I like option B much better. You have just over 24" between the island and the refrigerator. That could be quite tight. You might consider an island on wheels that you can move around if needs be. Also, you have very few base cabinets on the sink wall and you are using up a good portion of that for trash storage. Consider getting a shallow sink with a rear corner drain. You can then put a trash pullout under the sink and turn that 12" base into a 27" base that is significantly more usable. There are a few sink manufacturers that offer this feature.

It seems like one of the original stumbling blocks is that the island is in the way when one person is cooking and the other is emptying the dishwasher. I am guessing that this means you both need the sink during the immediate post-homecoming period. A prep sink on the stove run might solve that, but would cut into your storage. A pot filler would give you water but no drainage, but might be just the ticket.

I like plan A for the wrap around storage and increased prep by the stove. A roll around island could still be used and you could add it later if needed (and it could have more storage).

I wonder if shallow storage floor to ceiling in the corners by the table would work, either flanking the slider or wrapping the corners. It might take the pressure off the prime real estate in the kitchen so that some of the lost storage from the uppers wouldn't hurt so much. I would also consider making your peninsula deeper if space allows, with storage under the seating area for larger items less often used. It would be a little more trouble getting to the stuff, but your day to day items will have more room if big items move to a different neighborhood.

Hi, Confused. For me, two two fairly short runs of counter, with or without corner returns, set on the far sides of a very wide traffic corridor is far from optimal.

You'd have more room to create a good, workable layout if the dining room door could be moved, even possibly narrowed a bit. I notice it's centered, though, on the kitchen and the slider to the deck. And, of course, its width helps strengthen the relationship between kitchen and DRM living. Is its size and positioning a nice architectural feature you'd hate to mess up? If not, how about a drawing of the dining room? Could the doorway be moved down toward where the family room wall is now?

OR, since the table overlooking the deck is where you guys really like to dine, should THAT be developed as your home's main, really nice dining area, with the kitchen sliding left, using part or all of the previous DRM space?

"B" with or without the island. I would tend towards something like ikea's FLYTTA cart for a little more function and to perhaps move it to where I wanted depending on the project. It has a big enough top to work on (almost 2 feet by 3 feet) and relatively secure shelves. Plus it would be awesome during a party!

If you wanted a little more something, you could think about doing either narrow depth cabinets on the walls near the sliding door or flanking corner cabinets.

I am somewhat braver or stupider than most here, so I would look at whether any of the other doorways could move too. As an example, if the dining room opening moves towards the stairs - leaving just enough room for the sink run, then the cooking run could have an "L" of cabinets. Or if the set of living room opening and laundry room openings move towards the bay window as far as possibly, both straight runs of cabinets become longer.

I like the door movement: Is it possible to move LR and LR doors toward the patio?

And...I hate refrigerators. There is no great place for them. I think I understand why you want it out of the corner, and yet it is sort of a hulk at the end of the run. Hmmmm maybe I am projecting here, since I have a hulk of a fridge at the end of a run!

If you move the LR/LR doors toward the patio, the table is always in the way. Maybe though, a larger more island like run of cabs (make the peninsula bigger, longer, wider, and detach from DR wall) would work in that situation, and you could put seating around the end of it.

Simpler to move the DR door for a bigger L on the cooking wall. Could I ask you guys why not A? I think she accomplishes her increased counter and storage space with the wrap...

WOW...thank you all so much for your input! I knew this was the place to go.

drachiele - I like the idea of the trash storage under the sink and will definitely give that some consideration

claybabe - Thank you for your input. I like the idea of narrow cabinets by the table and was considering something custom for cookbooks and also a section (maybe a pull down secretary type thing) to store my mail. I have never heard of a pot filler and will have to check that out.

rosie - I can't agree more that this kitchen area is far from optimal (that is why I have had such a tough time). It would be easier and more cut and dry if it were either more narrow or a foot or two wider. As for the dining room, it is basically 12 x 12. We have thought about moving the DR to the front LR and making the current DR kitchen space but everyone who comes to the house says that would be too big of a kitchen for the house and we would also get the bowling alley effect because it would be so long and narrow. I am going to work on either narrowing the door to the dining room and maybe wrapping on the side with the stove but not the other. I will work on that and post later.

bmorepanic - I have thought about the moveable island and will look at the Ikea one and I am definitely considering the narrow cabinets by the slider. I am also working on the dining room opening. I'm thinking I could narrow it down a bit and see if that helps. I plan to post something later.

Thanks again. Please feel free to keep the ideas and thoughts coming.

Have you considered moving the fridge to one of the corners? Then you could add a prep sink to the range run which would create a seperate functional cooking zone and a seperate clean-up zone. Moving the fridge would also give you more upper cabinets on the range run. We have a counter-depth f/paykel that is just great-although it's smaller than our old ref., its so well laid out that it holds a lot more. Good luck with your design...

OK, here is a new drawing with wrapping the cabinets on one side. My concern with this is will it be weird that the doorway to the dining room is no longer centered on the dining room window? I have never really paid attention to this detail in anyone else's home. What do you think of this? Is this better or will Option "B" be more aesthetically correct?

Thanks again!

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What about turning the corner on one or both of your end runs(on the kit. table side) making a u shape, adding more storage and working counter room. It would not work with the fridge in it's present location but if you put it next to the DR door it would also move it closer to the sink.

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Something like that, it tightness up the walk around the table a bit but it gives a better landing zone for the fridge and it would let someone be at the sink and someone else with access to the trash.

I will add that I hate blind corners so I would think about making the access to the cabinet where I just turned the corner on the eating side, and use it for big bulky things that you don’t need access to every day.

mgmsrk - I have thought about that and have drawn up the peninsula on that side but I have laid it out in the room and I think it would tighten up the space too much if someone were seated at the table. If it weren't a major walkway I would probably do it but with it hindering access from the family room, I think it would be too tight. Does everyone else agree with that? I would love to be wrong and be able to do the peninsula.

I would not want only 30" of walking space between that peninsula and the table, sorry. If someone is sitting at the table, you wouldn't be able to get by.

I like your Option B, but I would delete the sink wall, make the island much larger and put the sink in it and island seating on it, then append a table to it on the right. There are a lot of cute pictures of island/table combinations out there.

Another play on that is to just have an island, and open up the wall to the dining room (or just widen the opening) and having your daily table seating in there. You can do something pretty with arches and posts, half-walls with posts, etc so the space still stays somewhat formal, but is open enough so you still feel like you are eating "in the kitchen."

In either option, I would try to slide the door to the Laundry to the left a bit so that the fridge can to the right of it in that corner. Then the fridge wouldn't hulk over the range so much, but it would work even if you didn't do that.

If none of this works, I like the option you posted at 13:40 today, but would add a prep sink in the corner next to the range. Then you won't be constantly crossing the kitchen.

Hello,

twoscoops - I have considered moving the fridge but it is not possible to move the door by the laundry and I think on the other wall it would block access to the patio door.

tracie.erin - I agree that the peninsula would make it too tight. I have thought about moving the daily dining into the dining room but it then I think it leaves this 5 - 6 foot empty space in front of the sliding doors. Do you have any ideas on what could be done there?

Thanks again for everyone's help!!! I know I'll get a good kitchen soon.