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i'd open it up as much as possible, for sure. add cabinetry, counterspace, lighting, the whole nine. thankfully you didn't mention feasibility and budget :)

I agree with kdkaboom 100%. If it's structurally possible I'd say take the whole wall out. Then you can add a counter with cabinets below. It'll really open up your place, and make cooking so much more enjoyable. :)

i would definitely load up the bottom half of the wall with storage... shelving or cabinet uppers (because they are usually only 12" deep). that would leave a nice little counter above and then a pass-thru to the dining room.

Hi Bridget,

You could take down the wall and replace it with an island that runs almost the length of the kitchen. Alternatively, you could turn the galley-style into an L-shape by adding cabinetry next the the fridge. Either way you get more cabinet and counter space and it will make you kitchen feel much bigger and usable.

I think the idea of tearing down that wall is thrilling.

Then, you can cart of the rubbish right out that sliding door.

Well if you're concerned about a budget i would say bust out the top half of the wall and replace it with open shelving, it creates openness of space and adds storage plus it gives you a great place to show off all your cool kitchen things. you could build a slightly wider shelf at the bottom (or significantly wider if you chose) and use it as a counter and a pass through into the dining room. i think you have great opportunities there.

I have an galley kitchen as well however I have my appliances on the wall that separates the living room from the kitchen. I wanted to knock down my wall sooooooooo bad but structurally I ' so I made my kitchen into an eat-in kitchen. I plan on adding lighting. I have a bar table and chairs now. Thats an idea, if you don't want to knock down wall. The wall seems to be easy to knock down, partially or the entire wall.

Take out as much of the wall as you can --it'll really open the space up (since it seems small as-is). Once that's done, I'd get new uniform floors. Then deal with all of the bonus stuff (like islands and cabinets, etc.).

Ms Bridget, Tear Down That Wall!

It looks like you are in desperate need of counter space (which will go on top) and storage (which will go below). Good Luck!

yes, take the walls down, please! i feel closed in by just looking at it! an L shaped counter coming out of the far wall may give it a sense of separation without closing it off entirely.

Are you a cooking enthusiast? Get an externally vented range-hood. That's my dream appliance.

And, if the budget allows - take the wall down. If you've got to keep a column there for structural reasons...build an island or something next to the column.

I bet a kitchen designer would do a free (or close to it) consult on possibilities.

I think in terms of feasibility, you should put a large "window" in between the rooms. On the bottom of that window you could do a counter top for a breakfast nook. I noticed that you have some sort of heating mechanism along the bottom of that wall so removing it completely might not be an easy option. I would also recommend that you do something about the drapes on your sliding door to bring more color into the room. You can play with the virtual designer at factory direct drapes for ideas. Best of luck.

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Before tearing down the wall, cutting holes, etc. make sure you will be able arrange the living room/dining room furniture the way you want, since you will have less or no wall. You may not want to end up with having to look at your appliances when you are sitting on the couch all of the time or with the TV in an inconvenient spot. A floor plan would be a good idea. That said, opening up the kitchen somehow is a good idea, since it looks very cramped.

Yeah, I'd take down the wall and make that whole area into a big, eat-in kitchen. If nothing else, I'd punch a whole in the middle of the wall and add a bar with cabinets or something.

I know that everyone ends up in my kitchen when I have people over so having something big and open is important for me. Plus, it looks like you really, really, really need cupboards.

If feasible, I would get rid of the wall and install a nice island. You will get more storage and prep area, plus a bar to sit at if you wish.

I'd knock out the wall (I recognize those heaters, they're those nasty electric ones, right? Oh well, at least you'll have power in your island!) for starters. And replace the floor.

If cost is an issue, I'd then go get a pretty dresser or low bookcase to use as an island in the interim and replace it later with an actual island. If possible, move the fridge so it forms a "work triangle" with the sink and stove.

But mostly, I'd live with it for a few months and figure out where you keep thinking something SHOULD be and work from there.

If you plan on redoing your kitchen entirely (like making it l-shaped and adding in a bar, etc), I say tear down the wall. If not, keep as is, because otherwise, it will look as if you have a galley kitchen with the wall removed!

Have an expert check to see if that is a load-bearing wall. Having your neighbors drop in before the renovation is finished could be deleterious to friendly feelings!

