I take down walls myself. I don't need a contractor to do the job as I am pretty darn good at stuff like that. Same goes for electrical.
The next rendition of the kitchen will include a 78 sq.ft. addition that will fill in a space that should have been part of the original construction. I will add a nook and a floor to ceiling cabinet. As you suggested, I plan to add more work space under good lighting.
The contractor cut corners building my home. He supported a 12 foot bearing wall header with only one 2X4 on either end, which I discovered and corrected during a remodel of my living room. He also tied a lot of wiring circuits together so that he could save on wire and breakers.
I view some of the TV shows for their ideas but hate the cutesy antics.