I say keep it. But I’m not really into this trend of making everything a big open space. Plus, we frequently have guests, and like someone else mentioned, it’s a great spot to put food out or just pop into a chair quick to eat. I’m just not into wide open useless space.

I would take out the breakfast counter and put in an island. This way, you would have better flow heading out to either the dining room or through the "choke point" hallway. Right now, both have to go around the bottleneck of the breakfast counter. If you aren't sure, or want to save more for your big reno, you can get smaller ones that are on wheels that you can move to the side as needed. For design ideas, look for "floating kitchen island"

I like your new idea, but definitely think you need to add an island if you take away the breakfast bar (for storage and counter work space). You could orient the island vertically or horizontally (to face more to the dining room or to the sun room) depending on how long you want it to be.

For your 10" cabinets between fridge and stove -- I'd do baking sheets/cooling racks in the lower cabinet and maybe spices in the upper with custom risers and/or racks mounted on the inside of the door to maximize space and accessibility.

Now we decided to remove that wall in the middle and shift the fridge to the same wall with that stove.

I understand now we lost some counter space, but do you guys feel that breakfast counter "L" is critical to keep now that the kitchen/dining area are together but that breakfast countertop is kinda in the way to the sunroom.

I was entertaining the idea of removing the breakfast area and put an island in the middle (around 48" wide)?

Attached image here, the wall in red circle is gone, so the kitchen is pretty much open to the dining area.

I think most common suggestion is to remove the fridge wall and relocate the fridge by the side of stove. Here is some dimensions, but i feel that the space might not enough for a french door 36". We need to measure how much extra we can create from the removal of that wall, but currently that we only have 25" plus a 22" cabinet/counter space till it reaches the stove.

Stove is kinda sitting in the middle, with around 22" space on both sides. Would it be weird to have asymmetric layout (fridge + 10" space? ) and what should we put between the fridge and stove?

Can you move your laundry or powder room elsewhere? Those are the two things blocking a lot of access to the kitchen. I would also replace the tile with a matching hardwood floor.

I agree with those PP's who are advising to save your money and do a big project in a few years. I really think pushing the kitchen out the exterior wall and re-working the washer/dryer area is essential to long-term enjoyment and value of these rooms (and I love your sun room and the view from the stove to the sun room, BTW).

If the floors and counter top were a relatively cheap temporary step, that would be one thing, but I don't think they will satisfy you long-term and they would have to be re-done in a big project that addresses all the issues -- they're too expensive for that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The way your rooms are laid out, I think it would just look kind of funny, like your kitchen was at the end of a tunnel.

This. And you'd lose storage. I wouldn't bother.

OP here, I totally get the feeling of "end of tunnel" kitchen, and agree that opening two walls (fridge and the laundry, if not load bearing) would be nice.

I'm afraid that we probably won't have sufficient fund to do all those (including changing the cabinets, countertop, tiles, backsplash etc). Were you guys suggesting not doing any of those and saving up to gut it up?

I can't stand the tile, and I will need a venthood (external venting) and backsplash for sure...

Thanks a lot for all your input.

I have a big u-shaped kitchen and I love it. it doesn't feel like a tunnel.

OP here, I think the "tunnel" feeling was not necessarily from the U shape kitchen, but more from the choke point hallway between the kitchen and the big sunroom.

Yes, I’m the one who called it a choke point, and it is that there’s kind of a narrowing. I know you have the power closet (I've never heard that term - what's in there) and there’s a hallway behind. Can you knock down that wall so the kitchen goes to the exterior wall? Turn the power closet so it opens to the sunroom. But rerouting power anything, plus the plumbing, is expensive, so this would be a few years out. Then you could "keep" that great counter (it would really be new at that point).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The way your rooms are laid out, I think it would just look kind of funny, like your kitchen was at the end of a tunnel.

This. And you'd lose storage. I wouldn't bother.

OP here, I totally get the feeling of "end of tunnel" kitchen, and agree that opening two walls (fridge and the laundry, if not load bearing) would be nice.

I'm afraid that we probably won't have sufficient fund to do all those (including changing the cabinets, countertop, tiles, backsplash etc). Were you guys suggesting not doing any of those and saving up to gut it up?

I can't stand the tile, and I will need a venthood (external venting) and backsplash for sure...

Thanks a lot for all your input.

I have a big u-shaped kitchen and I love it. it doesn't feel like a tunnel.

OP here, I think the "tunnel" feeling was not necessarily from the U shape kitchen, but more from the choke point hallway between the kitchen and the big sunroom.

Anonymous wrote:I think I would try to keep the counter and try to relocate the w/d and tear open up that space.

You asked about doing the floor now and tearing out that space later -- just as a warning, my mom tried to do something similar (years ago) and when she was ready for phase II, the tile she had used in phase I was no longer manufactured and she either had to scrap her idea or do the whole floor over. So maybe just buy enough flooring to cover the whole area now and store what you don't use until you are ready.

Thanks, in deed that we probably could buy a little extra tile to cover the vacancy created by the torn walls/cabinets.

A relevant question, do you guys feel that the layout of the cabinets and countertop would not need too much alternation even if considering removing of the walls? My point being, if that's the case, we can probably get the countertop and cabinets changed now. And think about tearing walls down later.

I would save up and do it right. I think any less is just a bandaid on a very poorly laid out space.

I think I would try to keep the counter and try to relocate the w/d and tear open up that space.

You asked about doing the floor now and tearing out that space later -- just as a warning, my mom tried to do something similar (years ago) and when she was ready for phase II, the tile she had used in phase I was no longer manufactured and she either had to scrap her idea or do the whole floor over. So maybe just buy enough flooring to cover the whole area now and store what you don't use until you are ready.

That counter looks like a nice place for putting out food and drinks when you have guests over. Also, a fun place to work with kids while cooking or baking together. When you add in the amount of storage in the cabinets underneath, I think it would be a big loss to take it out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The way your rooms are laid out, I think it would just look kind of funny, like your kitchen was at the end of a tunnel.

This. And you'd lose storage. I wouldn't bother.

OP here, I totally get the feeling of "end of tunnel" kitchen, and agree that opening two walls (fridge and the laundry, if not load bearing) would be nice.

I'm afraid that we probably won't have sufficient fund to do all those (including changing the cabinets, countertop, tiles, backsplash etc). Were you guys suggesting not doing any of those and saving up to gut it up?

I can't stand the tile, and I will need a venthood (external venting) and backsplash for sure...

Thanks a lot for all your input.

I have a big u-shaped kitchen and I love it. it doesn't feel like a tunnel.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The way your rooms are laid out, I think it would just look kind of funny, like your kitchen was at the end of a tunnel.

This. And you'd lose storage. I wouldn't bother.

OP here, I totally get the feeling of "end of tunnel" kitchen, and agree that opening two walls (fridge and the laundry, if not load bearing) would be nice.

I'm afraid that we probably won't have sufficient fund to do all those (including changing the cabinets, countertop, tiles, backsplash etc). Were you guys suggesting not doing any of those and saving up to gut it up?

I can't stand the tile, and I will need a venthood (external venting) and backsplash for sure...

Thanks a lot for all your input.