All I see is "Image hosting by PictureTrail.com"

ugh really? That's annoying. I can see them here using chrome and tried Mozilla too. I'll try again.

You could block out the wall the same thickness as the counterfort at cabinet height and cover the cabinets and blocking with countertop.

What's happening with the door beyond the fuse box?

I would use wall cabinets on the buttress, or a custom set of shallower drawers, or shelves ... and continue the countertop across the top.

Do NOT hide the fuse box unless your city says it's OK. They need to be visible and accessible.

I see pictures now, and see what you're talking about. The angles make it look like it would be extra fun to build around... cool tile and doors though.

That little door leads to a closet, I think It should be a pantry, but It'll probably have to be a utility closet.

I think it'll be really nice when it's done. I guess it was originally a bath/changing house for after the beach. But there are some challenges that'll have to be creatively worked around.

If we did some sort of smaller cabinet and extended the countertop, what about the backsplash?

For funsies, here's the other guest house we finished and the lower one that needs work is on the right, that door leads into said kitchen.

The first thing I would do is find out why that wall bumpout is there. Nobody seems to know. Knock a hole in the wall and find out why it exists.

Also, see about moving the electrical panel to the closet. It's not that far and should be doable if your code allows it.

You can put a frame around the electric panel and hang louvered or paneled doors.

The buttress or counterfort appears to be structural in nature and should have no exploratory or other holes created in it, particularly if this home is in a seismic code-enforced area.

Moving the electrical panel is possible, but doing so cost-effectively is another matter.

This post was edited by Trebruchet on Thu, Jul 17, 14 at 14:03

I'm pretty certain it's structural, so it's got to stay put.

It did survive the Northridge earthquake, main house had a lot of damage though.

Treb, yeah, but nobody knows why it is there. Knocking a hole in the plaster to see what's there will not affect anything.

It could be like my house where they poured the foundation 7 inches out of square (fixed), but now the living room floor joists hang 7 inches into the wall on the stairs to the basement. This is because, while the outside of my foundation is now square, the inside walls of the basement are a trapizoid shape, out of square by 7 inches. You just never know until you look.

It doesn't look like you can put cabinets or a counter there anyway and still have useful access to that closet....are you planning on moving the closet door?

What others are saying is correct--the breaker panel MUST be easily accessible. I advise against putting them in a closet--a lot of builders like to do that to hide the "ugly" box, but home inspectors and fire marshals hate it.

It looks like the panel cover is one designed for boxes that stand out in the open, not recessed in the wall. If you look up the brand and model, you may be able to get a new cover, one designed for recessed installation (Instead of looking like a box lid, the edges go straight out to sit flush with the wall surface and cover the gap in the wall around the sides of the box.)

If that's a fuse box, not a breaker panel, I highly recommend replacing it. If your jurisdiction permits it, and you can shut off power to it, you can replace it yourself easily for less than $200, including new breakers and a new panel. If you feel up to it ;) You can find numerous sources on the Internet to walk you through replacing a panel and making sure it's safe and up to code (which most older panels are not)

As for the hump in the wall, I agree that you should try drilling into it to see what's behind it. It may be raceway for your electrical wiring--it's possible that your wall is cinder block or brick about halfway up, with wood framing on top.

"What others are saying is correct--the breaker panel MUST be easily accessible. I advise against putting them in a closet--a lot of builders like to do that to hide the "ugly" box, but home inspectors and fire marshals hate it."

My father-in-law just rewired a 60s ranch house and the local division of inspection approved the installation of the panel in his master bedroom closet.

Panel can be in a closet, it just has to have no obstructions below it; base cabinets I think constitute an obstruction which the inspector would call them on.
I think the "buttress" is really a wiring chase. Bit you still can't put cabinets in front of it.
Casey

Is it possible to see the buider's plans at your county tax office? May be a real eye opener for the "buttress". Is it also possible to close off the doorway and put it in the hall on the right side of the photo? If you closed off the door and moved the electrical panel, that would free up your corner for cabs.

Thanks everyone. I'll have to do some further thinking and investigating when I get back (I'm in Ireland now, but this is my project when I move back in Sept.).

Honestly I'd love to open up the whole closet and hallway to make it much bigger, but I dont think my mother will go for that. I think when it's been a certain way for they 56 yrs you've had it its hard to think about making too big changes.