Wow, this really is awful. Only one person can access sink and range, and opening the oven blocks access to the sink. Totally unacceptable. As others said, I am certain that moving cabinets around can help this significantly. Can you please post a graph of the area? Show walls, doors, windows, the adjacent eating area and other rooms. If you can draw it on graph paper that is fine. Then photograph it in good light and post it. For now, I really like these suggestions from previous posters: 1. Move sink and dishwasher to the right. This will, among other things, clear the oven door. 2. Eliminate the peninsula and run a straight line of cabs to the door edge. 3. Add another wall cab to the right of the door. 4. Center the stove on the new run of cabs to provide working space on both sides. In the meantime, rough cut masonite or cardboard and lay it on top of the cabs to provide a work surface.

I had a fire, too. The smoke damage is incredible, no matter where the fire actually happens. I lost 4 pets; I hope you and yours are all safe. I cannot say enough good things about my insurance man and company. How often do you hear that!? But they are fantastic . Sadly, my DH, GC by license and contract was the contractor on the job and he bailed on me in 2007. I've been rebuilding on my own ever since. The good news about poverty is that it's given me a lot of time to think, reorganize, build, replace, and just plan improve (ok, change) my kitchen. My layout pretty much remains the same, but the little things happen. However, in my future, for example, when I can save for soapstone counters, I'll also be taking out the window over my sink and making a counter height one. I'm going to rearrange another whole run of base cabinets to move a trash pull-out next to the stove where I prep. This involves uninstalling 16' of cabs, shifting them, reinstalling them, all underneath the BB countertop I built. That example is to demonstrate why one should take it slowly. I didn't think any ideas would work for me, then prepping and dumping stuff into the waste basket I'd pulled over, I had a brain storm. My suggestion to add to the mix is small but I found important. Wherever you end up installing your outlets, use quad outlets. The 2-plug outlets are outdated in the face of electrical usage of this decade, let alone century. I also put it 220 (the ones with the little, horizontal slit on them?) for a heavier appliance demand. Already I'm wishing I had more outlets by the stove. And I barely cook alone! Oh! And remember you don't need 14000 different outlet boxes along your counters, etc. They make a huge variety of boxes where you can have them all neatly tucked into one box. On one side of my sink I have 2 outlets, a UCL switch, and the switch for the peninsula pendants. The other side is the light over the sink switch, GD, and 2 outlets. All neatly tucked into a box that holds 4 things. They make light switch plates with as many as 12 switches in it, so don't let anyone tell you they're not made. . Along with Ikea, since you guys sound incredibly handy, I'd suggest looking at building your own boxes. You could purchase your own face frames and doors from Barker (doors), or someone like Brian at the Cabinet Joint .com for the package of face frames and doors together. You'd save a TON of money and get exactly what you want. I've taken a bunch of cabinets and knocked the face frames off to replace them with beaded inset, which makes my heart sing. [lol] No kidding! I've also retrofitted base cabinets to take drawers, which makes my life SO MUCH EASIER! So there is my $.02. Hang in there and just realize there's no prize for finishing fast. Finish well.

You have some home work to do.....Read these articles. [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/new-to-kitchens-read-me-first-dsvw-vd~4306041[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/new-to-kitchens-read-me-first-dsvw-vd~4306041) http://starcraftcustombuilders.com/kitchen.design.rules.htm#.Wq1aeWrwaM8 https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767033/how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-and-what-information-should-i-include https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/3638270/faq-kitchen-work-zones-what-are-they https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/3638304/faq-aisle-widths-walkways-seating-overhangs-work-landing-space-etc https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/3638376/faq-how-do-i-plan-for-storage https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2699918/looking-for-layout-help-memorize-this-first [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/things-you-added-or-removed-that-you-love-regret-in-your-kitchen-renov-dsvw-vd~4273188[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/things-you-added-or-removed-that-you-love-regret-in-your-kitchen-renov-dsvw-vd~4273188) [b[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/things-you-added-or-removed-that-you-love-regret-in-your-kitchen-renov-dsvw-vd~4273188)enjesbride has a great beginning. The sofa wall or the wall to the right of the slider as you face the slider, will be where you can put your TV.

So I put this off for a long time because I was still scared. :) Finally tried it yesterday. Didn't ruin the surface, that I can tell, but it also didn't really remove the nailpolish marks. So I'm sort of stuck again...