If it is loadbearning, then think about replacing the drywall with lexan or other structural polycabonate.

If that's a load-bearing wall, consider replacing it with one big wooden column or beam. If not, get rid of it entirely!

Are you standing in the living room taking the photo into the dining room and kitchen or is that the living room to the left of the kitchen?

Is that a load bearing wall? If it is, I believe you would need a permit and a good contractor to alter it. Don't mess with load bearing walls.

1) Take out the wall.

a) The telephone will have to be rewired to another location. Even if you use a cell phone I imagine that you can't do away with phone wiring altogether if you want to ever resell the house.

b) The heater will have to be moved to the wall by the sliding door.

2) Redo the whole large area with hard floors, either wood or tile, depending on the architectural style prevalent in your region, as well as your preferences. I live in the northeast so I would never put tile in a main living area, but in the southwest it is done more frequently, for example.

a) Those might be asbestos tiles on the kitchen floor. They may need special consideration (read: expense) in removal.

b) Are you on a slab? That could affect the flooring choices.

c) Use a large rug to define the living room area.

3) Make the kitchen into an L-shape with the sink under the window, the stove on the fridge wall, and the fridge left where it is. Fill in with appropriate cabinetry.

4) Put a kitchen island approximately where the wall is now.

5) Hang some nice pendant lights over the kitchen island. Replace that white fixture with recessed lighting and under-cabinet lighting

6) Replace those vertical blinds with something (anything!) else.

Now, what did you say your budget is? :-) Some of these are big ticket items. You would probably want to consult with a couple of realtors and get their opinions on how much you could put into the house and how much you would expect to get back out of it. Don't over-improve for your neighborhood.

There, I just wrote a book. Good luck; have fun; if nothing else, swap out the carpet for something neutral and clean-looking, put down some nice-looking vinyl tiles in the kitchen, repaint in a cohesive style and up-to-date colors, put up some art, find some good second-hand furniture, and replace those window coverings with something more current.

take down the wall, and put in an island with a higher back edge (towards the dining area) in order to conceal cooking gear, etc.

Turn your kitchen into a U-shaped kitchen; although you will be stealing a bit of space from the dining area, it will still be generously-sized.

This is also an ideal opportunity to address the flooring, uniting it through the entire living area.

knock out the wall, and perhaps put an island or some kind of prep area/breakfast bar there its always much more social when theres casual guests around.....

I would be careful about tearing walls down. I recently did a kitchen remodel in my condo and wanted to tear a wall down but I couldn't do it. It turned out to be a major structural wall and couldn't be touched. It also housed a internal vacuum which I never use, a phone jack, electrical switches and an outlet. Hopefully you'll be luckier than me but at the least it looks like you'll lose a phone jack and heater.

Tear it down, replace the flooring throughout so that its consistent throughout the space (wood? tile?) and install a new island with a butcherblock top.

The heater, phone line and other electrical can all be moved to the wall between the window and sliding doors.

It looks suspiciously like a load-bearing wall to me. Even if it is, you might be able to take down parts of the wall--just installing a pass-through window would open up the space considerably.

The layout in my place looked almost the same when I bought it. (I really doubt that an interior partition like that is bearing.)

First, I took the wall down to waist-high with the intent of cantilevering a countertop with stools. Then my friends told me I was an idiot for not adding storage space below. So I took down the rest of the wall, and installed 12" deep peninsula cabinet uppers as the base cabinets for the peninsula. I did have to build a custom platform so the finished cabinets were counter height, but I covered it with 1x trim from the cabinetmaker and it looks fine. The cabinets open on both sides, which added some cost but I didn't want a waist-high stretch of plywood facing the dining area.

And be sure you keep that phone! Seriously.

i'd worry more about your flooring than the kitchen wall if you are restricted by budget.

Knock down that wall and put in a counter that runs the full lenght of the old wall. Make it deep enough to have a bookshelf on the living room side, but storage on the kitchen side if you can. Draw a plan out of the redo incorporating both rooms. But first, how do you really cook?For a month, before you do a thing, study how you cook. And write down the things you love and hate about your current kitchen. Then make a kitchen plan. That way your kitchen won't just be pretty. It will work.

If it's possible, I would remove the wall and create an breakfast bar / kitchen island instead. That would serve to open the space up, but keeping it separate from the living room area.