We closed off a doorway from the front entry into the kitchen which was to the left of the refrigerator. We turned the existing pass-thru into a pair of French glass doors opening into the living room which allowed more light into the kitchen and also gave the ability to close it off when desired.
The space in the kitchen was crowded by the peninsula that jutted out into the walkway. So the peninsula was removed and the new cooktop and hood were put directly against the wall that connected to the buildings chase for the exhaust vent.
In order to increase space for the pantry storage, we removed a pair of closet doors with a shallow closet to the left of the existing oven cabinet. The plan really opened up the floor plan, provided more countertop and now the cabinets go up to ceiling maximizing storage.