Hello All. I've been lurking for a long time and I'm finally getting around to kicking off the design phase of my kitchen remodel. I've read the various guidelines, and so I hope I hit on most of what is needed.

Here are the details:
• 2 adults (1 cooker/baker and 1 cleaner/helper), no kids
• I love gadgets! I have a full china set plus stemware. I have a lovely stainless steel buffet
• I’m very much a function over form kinda girl, but I do like things to look nice
• We would like to re-use our existing cabinets (house is only 10 years)
• I can’t think of any structural changes, but I’m open to it if necessary
• We have no traffic flow issues (but I hate our current peninsula because I have to go around it every time I want to get to the dining room table)
• We do a fair amount of informal entertaining (some large groups … 15-25 people including kids)
• I keep a fair amount of food on hand, so pantry/storage space is important
• I’d like new major appliances: Fridge with French doors; standard dishwasher, oven/cooktop (Maybe single unit, maybe not)
• I would like my VitaMix, Iced Tea Maker, Breville Countertop Oven, Kitchen Aid Mixer, and Bread Machine handy.
• I really enjoy baking, so a baking center should be considered
• We don’t watch TV while in the kitchen, but will often have the iPad around
• I hand wash a lot of odd size items, so single sink (farmhouse style probably) is desired
• We process a lot of produce from our large garden, and while I don’t can much, I want to do more of it.
• We would like a new dining room table (and I don't think the one in the drawing is to scale, I stuck it in later

I’ve uploaded a close-up floor plan, as well as one with adjoining rooms for traffic pattern. The one “oddity” we have is our masonry heater (photos below). The benches are heated, and made of Finnish soapstone. I’ve flailed back and forth about soapstone counters, but I’m also partial to stainless steel (buffed so scratches are less obvious).

As I mentioned above, I hate our peninsula. We have our dining room directly on the other side, so there is so much walking around with hands full. I would like to rip that out and re-use the cabinets to either have 1 very large island, or 2 smaller islands (not sure which is more practical or desirable).

We have, in addition to the cabinets shown in the photos, some that were uninstalled in renovations: 2 large pantry style units (~7’ tall x ~3’ x ~2’), plus an additional 3 double panel and 1 single panel base cabinets. I desperately need to integrate those large pantry units … I am thinking at the end where the lazy susan is now.

Currently, our dining room has a 6-top rectangular table adjacent to the sliding glass doors, and the rest of the room is an informal sitting area with an area rug, a few chairs, and a pellet stove in the corner. I’d like to turn that into a large dining room (I believe the new kitchen design will infringe somewhat into the dining room), and I am considering built-in window seats/storage units around the exterior of the room (at some point we’ll remove the pellet stove, but probably not with this remodel).

We bring all our garden produce and muddy boots in through the sliders into the dining room, so I’d like a bench and boot storage near the door as well.

Any pointers or suggestions at this very early stage would be extremely helpful.

Kitchen View Before Masonry Heater Install:

Masonry Heater from Living Room:

Masonry Heater from Dining Room:

Kitchen from Dining Room Prior to Masonry Heater Install:

Broad Overview of Floorplan:

Closeup of Current Floorplan:

First Set of Ideas:

Thanks VERY much!