I would remove the wall surround and add cabinets and countertop around the perimeter of the room. if you need an island make it a table height style with dining seating, not counter height. think outside the usual box. you may be able to create a barrier to hide some of the kitchen mess, or integrate the frig, etc. behind panels. Looks like a fun project. good luck.

Can you give dimensions and a floor plan? Which walls are load-bearing? It looks like opening the kitchen, making it an L with an island that extends in front of the patio doors would give you what you want, but would you want it so open to the living room, and do you have room for a dining table? Or, could the island be a long table, that you also use for prep?

Get your tape measure, draw a floor plan and include dimensions for walls, windows, doors, hallways in kitchen/eating/living spaces and also for whatever space is behind that fridge wall.

Is the house worth doing a 250K addition out the back?

Whats behind the door next to the kitchen doorway?

More oictures of the actual kitchen and a floorplan would help. Its hard to imagine changes if we dont know the room.

Something as simple as changing the passtheough breakfast bar to an island with no wall would give you another surface for an additional prep area for someone standing in the din8ngnroom using the island.

Agreed. So long as it can be done- check to see if the kitchen walls contain structural support. And if it can be changed or how much $$$ it will run. But yeah, pull down the kitchen walls and include the dining area in the overall kitchen. If the sink is under the kitchen window and since the stove and fridge are on the other wall, those wouldn't need to be moved. You don't have to have an island if you don't want or don't need. You can use a freestanding table. You would need to consider the flooring, and what you want to do with that.

No eating into the living room necessary, unless you want to have a huge kitchen that stretches there.

Take measurements and use graph paper to create a floorplan of the whole floor. Don't forget, walls have thickness.

Not sure this helps or hinders without seeing a floor plan.

I don't think the basic footprint of the kitchen should change. There's no stealing sq. footage from the dining area or living room.

Perhaps opening the walls around the kitchen combined with additional storage cabinets at the bar area or in the dining area could be added.

Find out of the wall is load bearing and can easily come down. If so, move the dishwasher on the wall to the right of the sink. Have lowers and uppers extend to the sliding door. Get a larger table and position it more to the middle of that space. Use it for cooking surface and eating. Or get an island instead that has eating area.

You will also have to reconcile the floor change.

Do you have a separate Dining Room elsewhere?

As others have asked, we need more info.

Taken from the Featured Answer in the "New to Kitchens? Read Me First!" thread:

Please post a fully-measured layout of the space under consideration and a sketch of the entire floor. Both can be either hand-drawn, computer generated, or drawn up with computer/app tools.

By "fully-measured", we mean a layout with the widths of each wall/window/door/doorway and the distances between each wall/window/door/doorway labeled. See a sample below. If something cannot be moved or changed, label it precisely on your layout (see post in sample) and tell us why it cannot be moved/changed -- we may have some ideas for you.

The sketch of the entire floor lets us see how the Kitchen relates to the rest of the home. It doesn't have to be to-scale, but it should accurately show how the rooms relate to each other and should include all interior & exterior doors. In addition, it will help us see how traffic flows in, around, and through the Kitchen. Label the front entry and family entry. The family entry is usually a garage or side entry, but it might not be. It's helpful to know which door you use to bring in groceries.

Regardless of how you draw it up (by hand, computer, etc.), please be sure all measurements are labeled. (Note: Computer generated layouts often lack key measurements and, sometimes, measure to/from things like the middle of a wall or the middle of a window. Neither are useful. Measure each item and the distances between each item.)

Other questions...

• What appliances (& their sizes) do you plan to have?
• Where are you flexible? Can walls/windows/doors/doorways change (move, change size, add, delete)? Would you be willing to change the slider to a single 36"W door?
• Do you have a basement under the Kitchen or are you on a slab?

professional kitchen planner that can be present in your space may be helpful and save money in the long run

how many people do you want to seat? based on your expressed desire for the working aspect of thekitchen I might proceed and take out the walls......plan it out then and try an island with seating in front of patio door. youll get some drawers and work space w counter but its unclear how many seats you want....your table is med to large yet only 4 chairs. With the L shape sectional re arranged in the living room [space needs to be shown] I think the wall w the low console could be used for a table whether drop leaf of a long sort pushed right up against the wall...or maybe something else in that niche. Getting the kitchen you want , if this is going to happen , means adjusting and rearranging . the kitchen does look small so do provide a graph paper sketch of all adjacent spaces.

Note different ways to easily seat four [ as part of an island ] .....then use the space in living zone for added table seating needs..[your current furniture arrangement is what eats up your space ]

here is an L or a turn for the seating [island] .....need dimensions !!

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its funny how you have the sectional. Usually the longer side goes against that long wall...then the shorter side across the open area..you can free up table spot by the staircase wall niche... island w seats near patio will get used, if you do that. .

round table w pedestal base shown adjacent to a wall..... or long table use long side and ends/ what inches do you have there? .... [thats a beautiful hand crafted one shown ] ......or drop leaf table against wall....etc...

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I have no idea how anyone answers with no clue as to the size of any of these spaces. A to scale floor plan of the whole area not just the kitchen. On graph paper every window , doorway and where those lead every measurement clearly marked posted here in jpeg format in a comment DO NOT START another post . Have you lookint walls that can be moved easiliy and any that are load bearing?