Okay, let's try posting this link with the message:

http://kitchenplanner.ikea.com/CA/UI/Pages/VPUI.htm?LoadDesign=eac35664f7c148858c2e6f5d99bab853&UIContext=Kitchen&IsSharedDesign=1

My first post to Garden web...I hope I do this right!!!!
Please tell me if our kitchen layout is crazy! Or anything else for that matter!
Let me tell you our reasoning for what we came up with. Hopefully you will be able to see a little of it in the IKEA layout we did.
1.) the room is a crazy setup with part of the kitchen extending wider than the family room. Currently there is a door leading outside to a wrap around deck (driving me nuts because everyone walks right through the middle of the kitchen to get there) , but I am ditching it and putting in another set of garden doors in the side wall of the family room. That way, people do not have to travel through the middle of the kitchen to get outside.
2.) we HATE working in corners
3.) we want open sight lines at the end of each run with nothing large (deep) blocking our view :ie looking outside at one end (we have a beautifull back yard full of trees and a pool) , and at the end of the run with the cooktop in it, looking into the dining room which is across the hall from the end of that counter run. (Am I confusing you yet!) The hallway there is actually the one that is from the entrance to our house and as you first enter the house, divides the garage wall from the living room, and then as you continue to walk in, it divides the kitchen from the dining room (we have just totally opened up the entance to the DR so that it is as wide, a little wider actually, as the kitchen). It is more like one big space now. The complicating factor is that as you continue a few more steps straight ahead down this hall (you are actually in the kitchen/dining room now) it heads straight upstairs to our second floor. I tried to capture that in the IKEA setup with a big black square. All of this limits where we can go, and what we can do with the fixed parts of the kitchen.
4.) We want the cooktop centred behind the island, and visually from the family room
5.) we're planning 2 sinks...one at the end of the island (prep), and one near the windows. Our thinking with this is that we (me) want a lot of unobstructed island space for prep, and having fun cooking with the kids. The sink near the windows will be the cleanup sink, and out of view of the family room.
I realize that this layout may not be what a designer would choose to do. I just want to make sure that it doesn't look completely awful. A couple other things to note:
I have placed IKEA appliances in with this plan just to have an idea of what it might look like. I am actually going with the following (in Canada) :
http://www.sears.ca/product/whirlpool-50-cu-ft-double-wall-oven/622-000153197-WOD93EC0AS double oven
http://www.sears.ca/product/samsung-28-cu-ft-4-door-refrigerator-stainless-steel/646-000444646-RF4287HARS our friends have this fridge. It is beautiful and we LOVE it! The picture here does it no justice.
http://www.sears.ca/product/kenmore-elite-30-induction-cooktop-stainless-steel/622-000774257-C970-40853 induction cooktop. We like that it won't stay hot when the pot is removed (curious dog and kids)
We have got some good deals( we think? ) for these appliances if we take them: fridge $2229.00, oven $2489.00, cooktop $1399.00 (Remember..Canadian $)
We already have a Bosch stainless steel dishwasher. We'll get a new microwave...haven't decided on a drawer model for the island (I'm conflicted here because I want that end cabinet space for a mixer lift, and I don't want to give up drawer space in the middle island cabinet ) or we may put it about the double wall oven like shown here: https://www.houzz.com/photos/art-and-design-show-house-2012-traditional-kitchen-atlanta-phvw-vp~1795602
I've accounted for opening space for appliances etc. The gap showing in the corner of the design between the wall ovens and the pantry that is at 90 degrees to it there will actually be a very narrow tall cabinet which we can stash our broom and a few other things in.
The fridge has to go where it is as we want to sink it into the wall (garage) a bit so that it does not stick out so far into the room. The other wall is an outside wall so it is not possible to put it there and sink it in.
I realize that the dishwasher is at a corner with very little room for opening clearance. The 2 cabinets it will open in front of will house things that we do not access often...at least not when we normally use the dishwasher. If it ends up being too tight, my hubby plans on making the cabinets there a little shallower so that the DW opens okay. We thought about putting the DW beside the wall ovens, but we are not sure how that would look. The 12 inch cabinet that is currently located beside the wall oven is for a pullout trash can...so that it is not under the sink. The island will also have another pullout trach, but that one will likely go under the sink.

We are hoping to buy all cabinets on Wednesday. That's a lot....am I missing anything? Do you have any suggestions for us. Fire away.....please...really, nothing will offend me. As much as I am having fun with this process, it is also driving me crazy!!! I am SUCH A ROOKIE AT THIS!

We will probably go with the IKEA fronts as well as the boxes. I don't love the lacquered look of Lindigo, and I wish the top drawers of the cabinets had more detail, but I think it is something we will compromise. We're planning to go with a butcher block counter top on the island and then some kind of stone on the rest. Floors will be cherry hardwood. Backsplash will probaly be small, rectangular marble tiles...lighter colour (poor description..sorry).

Design link is at top. OMG PLEASE WORK!!! Please help!!!!!! : )

Okay, the rookie is trying the link again!!

Here is a link that might be useful: My kitchen...help!

You have to post a pic of the page as seen on the kitchen planner. Many people (like me) consider the IKEA planner buggy and would never click on that link.

Take a screen shot of what's visible on IKEA, either electronically or with your camera. Post those images on a (free) Photobucket account, then paste the html link(s) to the PB image into the body of your post and, voila, the image will appear.

You can also use the GW photo function (only one image per post), but you still need to have it as an actual image to upload, not just a link to it on the planner.

If you can't get the IKEA thing to work, just draw an outline with a dark pen (fine or extra-fine Sharpie works great) on graph paper. Take a pic upload as above and you're good to go. (There are places to d/l and print graph paper if you Google for them.)

For the best planning advice start with a plan drawing (seen from above) with outline of stuff and dimensions shown. This will get you the most useful advice, and save time. Images of cab, wall and room elevations are not very useful at the layout stage.

HTH

L.

Read the "new to kitchens..." thread that buehl posted. Tons of useful info.