I think it is too big with that L shaped overhang, and the 25" clearance in particular--is too tight. The sngled and shallow setback you have made to accomodate it doesn't really contribute much.

How low is the sill height of the window next to the door into the back yard?

It's a picture window, about 24" off the floor. I've tried cutting off the island at an angle, but if I want 4 seats I need the end to be at least 48x48" (back currently drawn to 54".
It's a forced air heating stack behind the offending wall, it could be reduced in depth ~2-3 inches but then the upper cabs would stick out (HVAC stack 12dx17w).
This was my inspiration:

Gentle nudge up...

That 25" walkway is definetly too small. A neccesary evil in our new kitchen is a pinch point that is 38" wide. And while I'll live with it, it is tight if I'm prepping and someone is trying to walk behind me.

It's tough to tell from the drawing but, you may be able to reshape the island into a "T" and move the seat closest to the pinch point to the opposite side of the island.

Is that a prep sink in that back? I'm not really sure why you'd be prepping back there. Seems a long way from the frig and range. What about a prep sink on the island. You have all that space to use. Seems like you're forcing yourself into a corner when there are other options.

If you can do without the left-most 30" base cabinet in the island, you might be able to get more seating in using less space. I had similar constraints but needed to seat 5 at the island. While this isn't our final design, it's an iteration that comes close to something that might work for you:

Alternatively, but still shortening up that 30" base cab: you could put two seats on the top, one seat on the left, and one seat on the bottom... then you wouldn't need it to be 48x48; it could be more like 30 or 36" along that one edge.

I'm still concerned that it looks like you have

Co-co,

I think it depends on what YOU like. I need space around
me, I find myself annoyed with my teens and husband when
they are lurking about when I am cooking. But some people
are fine in a more crowded work space. I think your plan
could work but it depends on how you like to cook.
I would be fine in a space that was narrow as long as traffic
patterns went around me not next to me. This is just how
I like to cook. My sisters can be all over each other
reaching, poking, sneaking a piece of cheese... But I find
it annoying.

How do you cook? what do you like? If someone is peeling
near you, laughing in a chair, or using the counter
next to you are you okay with this? Think about the space
and how it works for you.

My sister has two islands in her kitchen. The space between
is narrow barely enough to open doors or pull out
drawers but it works fantastically for her. And allows
her a space to cook and another space for her family to
eat, chat, do homework...

Good luck and know that you can make it possible and
fucntional.
~boxerpups

GW narrow kitchen ailes

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0617280632013.html

Here is a link that might be useful: guidelines

25" is too small for a passageway. Anything under 3' is going to cause problems.

I see you also have about 3' between the counter and the wall with the door to the back yard. If anyone is sitting at either of those stools, they'll interfere with traffic to and from that door.

Thanks for both the blunt and gentle feedback! I'm trying hard to be objective, it's just hard when you want something to work!
I understand the guidelines of 36-42+" for aisles... it's just that I live with less than that currently! I very much enjoyed the photo collection of narrow aisled kitchens cited by boxerpups. Here's an example... my dining room is 9'11" wide. We fit a 42" wide table with no issues...
{{!gwi}}
My main concern was the scale of the island... 9' on a 19' kitchen. I've reworked the length to 8'. I'm limited by needing 4 stools (about 20" square required each?). The pipe (not a prep sink... I wish!) wall could be reduced at least 3". I see myself prepping in the cut-in corner with people around the edges of the island. Easy access to fridge as well for DH to get drinks (his idea of helping with the cooking!)
Where in the world do you all get boxes to mock up your kitchens in 3-D!?
{{!gwi}}

It's not just an issue of tight passages (I have 36-37" aisles and am fine with them -- didn't have a choice and they work), but for me the space just doesn't work well on many fronts. While you could reduce the overhang from 24 to 18 or even 15 inches and increase aisle space, I'd still have other things I'd want to look at.

I don't want to prep 9 feet away from my cooktop and have to carry chopped veggies across a 6 foot space. My dogs would both lie there and wait to be fed on a regular basis. :-D I don't like having only 12 inches beside the range before you go into a corner with the sink (dirty dish zone). It would be very hard to have a person at the sink and at the range at the same time -- which happens all the time in my kitchen. The fridge is far away from the area where you say you will prep. When baking, if you mix, knead, roll between the fridge and range, your landing spot is the island -- a bit far for me. Same thing for cooking at the range. Those things may work for you, but think about them carefully.

