I don't think this is too bad. It looks like you get good shelf space in the pantry and have good-sized work counters and in 3 places.

My biggest concern is about where you will store your dishes.

The counter by the fridge could be a good place for a coffee maker and/or toaster oven.

I don't see a spot planned for the microwave? I would put it on the bottom shelf of an upper cabinet on the stove run or by the fridge. --Sorry, just reread your post and see your comments about oven and micro. I think you could reshape the pantry (so its wall is 90 degrees to the stove counter instead of at an angle) and put an oven and micro stack next to the pantry on the stove run, still leaving yourself some decent counter space. If you put the oven next to the fridge, it's opening into the main aisle coming in from and going out to the dining area.

I think the nook is just wide enough to meet my minimum width and since a table can stretch into the living room area, I think it is OK. Could be a smidge wider and a bigger amount longer, depending on how many you'll feed there, but this size isn't terrible, IMO.

thanks rhome good point on dishes.. guess by fridge which i agree would work well for coffee maker and toaster but perhaps maybe should put over by stovetop and bring cupboards right to counter and all dishes and glasses leaving just the small area of counter (expensive for granite)

could square off and stack but that too will eat up counter too but also save granite..LOL Does anyone have that layout and photo of it? i am so visual :-)

i can extend the length of nook a couple more feet i think but not likely wider as the great room just out needs to be symetrical .

I don't think the angled wall of the pantry contributes to the design much. You can read it in the plan, but in real life all but a little sliver of it will be concealed by the upper and lower cabinetry. So, it won't really mirror the angled island like it looks in the plan, most of it will be "lost" in translation.

You will not really lose much in the way of cabinet space because triangular cabinetry is not particularly useful; same with counterspace: you will be losing a smallish triangular space. If anything you *could recess the microwave into the angled wall so the case of it was in the pantry and the door stuck out through the backsplash area. However, the doorswing of microwaves is backwards from what would work best in that case.

So I would lose the angle, IMO.

you echoed my thoughts, i had drawn this up...how about this for the micro and oven?

Here is a link that might be useful: micro/oven

crazy,
That is definitely an improvement.
What are the dimensions of the pantry?

rough guess from little scale info is 3X5 ish?

What is off to the right? Do you risk a run of traffic going past the stove while you're cooking?

to right past pantry door is the mudroom but near fridge causes same problem

Hey! You just did what I did!

I've been busy playing with your layout and came up w/a couple of things...

First though, the refrigerator...

If you leave the wall next to the refrigerator as it is, you will lose about 6" of space in that "alcove" to filler b/w the refrigerator & the wall to allow the refrigerator to open fully. A better plan, I think, is to either get rid of the wall altogether (my preference for both walls around that alcove) or to shorten it to 24". That would make the wall only as deep as the carcass of the refrigerator. The doors will extend beyond it and be able to freely open all the way w/o filler.

Additionally, I'd surround the refrigerator with 3/4" finished panels to the depth of the refrigerator carcass (26" in most cases). Then, put in a full-depth (24") cabinet above the refrigerator. This will make the refrigerator look "built-in".

I would also plan for a 36" wide x 72" tall refrigerator. Smaller refrigerators are becoming harder and harder to find today; so plan for the future if/when you need to replace a smaller one (if that's what you've got).

Put the pocket door to the PR on the other side of the PR doorway. I'm not sure you'll have enough room there anyway for a 30" pocket door + pocket hardware + end of wall.

If you're getting custom cabinets, you could probably reduce the width of the oven stack by a couple of inches... Note the filler b/w the wall & oven cabinet...Now that I think about, if you have a 33" cabinet, I don't think you need that filler...if you have a 30" cabinet you may need it. I have a 31-1/2" wide cabinet for my 30" ovens and I don't have any filler, so if you do the same, I think the filler may not be necessary...but my wall ends where the cabinet does (i.e., it's as deep as the cabinets, ~24") before the pantry wall starts on an angle. You might consider ending that wall at 24" as well.

This brings up a point...all those little walls extending about 3" or so past your cabinets will most likely necessitate filler. If you either eliminate the walls or at least make them shallower, you may be able to avoid most of the filler.

