The Globe and Mail

This high pantry was our main non-food storage space, so it was packed with bowls, blenders, cutting boards and tupperware.

To the left of our stove, we had a portable dishwasher that we rolled over to the sink when we needed to do dishes.

This was our main prep area. The cabinets were brown pressed wood that I painted, the countertop was mottled brown/cream laminate which I also painted. The backsplash was also the mottled laminate, so I glued on some faux "tin ceiling" and painted it too.

This wall had exactly one thing on it: a fridge. There was a kitchen table and chairs to the right.

The far high cabinet is now our main food pantry. I had originally wanted to go with tile flooring, but I think the hardwood really warms up the whites and greys.

We couldn't move our stove and sink without adding a lot to the budget, so we stuck with where they were originally and managed to sneak a dishwasher in between. We also elected not to add more countertop under the window (to the left of the stove) because it would have meant altering the size of the window and buying a new one.

There's not a lot of extra space here, but it's a functional space to do dishes.

This wall went from having just a fridge to a huge amount of storage space.

Here's our eating island. Beyond it is an office addition (done by previous owners).

Here's another look at the eating counter, which we use daily.

The south countertop provides lots of prep space.

The high cabinet is for long-term storage (it's less accessible because of the bar stools).