Wow! There is so much you could do with this kitchen but it seems from your questions that you're not ready for a full remodel. Therefore, my suggestion would be to move the refrigerator to the wall opposite the sink or to where your trash can is. This would give you room for your nook and maybe a free standing Ikea island, all at very little cost. (You can't easily move the range "down a bit".

If you are ready for a full gut, I'd do a galley style kitchen. Good luck with your new house! :)

What cheri127 said about the fridge. Your #1 problem though is that OTR microwave. I don't think those back burners are even useable for anything but a skillet. Wherever you put the fridge, put up a wall shelf, or kitchen cart, etc next to it, and put your microwave there. Then put the lowest-profile under-cabinet hood you can find above the range. Or if you've got the funds and skills, remove the cabinets above the range, repair the wall as needed, and put in an actual hood with the base 30" to 36" above the cooktop surface.

It doesn't look like you have room for an island. A table in that nook will be close enough for good socializing during meal prep.

You can do so much with what you’ve got. I’ve been in this position before and made minor improvements I was able to live with for a long time. Move the fridge as suggested. You may not need to remove the cabinet above the stove— see if the microwave is attached to a vent pipe inside the cabinet that goes outside? If so, you can swap out the micro for a reg vent hood pretty easily. I’d paint the cabinets a cheery pastel mint green or light blue. If that’s too crazy, paint them white but make sure the white matches your appliances. Replace the countertop with an inexpensive laminate or butcher block countertop (look at IKEA for good options). Get new white ceiling fans— maybe swap one of them for a new light fixture, schoolhouse style. Hard to tell but you may have room on that wall across from the sink to add a slim a freestanding cabinet for more storage and your microwave. Good luck!!

I’m sorry, listen to mccaroll16 about the range hood. I just realized how low it is! 😳 Fix that first, no matter what

Replacing the fans (not sure I’d do fans in a kitchen area personally) with some nice lighting will go a long way. Love the ideas about moving the refrigerator and putting a MW next to it.

I would move the frig to the wall where the trash can is. Looks like one lonesome shelf attached to cabinet there. I would remove that. If there is room on the left side of the frig, after moving it there, then I would put a narrow lower cabinet, painted to match your existing cabinets. Then put a counter microwave on that cabinet. The kitchen is not designed for an over the range microwave, and the one there , is way too low. Once it is removed, there is plenty of room, to mount a regular stove hood there. Thats actually a better place for the refrigerator, than where it is now anyway.

It’s actually a nice space - will you do a quick floorplan? I think it could be inexpensively remodeled to include a little seating area over by the windows. Right now, I would slide the fridge towards the right, away from the windows, and put every penny into a remodel fund. And congratulations on your new home!!!🎉🍾

Is that wall paper panel above the cabinets? Whatever - remove (if able) and definitely paint it. That will have an immediate result.

Below I show the kitchen painted in white but the same idea could be done in another colour, painted all the same colour unifies the different styles of the cabinets. Instead of small pulls in the center of the doors, I show long ones giving a more modern look (holes simply need to be filled and sander prior to painting). I suggest you paint al the mouldings above the cabinet sections in white. You can replace the countertop with a laminate such as Formica Basalt State honed which really looks terrific. I would replace the fan with a nice ceiling light, I show a Vertigo pendant.

I suggest you move the fridge at the other end of the room and install a high cabinet next to it and a cabinet above the fridge continuing the line of cabinets at that end of the room. That also frees the area at the other end where you mention you'd like to do a nook of some kind. I don't have the dimensions of the room but I would think a small island and 2 stools would fit.

Everything I show is not too expensive and available at places such as Ikea (cabinets), Amazon (pendant & pulls), laminate ( places such as Home Depot), Target - Walmart (island).

Just want to add that you can replace the microwave with a low profile model such as the one I show below. It would be at a good height above the stove and look so much better. I also show the Basalt Slate laminate.

@lisedv how did you do that rendering? I have been trying to find something that I can do that on

I agree with all the suggestions - move the fridge (maybe bar height seating on that wall?), new hood, paint cabinets a lighter color, new lights (not fans!) and paint or remove the furr down if possible. I have seen pretty inexpensive butcher block counters at home depot etc that would look great. If you dont want to move the fridge, just slide it over and add a shelf or microwave cart/movable island to the far end left side.