My husband and I both enjoy meal prep and share the clean-up. We usually eat at the kitchen counter so I need at least 2 seats, and I'd love to have a small TV (drop down from under cabinet so it's hidden when I don't need it) in the kitchen for cooking and HGTV shows. We love entertaining and would like to renovate our home to be more conducive to having friends and family gather. Since we'll be moving the dining room furniture to the "office" I now have plenty of space to create a really cool kitchen open to the living room. I don't like the look of bulky stainless steel appliances so I'm trying to be creative without spending a lot of money on custom cabinets. We are leaning towards a "latte" color wood for the perimeter cabinets (simple flat front) and a black island with quartz countertops. The view out my kitchen window is of the neighbor's house siding, but the view out my back slider is a lovely open space and I'd like to highlight that view. I'd also like the view from my slider back to my kitchen to be balanced and appealing. My garage enters into a mud/laundry area and then into the kitchen via a pocket door. My current pantry is at an angle and has a lot of wasted space. I'd like a new pantry and hopefully, I could square off my mudroom wall to place a small chair or bench there. I would love your ideas and suggestions on how to organize a coffee maker and electric kettle (create an appliance garage in the kitchen or put in bar area with a sink?) and how to utilize the island storage space. Thanks in advance for your thoughtful suggestions, given my preferences and space!