I live in a very small open concept condo and I decided to arrange my furniture so I always have a 3 feet wide path to move around, and I can say it is a confortable width (for one person). But for two people, maybe less than 2x3 feet is ok, as they make double french doors starting at 4 feet wide... Suggestion : put some masking tape marks on the floor and try visualizing !

The first thing I require each of my clients to do before even starting the design layout is to choose their appliances. Your kitchen designer will need the manufacturer's specifications to know what size to make the cabinets to accommodate them. Be aware that there is required distances needed around and island, typically 36" up to 48" depending on placements of appliances. This will dictate the size and shape of the island. Clean lines, simplicity, innovative materials like glass countertops, exotic woods or Italian veneer slab doors, flip or lift up doors can add unexpected touches to a modern/ contemporary space. Here are some photos of one of my favorite Euro Modern kitchen I did for one of my clients not long ago.

Thanks for the replies! My wife suggested we talk to a local real estate agent, so i think that is a good idea... just that Im not sure how helpful they are likely to be if we arent selling yet :) As for saving for our dream house, I dont disagree, however if doing this up nicely over the next ~5 years or so while we live here nets us some extra in the eventual sale, then that of course will help us as well. Interesting thing happened today actually. I got a knock on the door and one of the older neighbours asked if he could take some lemons from the tree. I of course said yes. Anyway he was telling me he had lived in the street for 40 years. I asked him if the house had always looked like this, and he said no that ~30 years ago the old old owner did a massive renovation and pulled off the timber and put up the bricks and gutted the inside of the house. Interesting stuff!

Hmmm, I see what you mean. There are two aspects I would focus on - the door surrounds and the garden pathway/approach. For the doorway itself (depending on how much you want to spend), you could put a small porch over the door for shelter (with a light for evening visitors). Maybe add a (wider than the doorway itself) glass or trellis surround on the RHS of the door, or add a small deck/steps (over the top of the current ones) that extends the doorway outwards and sideways and provides a sheltered platform for people to stand on while waiting for you to welcome them. The trick would be keeping it in the style of the (stucco?) house - maybe use the blue trim alongside the doorway to add visual width. The second aspect would be creating a pathway leading to the front door. I wouldn't take it in from the street but rather curve across from the driveway. Maybe large pavers spaced for walking, set into a gravel pathway, with some small outdoor lights alongside, and create a garden with small shrubs on the LHS of the door out to the edge of the path to define the pathway to the door. Or if you were going to concrete the driveway at some point, you could make some matching concrete pavers, with a rougher aggregate surface, with some extra concrete. And finally, the door... the door itself doesn't show in the picture, but after you've created the doorway, you could either get a new door (with some glass in it - more welcoming), or just repaint your current door to match your doorway - possibly in the same blue as your trim - lovely! Good luck