Have a solid wall between the basement stairs and cabinets to provide more definition. Not sure what you mean with the pantry located behind the stove.

Confused - the draft of the kitchen layout is a bit off, based on your photos. Draft shows refrigerator and stove at garage wall, however photos show refrigerator & stove on wall with basement stairway? Is the draft an idea of what you would like to change?

What is your budget for this project? In your pantry you have another sink...what were your thoughts of having a sink inside that area? You could be losing a lot of useable space by having another sink in the pantry. Also you may want to rethink the placement of the sink in your island. Possible move it around to the side and position it in the middle. You could also leave the refrigerator where it currently is and wrap it with cabinetry to make it feel like it is separate from the stairs. The best thing to do is cut out little pieces that represent your sink, refrigerator, stove, etc. and move them around to play with the placement.

M Rene Designs: Sorry the draft is an idea of what I would like to have.

Ok, thank you Joanna. Now, I think your draft is a good one! However, reading Expressive Interiors thoughts, I tend to agree with their recommendations except one = moving the island sink to the center of the island. You'd give yourself more work space keeping the sink on the edge of the island because you likely won't be using that sink for washing dishes if you have a dishwasher? Just keep in mind, water WILL drip onto the floor from time to time, depending upon what you're washing.

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