You can always do a bookcase facing the LR, but we REALLY need a measured design to advise you properly.

I hope this link works so that you can see the picture underneath what I am writing. This is the kitchen now. There is a 10' opening. LR is on bottom (not visible). Refrigerator is the box on the left, and it faces a bank of base cabinets with cooking range in the center. Upper cabinets there also. What can be used next to or around the frig so it looks better planned?

Here is a link that might be useful: refrig needs a friend

Has anyone seen the link I posted? The kitchen layout is there. Refrigerator is on the left side. Less than 4 feet away is living room fireplace. There is no wall between the 2 rooms anymore.

I am not a layout expert and maybe some that are will chime in.
I am having a little hard time trying to picture your kitchen and what everything is. Are walls moveable? Are you stuck with the location of everything or are you willing to switch things up a little? Could you label the numbers on your layout, at least the ones that have a main function? What are traffic patterns?
You'll get a lot more response from folks if you can make your situation clearer.

OP's layout

Thanks tmy, for putting my picture up like you did! Still don't know how to do that...
Notes on layout:
1) Refrigerator is on left, on wall labeled D.
2) Range, flanked by two 30" lower cabs, is on wall labeled B. "Above" this wall is where you walk through to reach open basement stairs, then the dining room.
3) Between refrigerator and range wall, is an opening 5' wide straight into living room.
4) Pantry cabinets, desk/phone nook, and door to garage, is on wall labeled C.
5) Peninsula, counters, d/w, sink, two windows, all on long wall labeled A.
6) Laundry machines are on unlabeled vertical wall on left side.
5) Nothing is moveable at this point. Except the refrigerator, it could be rotated to look into the kitchen and it's back would be to living room. I don't know if that's good idea or not.

Please I would love to hear ideas! Thanks, Carla

Suggestion:

(1) First, rotate the refrigerator so it faces the inside of the kitchen [Bonus: more functional overall that way!]

(2) Push it into the kitchen a bit so the refrigerator carcass/box is flush with the end of the wall on the kitchen side (doors stick out past the wall so you don't need filler b/w the wall and refrigerator to allow the refrigerator door(s) to open fully) and so you can...

(3a) Put a wall behind the bookcase (flush w/the LR wall)...if needed, turn the studs 90 degrees so the wall only has to be 3" or so deep (yes, this will close up the opening a bit, but the refrigerator is already blocking the doorway almost as much...) [Bonus: more wall space in the LR]

...or...

(3b) If you prefer and it's possible, put a decorative floor-to-ceiling bookcase behind the refrigerator facing the LR

(4) Add a decorative door panel or plain finished end panel on the exposed side (do whichever matches the style/feel of your kitchen best.)

(5) Finally, put a full-depth cabinet above the refrigerator.

Optional...

(6) Put a plain finished end panel b/w the wall and refrigerator to give the refrigerator "enclosure" a better look...end panels on both sides w/the upper cabinet b/w. Personally, I think it looks nicer this way than having just the end panel on one side and a wall on the other. To me, end panels on both look more finished and high-end.

...Or, all the items above, including both (3a) and (3b)!

Questions:

(1) "...Pantry cabinets, desk/phone nook, and door to garage, is on wall labeled C..."

What is wall "C" showing? The actual wall and then the pantry cabs, etc. are on it, extending into the kitchen?

Or

Is wall "C" showing where the front of the pantry cabs, etc. are?

If the former, you don't have room for those cabs b/c you will have virtually no aisle b/w the peninsula and cabinets. Even if the cabs are only 12" to 18" deep, I don't think you'll have a wide enough aisle, especially since the garage doorway is there.

However, I don't know the scale of the squares, so I'm not positive. Since the garage is there, I recommend at least a 48" aisle b/w the end of the peninsula counter and the knobs/pulls on the pantry cabs and/or the counter edge of any counters on wall "C".

(2) "...Between refrigerator and range wall, is an opening 5' wide straight into living room...."

Either your drawing is not-to-scale, or that opening is shown as wider than 5'. Are you opening it up more so the drawing actually shows a wider doorway?

(3) Sink - is it really recessed like that? If so, I strongly recommend you do not recess it...the sides/corners will be major hip-bangers for anyone working at the sink! Instead, either pull the sink out so it's flush with the counters on either side or pull it out so it's a bump-out into the kitchen...that might look nice...

(4) Laundry area - is it open to the kitchen? I recommend a wall b/w the kitchen & laundry room. I would not want to look at the laundry while in the kitchen, nor would I want to hear the washer or dryer running!

Wait......is that a bay window over the sink? If so, then don't bump the sink out into the kitchen, it will make the well too deep! Instead, just pull the sink out so it's flush w/the cabinets/DW on either side.

Where do you plan to actually prep in this kitchen? There is a lot of space, but none of it in the right places to make the kitchen workable. What are 30 and 31 in this layout? Why did you pick the wall you put the range on to put the range on? It would be better for the fridge/snack center and then eliminate that super odd peninsula in favor of a galley kitchen with the range on the bottom wall C. You'll be running around all over the place and need rollerskates with the layout as posted. If you want seating, extend the cabients out from C as a peninsula. That would make a great workspace adjacent to the range and across from the fridge. It would function even better with a prep sink there.

More like this.

HollySprings, the OP says, "Nothing is moveable at this point. Except the refrigerator..".

I had to keep the laundry machines in that back area, so the cooking range is on wall B to be far away from where I am loading and unloading clean clothes. I love where you put that peninsula Holly! I thought about that early on but the peninsula against a window to a priceless backyard view won out. There are shallow pantry cabinets with narrow doors, placed against wall C, 12" deep. The peninsula is 5' out so there is a good 3' of clearance (The laundry wall is 9'). If I enter through garage the peninsula makes good landing space for bags, a bonus I never had before.

Another thing... We tore down the entire 10 foot wall that divided kit and LR. All sheetrock and painting is finished. The thought occurred to me too...why did I take down the WHOLE wall? I guess I had been so cramped and separated in the old kitchen, I was willing to open up the entire space, I was sure it would work. Buehl, can a bookcase or other furniture be backed against a refrigerator? Or against the side of a refrigerator? Without a wall there? I guess I made a mistake not leaving a 3' wall... darn it. But I was hoping to finish this kitchen before Halloween, then before Thanksgiving (not gonna happen). It's GOT TO be done before Christmas or I'll just cry :-(

So I haven't heard again from anyone, and I suppose the best solution is to rotate the refrig to face into the kitchen, and then put a living room bookcase against the back of it (with appropriate clearance). I guess it will look OK, maybe it won't look so lonesome anymore. Hopefully there won't be problems opening the doors?

You will need to pull the refrigerator forward (toward the kitchen) so the refrigerator carcass/box is flush with the wall (and/or cabinets and/or counters) in the kitchen. The doors must extend out past the surrounding walls, etc. to be able to open fully.

Thanks buehl... now I need to see about getting a 36" wide bookcase that's about as tall as the refrigerator, and put them back to back. I know this isn't the perfect scenario but frankly I'm burned out by this remodel. However this will look amazing compared to what I had before. I've never seen a refrigerator's back be anywhere except against a wall. I wonder which direction facing would look more normal overall in the big scheme of things?