Honestly? I like the Lowes KD's design better. It gives you more prep space and separates the Cooking Zone from the Prep & Cleanup Zones better without losing the availability of water in the Prep Zone.

I also think it would be great to prep in front of that window! [Remember: 70% of the time spent working in a kitchen is spent prepping...more than 3x as much time as cleaning up (20%); the other 10% is spent cooking.]

Is a sink centered under a window that important to you? If it is, then OK. But, I wanted to show you the differences b/w yours & the Lowes KD's design...

Layout #1 (basically, the Lowes KD's design...with a couple of tweaks):

Layout #2 (sink centered under window):

Notice how there are more "small" cabinets that are not as useful (and more expensive) as the larger ones in the first layout? There also isn't a good place for the trash pullout in this design. It pretty much has to be next to the DW b/c (1) it gives you enough space b/w the sink & DW to stand and (2) to avoid the problem of creating even more small cabinets, which would happen if you put on the range side. But, in this location it is really inconvenient for prepping & cooking...where you use the trash for longer lengths of time and more time overall. You'll have to not only walk across an aisle almost 6 feet wide, but you'll have to cross the Cleanup Zone to do it. [I have the 6' aisle to cross to get to the trash from my Prep Zone and it's the biggest regret/mistake I made in my kitchen.]

OTOH, there is more room to stand in front of a standard 36" sink base than a 42" corner sink base (the size in Layout #1)...the 42" corner sink base has approx 26" frontage, the 36" standard sink has, well, 36". (If you went with a 45" corner sink base, you would have approx 30" of frontage...but it would be another 3" off each wall.)

However, there's also the Zone issue...

Layout #1 with Zones:

Layout #2 with Zones:

Notice the greater overlap of Prep & Cleanup Zones? The more overlapping you have in general (but especially when Cleanup Zones & Prep Zones overlap), the less functional a kitchen is as a multi-worker kitchen (multiple cooks, or one cook + one cleanup person).

Some other ideas:

Layout #1a (alternate MW location):

The range is moved "up" another 6" for a little more protection of the Cooking Zone (& range) from traffic.

Layout #3 with smaller corner susans. However, several people here have said the 33" susans aren't as easy to access as the 36", so I would hesitate to recommend them w/o a great impact on design/function.

...

In the end, this is your kitchen and you should design it the way it will function best for you and your family. I just wanted to point out the pros & cons to both layouts.

Not going to talk about a specific plan, but about orientation and what your goals are. Some very tuff love follows.

In a very real sense, your new plan isn't any more open FROM the kitchen perspective. The person cooking or cleaning is still completely turned away from family life. My opinion is you're spending $4k more than simply replacing the kitchen cabinets and gaining nothing for the chef or the cleaning crew. Well, maybe the noise of the ref in the family room.

When you say you what to open the whole thing up - what does that mean to you?

Why not do it cheaper by reversing the counter and the ref and removing the wall behind the peninsula?

Buehl, Thanks so much for the very informative layout suggestions. Now I see that the sink centered under the window would create zone issues. Though from a prep point of view, we tend to prep right next to the range, since everything goes in pots on the stove. So prepping won't necessarily happen under the window if we go to a corner sink.

Bmorepanic, the plan is to remove the main wall behind the fridge, so there will be no wall separating the kitchen and family room. We plan to have a small island there as shown. That makes it easier for anyone working in the kitchen to be connected to the family room (for us watching our toddler while working in the kitchen). The small wall separating the kitchen and breakfast area will also be taken down.

However, we have very little idea about what it takes to remove a load bearing wall and we are definitely not DIYers in that area. I am not fully confident about the capabilities and know-how of GCs that we consulted with regarding the job. Having read this forum, we have decided to look for and consult with a structural engineer. I don't know what to expect and to watch for..so looking for input. Also, what should we expect to spend for removing a wall and moving electrical outlets and a small plumbing line that goes to the fridge? We don't know if the estimate given by GC ($4000) is too much or too little! Thanks.

But it won't work out that way. The person at the sink or the range will still be excluded. When working at the range, for instance, you'll have no view of the family room at all - you'll be looking at the ref.

Prep will take place between the sink and the range, so you'd still be turned away with no views.

Sometimes being included needs more than taking a wall down. You'd need to rotate the entire kitchen counterclockwise about 270 degrees plus find a new home for the ref.

If you want more "inclusion", then plan the Prep Zone so it will face the open area...(Remember those statistics from my previous post...70% of your time is spent prepping)

One note....just b/c you do something one way now doesn't mean that's how it will be when you remodel. Sometimes we do things a particular way b/c it's the only way it works now. When you remodel, you open yourself up to new ways of doing things...if you make it possible to do things differently.

