I know we are all obsessed with the "open floor plan" concept, but sometimes we do want an area that is quieter, or more formal, or whatever. Planning a kitchen layout takes a lot of thought! Here is a great article that might help: Back to the Work Triangle?

Hi Purvi, for open plan kitchen you can change the fridge door position to front facing instead of balcony facing. One more option is, you can plan for pocket doors. The advantage of that is if you wish to have the open feeling you can keep it open or close it. My personal advise will be, instead of asking for individual queries you should consult a person and take complete details as per your requirements.

Buying a home that needs a lot of updating. We plan on painting the kitchen cabinets white or cream and installing granite countertops, new sink, new light fixtures, new stove vent, etc. The floor is hickory hardwood. My dilemma is the island. Should I keep it? Or remove it? If I keep it I am thinking of topping it with a dark butcher block to match the floor. I am open to any suggestions to make this kitchen better, without breaking the bank.

Totally doable as long as the island is not too bulky. And of course if the circulation space around the island is at least 3'-0" wide. You don't need too much space to move around in a kitchen because you should be able to pick up a hot dish and put it down on another surface without having to move too much. 12'x14' is a large size and a work island would possibly make the space more practical to use. In the pictures attached, the work island is only 2' wide but 4' feet long