Hmmm. Not sure what to think. There are good things and some bad.

The aisles are on the minimal side, especially considering your family isn't petite.

The working path for the cook isn't bad, but if one of your sons wants to make a snack while you're working on a project in the kitchen, it'll be a traffic challenge...

I've tried to outline the cook's path, a snacker's path, the clearance needed to open appliances that will be open frequently or for more than a quick moment. This is just for consideration's sake, to help see and think about what you can and don't want to put up with. The circles are to remind you of the size of a moving person, since they won't be only the width of the path lines ;-)

Yikes, I have a busy kitchen! The only one you left out was the dog- he is always underfoot when there is food out! Right now I have a U shaped kitchen with a round table centered where the kitchen table is shown. I really want an island and more work surface.

The times when there are traffic challenges are weekend breakfast and lunch. Not always, but sometimes. At the dinner hour I'm the only one in the kitchen until dinner is served.

Would this space be better served by a remaining U shaped?

How big is your FR? Could you "steal" space from it for the chairs on one side of your table?

Where are you flexible?

Can any doors be changed?

Is the pantry on the right already there? If so, can it be changed, moved, or eliminated?

Can you steal anything from the Laundry Room?

Is the refrigerator a cabinet-depth (CD)? If not, would you be willing to get one? Have you thought about a built-in?

If the refrigerator is not built-in, could you recess it into the Living Room?

Or even steal a foot or so from the LR along the part of the wall that is shared w/the Kitchen?

+++++ Alternately +++++

Have you considered opening up the DR to the kitchen and eliminating full table seating in the kitchen? Perhaps you could have a small banquette where the bay window is for two seats. Then, eat all your meals in the DR.

It would free up a lot of space in the kitchen and allow you to have your island.

BTW...just b/c you cannot put a full-height cabinet under the bay windows doesn't mean you can't put in a shorter counter height for baking, assuming one of you bakes. Rolling out dough, etc. is actually more comfortable at 30" high for the average adult...for your tall family it could be 34" and still be comfortable. Just a thought!

maybe have the micro on the other side of the island? with a drawer of paper plates etc for snackers? along with a mini trash bin on that side - to keep other traffic flow along that side instead of where you are cooking.

Here are some layouts...in no particular order...to get the ball rolling for discussion.

Layout #1

Layout #2

Layout #3

Layout #4

Bueul- yes, I could steal space from the family room. There is 3.5' of wall before the french doors start that could be used. The family room is approximately 12.5' x 19'.

The only door that can be changed is the doorway to the dining room. It could be placed almost anywhere along that wall. There is a cold air return (that also goes upstairs) in the 33" of wall next to the refrigerator area.

The pantry is already there and can be eliminated/moved.

We remodeled the laundry room in January so no, I don't want to take any space from there.

The current refrigerator is 36" w x 33" d. I'd love a counter depth refrigerator but replacing it now will depend on the cost of everything else. Right now I need to replace the stove and microwave.

Yes, the refrigerator could be recessed into the living room. There is 44" (not 51") available from next to the wall where I show the Tall Pantry towards the basement steps. The depth of the space can be as much as 15".

Plan B is to open up that dining room wall altogether. My reservation is cost due to increasing amount of cabinetry and countertops, etc.

I'm liking layout 1 the best so far. On layout 3 the prep sink would be the "view" from the foyer so I'm not digging that. The layout 4 island is too small.

See if you can do anything with this additional information. You've already thought of some things that I didn't. I like that your layouts open up the space more.

You say there are only 44", not 51" on the refrigerator wall in your layout. Where did you lose the 7"? It may affect the entire layout if the entire kitchen is 7" narrower...

There is 51" on the kitchen side of the wall, but if I measure from the living room side there is 44". There is a staircase there that goes upstairs. Unless I tear the drywall out, I can't tell why the framing is wider for the upstairs staircase than it is for the basement staircase. Does that make sense?

OK...

Approx 4-1/2" is lost in the LR b/c of the hall wall...the other 2-1/2" is for the stairs, I guess.

Where is the upstairs stairway in your layout? Does it occupy the same basic space as the basement stairs?

I would spend serous time with the National Kitchen Bath Assoc. planning guidelines, http://www.nkba.org/guidelines/default.aspx.

The design appears inconsistent with multiple guidelines such as distances between food storage and prep areas, obstruction of work triangle legs, narrow work aisles, probable routing of traffic through the work triangle, etc. I would begin by studying the work triangle and work aisle guidelines.

Some additional questions to consider: Where will dishes, cooking utensils, cookware be stored? Where do you envision doing the food prep...will you be the only person cooking most of the time? For a typical recipe, what will your traffic pattern be? Typically we take stuff out of the frig and throw it in the microwave...do you reall want to walk around a corner every time you want to heat up some leftovers?

We lived with the guidelines when laying out our kitchen and bathrooms, the good news is you have a great space to work with.

Good Luck!

One thing that strikes me as a drawback is putting your prep sink right in the middle of your island. It seems like it would cut down too much on your counter space by making you use each end of the island.

I also vote for using that beautiful bay window for something other than a desk and filing cabinet.

Kitchen design today focuses more on work zones than the work triangle. No, the work triangle isn't completely ignored, but if zones are properly laid out (proper appliances, landing space, work space, etc.), then the legs are not as important. For example, the strategic location of a prep sink can often mitigate the "barrier island" issue or a sink too far away from the range/cooktop, etc.

In the original design, yes, there are issues, but they have already been pointed out.

What we're trying to accomplish now, is to make this kitchen appropriate for multiple adults as well as multiple uses.

CorgiMum: Do you need a Beverage Center (for coffee, tea, or other beverages)? I was thinking the area b/w the FR & Kitchen against the Laundry Room wall would be a great place for one. A water source is nearby and it's out of the way of someone working in the kitchen.

That brings up another point to keep in mind...refrigerators & MWs work best when they are on the periphery of the kitchen...easily accessed from the kitchen for cooking & prepping, but also easily accessed by snackers w/o interfering w/the work going on in the kitchen. With a couple of teenager, this becomes even more important!!! [I have a teen boy who seems to never stop eating...he's 6'3" (at last measure) and weighs around 110 lbs!! Where does it all go????]

buehl- yes the staircases are all in the same space. I do not need a beverage center- no coffee drinkers in our house- a beverage fridge would be nice but it's low on the priority list.

I use the microwave almost every night while cooking dinner so I do like it close by. Right now it's over the stove and I hate it there because I don't like the stove as the landing space. I'd also like to do a tile backsplash with a nice vented hood instead.

The rest of the family uses the microwave for popping popcorn or heating up frozen meals, usually later at night or on the weekends.

john90505- I did send for the NKBA handbook but it has not arrived. I'll have to see if I can download it.