I would suggest you take out the cabinet that is to the right of the stove and use it elsewhere in the house -- perhaps in the bathroom or dining room with a hutch above it. Then, I would suggest you have someone install a lazy susan cabinet in the corner between the sink counter and the stove, meaning you would move the stove down a bit and have a small cabinet/counter top to the right of the stove. I would suggest you have the cabinets refinished in white and then paint the walls a pastel you like. If you would prefer white walls, then add white-painted crown molding and paint the ceiling a light neutral blue, such as Sherwin Williams Niagara Falls Blue. Then, I would suggest you choose a favorite accent color and use this sparingly in accessories like towels, pot holders, small vases or floral arrangements, and a valence above the triple windows. For a genuine 1940s look, you might have white ceramic square tiles with a rectangular red border installed as a back splash behind and above the stove. If you are replacing counter tops, I would suggest a light color such as white with a beige or light grey vein or striation for some sort of pattern. You might be able to find the same color and design in floor tile OR opt for a wood floor as another poster suggested.

We got the IKEA shelves that are pictured in the butlers pantry photo I posted when we were on holiday in Melbourne, Australia. We don't have IKEA here in New Zealand! Hubby is going back over in May/June so will get him to get more of that sort of thing when there. We would pay about 4x the price for that sort of thing here in NZ. I need to work out what I will do now where the fridge was and there is the angle change (does that make sense?).

I am blown away from down under by the help that you all have freely given .... thank you sooo much indeed. who would have thought after a year of anguish that I would be put out of my misery! If I do go for the atlantic for chairs I will bring in plum touches and vice versa. Will now need to go and find some plum that closely aligns with your suggestions. Thanks for saying we can keep table! It is a good solid NZ made oak one ... chairs were all the rage back about 18 years ago! Now need to go! I will put up a pic of a rug that was quite nice but rather expensive so ... might be in an hour or so. Thank you so much again.

At the end of 2019 I put the finishing touches to a kitchen that was many months in the design and build process. Client Brief: My client, originally from Scotland had always dreamed of having a country kitchen with lots of detail, warmth and charm. The name Charles Rennie Mackintosh was thrown around a couple of times which certainly put the pressure on me, the clients expectations were clearly set very high but also gave me a very clear visual of the style she liked. Before: With space at a premium and two entrances in to the kitchen it was always going to be hard to change the layout of the appliances and fortunately working within this space will always be functional for that reason. After: This kitchen was all about the detail, and how to maximize the impact without taking up and loosing too much space. The pantry, which is opposite the hallway entrance had always been a square eye sore. I told my client I wanted to make it look more like a piece of furniture and vary the depth to take away from its heaviness. By having tall elegant bi-folding doors and lead light windows at the top it was definitely a Mackintosh inspired look from his amazing chairs. No sacrificing on function though as we made sure the top part of the unit was deep enough for all my clients requirements and easy to access drawers under bench height. With the main area of the kitchen I managed to get some symmetry around the oven using a blind corner to the right and drawers to the left for access and function. For simplicity of the visual I manufactured the drawers to the left of the oven with the same molding as a door, I then put them on push-to-open runners and offset the door knob to finish the balance. A beautiful hand made butler sink was sourced to give some authenticity to the space and a modern integrated dishwasher allowed us to not have too many things fighting for the limelight. depth and character we given to the design with my hand finished details from the shaped toe kicks and fluted column panels, up to the Flemish glass lead light windows and shaped cornice molding. I am very fortunate to have a fantastic stone fabricator that I work with, who fully embraced my requirements for detail. He manufactured the bench with no joins in the corners just behind the hob and sink really completing this amazing transformation. As with any renovation, the final judgement comes down to how the client reacts and feels towards their new space.. and by her reviews I know this is one very happy customer! If you would like to know more about this, any of my other projects or would like some advice on your own kitchen projects please feel free to contact me. Jack Bradbrook for Interior Fittings (NZ)