We sometimes have to come out of our "comfort zone" of familiarity and do something "different"...which means change, and everyone is resistant to change to some degree (some more than others).

What about something like this? It puts the Prep Zone on the peninsula and the range nearby.
The range is protected and still against a wall for (1) less expensive, easier, and more effective venting and (2) far enough away from visitors that they won't get splattered by grease or have steam/smoke/odors in their face.
You also have 42"+ of workspace b/w the prep sink & range for prepping...a good amount of space. You also have some space on the other side of the prep sink for setting things down and reducing the chances of pushing things off onto the floor.
The prep sink will also provide a place for hand washing without having to go deep into the kitchen.

It does close off the kitchen more, but it also provides more separation of zones.

The only real drawback I see is that you will prepping in the only entrance to the kitchen...but perhaps a 49" aisle will be enough...I don't know if it will be for you, only you can answer that. It does, however, give you your "inclusion" with others for 80% of your work...prepping + cooking.

You might consider either glass doored upper cabinets or no cabinets b/w the refrigerator & sink to reduce the "cave" issue. With glass doored cabinets (or none) plus the large window plus good lighting, I don't think the corner near the refrigerator will be much of a "dark cave".

Layout #4:

Layout #4 w/Zones:

Notice how well separated the zones are and no zone-crossing. This layout would allow up to 4 people to work comfortably in the kitchen...Cleanup in front of the main sink, Prepping at peninsula, Cooking at the corner range, and Prepping or MW cooking b/w the range & main sink.

BTW...that MW could be mounted on a shelf below upper cabinets on that run if you prefer that setup.

Bmorepanic, Thanks for the clarification. I see what you are saying about moving the kitchen counterclockwise 270 degree.
I thought about that. For one, I don't think moving the cooking zone (range) to where the refrigerator is currently situated will work. It will be too close to the family room and we have a loveseat that will sit very close to it. I feel that a small island is very well suited in that space as per layout suggestions by Lowes KD and Buehl.

That being said, the island can be used as a Prep zone per Buehl's suggestion. However, isn't the island a little small to hold the sink and counter space? Also, having the sink there doesn't seem appealing on first thought. Maybe the island can still work as a prep area (but without a sink). Buehl, any thoughts?

We think that taking the walls down will give us access to the conversation in the family room as well as allow us to watch our toddler easier than with the wall. Also, there is a TV in the FR (on the wall opposite to the wall behind fridge) that we cannot watch from the kitchen currently.

I would also appreciate comments input regarding taking down loadbearing wall/ structural aspects of our project. Thanks.

Do you have a basement? If so, moving/adding plumbing is pretty easy. If you're on a slab...well, it may or may not be as easy.

In both the KD's layout and yours, prepping will not take place on the island. It's too far away from the range and there's no water source anywhere nearby.

BTW...I thought I'd add that if you want/need a Baking Center, the span of counter b/w the DW & range will work well for that. You would also have access to the oven in your range from the peninsula...so you could roll out dough, etc. on one side of the range, while baked goods are cooling on the other side...or someone could be making dinner on the peninsula while someone else is baking on the wall run.

We do have a basement. The kitchen is on the first floor and bdrs are on the second.

We spent some time today looking for referral for a structural engineer, but didn't get anywhere. Now we are thinking of getting one from service magic Or yellow pages. Problem is that there is no way of knowing if the person we pick is good and they charge to come out for evaluation. Any suggestions on where to find a structural engineer in northeast/NJ area?

Buehl, You have so many ideas..It is amazing! We would ideally not want to close off the kitchen with the peninsula (your layout 4). It is preferable to to have another entrance to the kitchen (layouts 1,2,3) since we have a formal dining room down the hallway to the right. So with the island, we can access the kitchen closer to the formal dining room (though we don't use it often).

This thread is taking a while to load due to pictures. Perhaps I need to start another one, if it becomes an issue.

How about something like this. It wraps the counter around to the breakfast area with the frig there as well (gray square by breakfast area window). The rest of the counter is a breakfast bar and a banquet is added.

An island is in place of the wall and if you find that is is load bearing, you can have columns integrated into the island (black circles.) The corners of the island and the adjacent countertops are clipped at 45 degrees if needed. Sink and cooktop stay as is.

I really don't think you need a structural engineer to look at this project. Taking down that little wall in a new house is not a big deal, even if it's load bearing. I personally think $4000 is way too much money for that particular project, too. It is something my husband and I would do ourselves and it would not cost more than $200. One way to make it cheaper would be to keep posts on each side of the island so that the span of the new support beam would be reduced.

I do understand your desire to open this space up--it's what I would want as well. I think buehl's plan #4 looks fantastic, though--a very workable kitchen. I don't really see a problem with closing off that one opening. The other doorway is only a few feet away.