In 2005, the plan came together, the old kitchen was removed, and the new kitchen was born.
First job was to remove most of the wall between the kitchen and dining room. I would NEVER have done this if the wall was 1848 construction. I owe the most respect possible to the original part of this house, and I renovate the 1967 part of the house to complement 1848 as much as I can. ('After' photos are unstaged and were taken this morning, 3/12/17. 'Before' photos show the kitchen shortly before we dismantled it in 2005.)
The footprint of the kitchen itself remained the same. Layout, for the most part, was good. (Here is a floor plan to help you get your bearings.)
Only the range and microwave are out in plain sight. Everything else is mostly hidden.
Trash and recycling are in a pull-out on the right of the range.
The old kitchen was cramped and dark. Not anymore!
Do you see the dishwasher?
The only appliance that we moved was the refrigerator. This gave us the opportunity to wrap the awkward outside-corner wall with cabinetry and to open up what had been a really cramped area ... with the sink, dishwasher, back door, and refrigerator all competing for space in a tiny triangle.
The white donut-looking thing on the floor is an a/c vent.
With the refrigerator out of the way, we now have this L-shaped run of cabinets and counters.
The whole kitchen was designed around this refrigerator ... 48" Subzero with custom faux-icebox panels and hardware. Sometimes, newcomers ask, "Where's your refrigerator?" It blends in THAT well!
This kitchen wasn't cheap, but it has turned out to be worth every $$$, because I love it even more now than I did when we built it 12 years ago. I like to think that the house loves it, too.