While I LOVE your antique cabinets, if removing them gives you the space for an island with proper aisle widths, do it. The only issue I'm aware of with a DW across the aisle from the sink is dripping on the floor. So the type of flooring you are using may be a consideration. If someone doesn't wipe up any large drips, will it cause spotting on your floor? Or make it slippery so someone would slip? Maybe a nice throw-rug in that area would solve that problem? Just stuff to consider. If there are other problems with that arrangement, hopefully someone pipes in. You may find that with drawers on a all or most of the lowers, you gain enough storage that you don't need all those uppers. Drawers in an island may especially make that difference. We just found that out for ourselves in our slow-going, DIY remodel. We added two 24" drawer units. All the contents for 48" of uppers fit into one of the 24" drawer units. Yes, ALL, with space left over. So we had an entire drawer stack empty until we did some other re-arranging of things (emptied some things from my blind corner, Yay!). Drawers hold so much more stuff. It was rather shocking to me how much more the drawers held. And more convenient to access, too. Because of that, we decided to remove the uppers because they crowded the window and it looks so much better now. We have decided to put narrow 6" shelves there instead of those bulky-looking uppers and go with something like the photo to store some basics like flour, beans, other grains, etc., in jars for easy access, with just a few drinking glasses (as one end of the shelves is near the fridge) and decorative items. Although we will be doing floating shelves to keep the side view uncluttered, because our window is on the long side of the L while the shelves are on the short side of the L so our side view is important. In your kitchen, I think shelves just like pictured would look awesome. To be honest, I'm surprised I'm doing this as I haven't been much of an open shelves fan in kitchens but I think as long as there is uniformity in what you put on them and they are kept relatively uncluttered, it is a good, workable solution. So, yeah, add a real island with drawers and I'm sure you'll find you can eliminate or minimize whatever upper cabinets you really need.

@Patricia... thank you for posting a pic of house so similar to mine... brick color and style! I love that trim color! Do you happen to know specifically what it is? BTW, I forgot to mention I am planning on removing the shutters on the garage windows, but currently looks weird as windows are so small, and brick so expansive, so am waiting to plant the Setsugekka Camellia that is slated for that spot!

This is an upstairs open space that connects to 2 bedrooms, both of which are about to be painted. Master will be a soft blue and guest will be a BM color called Milky Way.

It would be more typically limestone and NOT concrete. You have to be very careful not to ruin it. No sandblasting. https://artradarjournal.com/2022/02/15/how-to-clean-paint-from-limestone-rock/ https://www.chicagobungalow.org/post/2019/10/16/removing-paint-from-vintage-masonry How to Remove Paint from Your Limestone or Vintage Brick Do: Use the gentlest means possible when removing paint. Use a natural bristle brush (never wire!) to apply chemicals. Conduct a sample test of a proposed cleaning method in an inconspicuous location on the building first. Use an alkaline paint remover. Examples are ammonia, potassium hydroxide, or trisodium phosphate. Organic solvent paint remover can also be used (methylene chloride). A few product suggestions: Cathedral Stone Stripper (works best in weather over 60° F) (also available at Henry Frerk Sons) ProSoCo Heavy Duty Stripper (also available at Henry Frerk Sons) Peel Away 1 Heavy Duty Paint Remover(also available at select Sherwin Williams) Let the chemical rest on the surface for the time recommended by the product manufacturer. Do a thorough, low pressure, water wash of the stone when it is time to remove the chemical treatment (see product manufacturer specifications). Take appropriate precautions to ensure that you are using the product safely. Both acidic and alkaline cleaners can be dangerous to those using them, and there are additional environmental concerns associated with the use of chemical cleaners. Be sure to follow directions and dispose of chemicals responsibly. Do NOT: Sandblast! This is extremely harmful to the stone and while it will remove paint quickly, it will also remove some of the stone itself and leave it much more susceptible to future erosion. Use metal brushes as they can damage the surface of the stone and cause it to be more vulnerable to deterioration. Use acidic cleaners—they will deteriorate the limestone, which is an acid-sensitive stone. Do any chemical cleaning or saturating of brick or limestone in the colder months. Cleaning should never be done below 40° F, and generally not below 50° F. Most chemical cleaning processes force water into the walls, which can freeze in colder temperatures causing permanent damage to brick and stone. Use any masonry (brick or limestone) sealers. They are rarely necessary for historic buildings and may cause permanent damage and discoloration of your stone.