Background:

a) Family of 4, 2 sons 8 and 11. (and a dog)

b) More simple meals during the week, but husband and I are foodies and enjoy more elaborate when we have the time.

c) I am the organizer/preparer but DH is the bbquer, which we consider our often favourite prepared way for meat next to roasting. Never however, had an indoor grill option other than plug in tfal like one that I use when he is not around (If i don't "learn" to use the bbq - it can stay as the husbands job). Not sure I would like or dislike indoor option. Even in winter (and we are canadian cold) we are out bbquing.

d) husband cleans often and will be with me as long as a sports game is visible (I see the kids morphing into the same already). Quick tv visibility even if he has to move a little is key so he doesn't leave the kitchen and not come back. That said he works extremely hard and sometimes wants to veg and so I want to be able to talk with him while he is on the couch or oversee the kids and their friends.

e) older son does homework in his room. younger one in the kitchen (probably for a few more years). older son occasionally likes to do it if its quick in the kitchen.

f) Bake once every few weeks but limited in scope (cookies/cupcakes mainly). Older son bakes pies and cookies with only overseeing help at this point. Its a good mother son activity to talk and prepare something.

g) Holidays are spent at our cottage so not a lot of turkey type meals.

h) Entertain a lot for sons friends and that will only increase into teenage years not lesson as one might think (we are a half block from the school where most have to drive). Also a lot of parents of said friends are entertained on a drop in basis.

i) We just moved into this house a few months ago (also forever house) so I was living with it to get the feel before I did a known remodel when we bought. This is a significantly nicer hood than our previous one, so there are expectations of certain quality/things. However I am of the mindset that even if we were to move in 10 years, anyone moving in will completely remodel to their needs if they disliked it. If it were 5 years - then maybe not. This location is so prime that for as long as our kids are at the same school, which is a near certainty, we are here for at least 9/10 years and I think we will be for 20.

j) beyond looks, functionally current kitchen is annoying and inefficient -so much so my DH hates it and wants it changed - thank goodness living with it didn't have the opposite affect. It lacks counter space in the right spots and is odd to describe or even see on paper. I built our cottage kitchen which is a U layout and I am very big on efficiency and zones. this is an entirely different shape (and slightly different needs).

k) n the City: drop in casual of boys friends and parents and our friends, cocktail party both formal and casual & maybe catered (never had the space before but this house does and there are lots of school/friend/business opportunities to do so). Entertain husbands family. Overnight guests would be limited to my parents and the odd out of town friend. Dining room is such that having guests over we eat there or family meals, unless we want the kids in the banquette area. Currently we eat all meals in the dining room because there is not eat in space (and not at our former house either).

At the cottage: significant amount of overnight guests, big family holiday meals (my family all has cottages nearby), happy hours with friends on a drop in casual basis

l) We are not at all a "don't touch" family, but I do hate with a passion clutter or not a clear spot for everything. Well thought out flow/storage so that chaos can be there for awhile but then gone instantly. We are casual people with a touch of elegant/cool kind of personality. So things need to look good and will attempt first that to find an efficient and cost effective solution if possible. But regear if it doesn't work as I am not all look.

m) we have a budget but its not a fixed or small one. We are more of the mindset of spend it on the right things rather than be wasteful, i.e. for any brand names sake. Ge-monogram level is perfectly fine with fine with me - doesn't need to be wolf/sub-zero. But if something one of the higher end brands offer in the way of functionality (particularly in respect of my fridge conundrum) than I could be prepared to drop that kind of dough.

n) I am 5'2" and I hate upper cabinets keeping the prime things (third shelf requires a stool or some tippy toes depending on the item). I like hutch style over uppers. I am a drawer person but don't mind full height cabinets (easier to see then ones below a cabinet) particularly if they have some internal drawers. Lower also means kids can reach and I still have a number of years left for at least one of them being smaller than me.

So now to my problems. I thought I finally had a layout I liked and worked. I am big on zones as well.

But there are two major flaws to it.
a) the swing of the fridge door is not opening to the prep area. Currently we have on site a subzero 15 year old 48" side by side. We have a ge-monogram 48" side by side at our cottage that I like too. In our previous house we had a stand alone 36" Amana bottom door freezer So my initial thought was to stick with the same 48" option and resuse the Subzero until it breaks (I have no idea it's state) or just replace now before we get to that point. The subzero doesn't blend as well as our cottage and feels like it sticks out further, but it does still work. By the way none of the other appliances are worth keeping except the fridge. I am toying with integrated or standalone options on the fridge and even how they could work with this issue.

b) Not sure where to put the prep sink on the island (we don't have one on our cottage kitchen island and just use one sink and would never need a prep with how the function/flow of the room works). Our old house didn't have an island. I feel this kitchen needs a prep due to bigger size but I don't like having a sink breakup my counter or have it be my primary one for the mess. I Like to spread out, put apps out, buffet dinner on an island etc. The layout of the kitchen lent itself to a slightly unique location for the sink that still allows for being part of the action, and easy dump spot and there is already plumbing there for the Washer/dryer that is being moved to another location in the house.

I have attached correctly a copy of our proposed floor plan. Then in postings right after (I can't seem to attach more than one pic) will list the actual kitchen floor plan, which is more recent, and has been fine tuned for appliance location. I will also attach the current layout (just in case you need to see it). On the actual kitchen plan, I have a number of notes and pros/cons. The two issues mentioned above are my current known problems. The guru's may see others - some I may already know and have discounted too significantly or others not thought about at all. So I welcome help to my issues and all comments.