double pantry by the back door) so I didn't really know what else I could have put there.

Here's the before shot.

I did have a pro company come in and spray the cabs. However, I switched out the doors/drawer fronts (refaced) as it was only another 2K to get all new ones. on the before shot you can see how the top drawer are slabs and all the others are shaker. I wanted them all to match.

I did some custom walnut wood work around my window, the hood, and the coffee bar shelving (not shown here).

the island is calacatta marble, and the perimeter is a gray Silestone quartz w/calacatta tile backsplash. the island is Wrought Iron, the white is pre-cat lacquer a shade brighter than Simply White. Flooring is wide plank french oak, wire brushed.

you mentioned gray w/gold. that picture you posted looks like Coventry Gray:

it's a greenish gray.

When choosing grays, pay attention to the undertones, as there are many! blue, green, black, yellow, lavender, etc.

you could do a two tone, or do the island in one of the colors. here's another warmer gray.

I love this warmer gray and white combo w/the gold. It's stunning. If you're doing floors like I have, this would look amazing w/the stain color

pair it w/the loom chairs (bottom right)

and some cool pendant lighting

and you'd have a great looking redo!

Stonington Gray:

Neutral oak flooring, gold hardware, marble-look quartz countertop.

Remember I mentioned Coventry Gray in the other photo? here are the two in the 2nd row for comparison.

I notice that the pic is from a MLS listing. How long have you lived in the home?

Unless you use the desk as a desk, remove it. Consider how you so use it - place to set your purse and bills, charge the phone, etc - and be sure to determine where that function will be served in the new design. Consider replacing with shallow cabinets for extra storage. Or, leave empty then if you find you need more storage, add a cool piece of storage furniture.

What's driving the decision to remove the wet bar sink?

IMO you should maybe share your budget becuse a whole house renovation is a big expense and IMO kitchens are the big ticket item and should not be done until you have lived with the one that is there . You need a really good interior designer who has kitchen design experience since you have other posts here about all the stuff you want done .

Does the wood door in the 4th photo lead to a pantry? If so, then you should consider less cabinetry in several areas. The “bar” area near the further eating zone (is that the formal dining area?) looks very bulky and could be narrower. Glad you’re working with a designer since you’re doing a full house renovation. Your floor color is key since it’s throughout the house. Can you post that?
Make sure you love the color of the cabinets since this is a huge “one and done” whole house redo. I had to renovate a whole house prior to moving in (neglected rental in terrible shape) and a couple of years into living there I would have made different decisions. Keep that in mind.

OMG, @Patricia Colwell Consulting is so right. Just looked at your other posts. You need to get your budget in place and then prioritize. As I told another poster, after house hunting in this market and finally landing a home, you are like a drunken a sailor on leave. You'll sober up when the estimates come in so live in the house for a few year to decide what you really want. Your priorities and tastes will evolve.

And BTW, any estimate you get in this climate, increase by 50%. Materials pricing and labor costs are all over the place. I don't know any contractor worth doing business with who can give you a firm estimate right now.

Several of your posts remark about budget restrictions. Respect your instincts. Start a remodeling fund. Chill on that deck.

Yes, I agree that it's time to put the brakes on for a bit. And in any case, all the contractors are so backed up, you won't likely get any for several months, and that will give you time to think more about what you want to do.

Remove the desk. Kitchen desks are dated, and they became dated because people realized that all they served for was to be a clutter magnet (the keys that belong to nothing, takeout menus, the commemorative mug from some holiday, junk mail, a couple of batteries, pens, etc.). Most people these days use their laptops, tablets or phones while sitting on the sofa anyway. Or, if you want to use a desk, a little desk in a kitchen isn't a good desk with all that is going on in a kitchen and where do you put your papers and files - oh yea, on top of the desk looking cluttered like I said in previous sentence.

Exnay on the gray cabinets unless you are talking about a pale dove gray. The gray fad has passed, but separate from that, we have seen on this forum so many posts about how challenging gray can be to coordinate floors, counters and backsplash with it.

We have a budget, a designer, a GC, and a plan. And nonetheless greatly appreciate all the unique opinions offered and experiences shared here -- so helpful!

The existing floors look almost exactly what you are looking for in your inspiration photo so I would save a boatload of money there and put it into updating the door fronts/panels on your cabinets as those will not be as updated simply by painting them. If you put your fridge where your desk currently is and move the range from the Island into the fridge's former space then you would be utilizing all three walls instead of leaving one wall completely bare. Beautiful views!

(not a pro) Wow! Your new view is amazing!

Here's a helpful thread with several things to consider, and ways to help the good folks here help you. Read Me First

Also, I'd recommend removing the desk as others have said. However, I'd want to live with the space and see how it functions for me, how it flows, what I wish were different. e.g., Where do you like to prep? Where do your guests congregate? Are there bottlenecks? etc...

Thanks that thread is helpful, chicagooans. We have decided to remove the desk, keep the upper cabinets, and add lower cabinets in the place of the desk. Still not sure about color for cabinets and island.