Seems to make sense to have a range instead of separate cooktop and ovens. In that third option, could you put the fridge where the 36 base and wall cab are by themselves and turn it so the door(s) open towards the range wall? Looks like you even have enough floor space to have a pull out pantry between the fridge and the wall ( have to have something there for door swing clearance anyway). That way if someone wants something from the fridge, they won't be opening it into where you are working. And if you went with a counter depth french door, the doors shouldn't encroach on the doorway much if at all. Then you could slide the range down to the right, get rid of the 12" base and wall cabs and have a nicer sized one to the right of the stove. If you wanted, you might be able to have a very shallow platter display cabinet on the side of the fridge that faces the DW, too. I guess that would depend on the width of the fridge.

what's the point of keeping the pantry in that awkward spot. All you have to do is put the fridge to the right of sink,at the end of that foyer wall so the protrusion of fridge in your "jam" is eliminated.....then demolish pantry and peninsula-it's a big blockade in your living area which is "kinda" open/then "kinda" jammed up . The pantry isn't that special and prevents a good open living space . Do an island in that spot that unites living and kitchen/dining spaces.......L kitchen with island..... All the storage in pantry can be redone with base organization.and still have 2 sides likely for seating.I'd bet once you did an island,you'd enjoy the whole space a lot more and find another spot for the desk and cabinet that look rather lonely in that underutilized area and the living room would fill in and over.

Are you just renovating the kitchen or other sections of the house too? If you are doing a bigger renovation, then you may consider removing the pantry or moving it against a wall and installing an island. This will open up the space and it will not feel as claustrophobic. Island will be more expensive, but may be worth it. But please note that the existing pantry walls may be load bearing walls which will be a hassle. Also make sure that the walkaway between the cabinets and island is 48" so two people can comfortably pass each other (per NKBA guidelines, see link below), or at least a minimum of 42" wide. Looks like you have 5' but read the guidelines and see if it helps in rethinking the design.

http://www.kitchens.com/Design/Layouts/NKBA-Guidelines.aspx

I've been wanting to knock down the pantry walls since we moved in 5 years ago. Unfortunately they are load bearing walls so we are trying to work around it.

Could you use columns instead of the pantry walls? Houzz has lots of examples of columns incorporated into islands.

http://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchen/%2Bcolumn-%2Bisland-

Can you move the door to the garage to the left? that would reduce the traffic jam, and it makes more sense to bring groceries directly into the kitchen instead of through the dining room. It changes the whole footprint, which might make it easier to put a plan together.

Beasty's suggestion about using columns is a good idea. If you have an attic above this floor, you can check the ceiling joists and figure out with the help of a structural engineer, what the best way to proceed is.