You can get boxes from appliance stores (sometimes), Home depot, U haul or moving stores, and we have at least 3 box stores in the area. You can also use your furniture and other things to block out space and get a feel for how it would work. You may not need boxes or as many boxes.

CoCo,

Can you tell me where you got that picture of your inspiration? I just love it!

We need more info before we go much farther. [I assume that the missing photo on first posting is the drawing on your more recent posting, yes? ]

Where do those four doorways lead to? That's a lot of doors. What are the most used walkpaths?

Can you afford to move any walls, windows, doorways, etc?

What lies to the right of large doorway in front of refrig in your drawing? Why doesn't the kitchen curl around this corner up to the doorway to make a U? Why not move the refrig down the wall toward eating area?

How many cooks? eaters? ages?

Do you cook? Will you/your family continue to cook 20 yrs from now?

I had a small corridor kitchen that was also a hallway. Had to ban others from entering when I was in it. In your case only the upper right of the drawing is unimpeded by walkpaths. To deadend the kitchen without doing any demolition I'd make a nearly-U kitchen if that's possible by starting at large doorway and going around to DW in drawing. Then the seating can be in middle of room or toward large window. Forget the island for a moment and concentrate on putting an efficient triangle into the U. I'm looking at my own 12-foot-deep addition alongside the old kitchen (now partly hall and partly nook) as I type. Your space is tighter in depth than ours, but I can imagine some good mealmaking in there if everything is thoughtfully placed.

cooki1268: It's from AYA kitchens 2009 winter catalog/magazine. Here's the link, but it's a huge pdf. I think it's page 12. We're not going with their cabinets, but I did love that picture (gotta find those stools!)
www.ayakitchens.com/media/.../AyA_Inspired%20Design2_sm.pdf

Thanks to all the other smart and objective advice givers! I'll show my current floor plan, which will help you all see where the doors lead to:
{{!gwi}}

We added the wall and opened up the basement stairs to close off the family room from the front door. We also changed the sliding glass door into a picture window and added the side garden door. We face west so we get a ton of light from the back windows and garden door. There's also a silly 40" raised breakfast bar behind the D/W.

To answer some of florantha's questions: you can see my current kitchen layout does curve into a "U." I was trying to limit that for 2 reasons: not going to invest in a CD fridge and hate to see the fridge sticking out into the kitchen. As well, also dislike that dead corner between the fridge and stove.

One cook household, and we do eat at home most of the time. Two kids that like to help with baking. I was trying not to move walls, windows, sink, etc., simply to put my money into cabs and counters. Need seating for 4 regularly, but have a large dining room table for bigger dinners.

Why don't you consider eating in the dining room regularly? It doesn't look more a few feet farther than having everyone sit crunched around the island. I'm not saying don't have a couple of seats for light snacks (or watching kids) on a kitchen island. But it seems to me that you are wasting perfectly good eating at a table space by avoiding the DR for daily meals while compromising the much-needed space in the kitchen. Seems like a costly sacrifice to the 2011 kitchen-norms.

Plus I think kids who grow up eating at a regular table have seem to have better social/dining skills later on. If your kids are still in the more-food-on-the-floor-than-in-the-mouth stage then use an appropriate floor covering, for now. Time will cure that issue. Don't "save" your dining room for the rare parties and special holiday meals; since you're already eating at home most days (kuddos!), go whole hog and eat at a real dining room table every evening.

Separating the daily eating zone from the rest of kitch zones will help you work on a generously sized and well thought out kitchen with fewer functional compromises.

L

I apologize. I don't understand the reasons for losing the original kitchen. I think I'll bow out. Others will have more insight. Have fun stormin' the castle.

I know it can be hard to let go of something when we're so inspired by it, but it seems to me that you'd maximize your space better if you're willing to tweak your original vision. You could have a lovely Breakfast Peninsula and a small working island while still having ample aisles.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

Can you make the seating portion of the island rounded so no hard edges? If yes, this design will work. Also why not lengthen the island at end closest to range so not such a long distance to range? You will find that betters workspace.