Layout #1

Layout #2 (better seating for conversation)

I should have mentioned...I "straightened" out the island b/c you can get more storage in this than the angled island. The angle looks kind of nice, but it causes problems when you try putting in cabinetry...making sure you have enough filler in the "unusual" corners & that all knobs/pulls clear the cabinets on each side, etc.

I also put in a 15" seating overhang and recommend you keep the island (regardless of final shape) all one level. Bi-level islands don't really hide much. The only time anything is hidden is if the dishes are up against the second level's "wall" and someone's eyes are below the counter level...so small children and anyone sitting on the floor or low chairs will not see the dirty dishes, but everyone else will. Deep sinks work better at hiding dirty dishes and even a bi-level will not hide anything from the rest of the kitchen.

You also have to be sure you have enough room behind your sink & in front of the overhang from the second level for your faucet...this has been an issue for some people here. If you look at kitchens w/bi-level islands, you'll note there is a 3" or more overhang extending toward the sink. That 3" robs you of space for your faucet, especially if you have standard depth cabinets (24").

The bi-level also breaks up the workspace so it's not as useful.

One level provides a wonderfully "large expanse" of workspace for large projects (wrapping gifts, crafts, baking, science fair projects, homework, etc.) on one end of the island. Your sink breaks up that workspace, but if you have extra room on the other end, then it's not that bad.

Hi Buehl

i am planning on custom cupboards with granite counters. I am good with no end walls or keeping them flush whichever works. Perhaps I need to see the cabinet maker before i draw up house plans firm heh?

currently my cupbpards upp are 12" deep and bottom about 24" so deeper cupbaords will make up some room i am losing.

all appliances will be new as well so can custom around them. I like the fridge idea.. what do you think of making the ones beside it full top to counter for dishes, then deeper bottom for bigger serving bowls etc or go full top bottom deeper or is that too much and would lose silverware drawer option.

the island layout is intriguing squared off rather than multi sided, DH is really liking sweetwillies new raised bar island but I am not sure it works in our area. I prefer the flat all one line look

I was thinking about that...sort of like a "dish hutch". But I was concerned about landing space in front of the upper portion. You do have your island in front of it though so it may not really be an issue.

I think I would keep the upper portion all 12" or, at most, 15" deep (down to the counter). Then, store silverware in the top drawer of the base, and then other "big" stuff in the drawers beneath the silverware.

I think I'd store platters, etc. over the MW...like I did here:

If you eliminate the short wall to the left of the cooktop (left in the layout) and reduce the oven cabinet to 31.5", you'd gain: 4.5" (wall) + 1.5" (cabinet) + 1.5" (filler) = 7.5" of counter & cabinet space. That would allow you to have 30"+ of workspace on either side of the cooktop...better than 27". Believe it or not, those 3" on each side can make a difference! (It also gives you some "wiggle room" if the measurements are "off"!)

exactly what i thought.. LOVE the above mic storage, are they easy to reach (i am 5"6" but girls will need a stool i am betting)

and i agree on the range on island, that was not anything i wanted. DH does want the bar edge but i think i can convince him the benefits of one level for work space, pot luck dinner serving etc and he could still have a few stools to pop under the edge.

One note...the cooktop is very close to the aisle b/w the end of the island & the cooktop run. That could be a safety issue. You might consider moving the oven cabinet to the other side of the cooktop...but then the MW is a bit far from the refrigerator. Things to think about!

Mine is above double ovens so they're higher than yours would be. I'm 5'10"...the shortest one in my family!

I can actually reach the entire opening. But, the beauty of this setup is that you really only need to be able to reach the bottom corner of the cookie sheets, etc. to get them out. So even someone shorter would have few problems. That's why my platters are on the bottom & the tray dividers are on the top... (One of many, many ideas I got from this site...that's why I found it difficult to tell you "good ideas" in your other thread...there are so many!)

Here's what it looks like. The bottom of the cabinet is 70" off the floor.

(The pantry wall is at an angle. I have a "corner" pantry.)

buehl
keep the ideas coming I have plenty of paper and a pen.. love them and love your pics and kitchen