Hi,

I can't see your plan, but I would suggest that if you really need the counter, and cannot change the windows, run the counter in front of them. It is an interesting look having light from the window under the counter, and can look really nice. I will see if I can find a picture.

http://www.wood-mode.com/DESIGN-PORTFOLIO/AMERICAN_CLASSICS/photos_rooms_pictures/P-American_Amer_4_american_traditional.jpg

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

Sorry - I did not post my plan successfully. Please see the link below that should take you to my plan.
Thank you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ania's Kitchen Plan

Ania- Here's your plan, so it's easier for people to see.

I've also attached a link to Sarah Richardson's farmhouse kitchen, which has very low windows, in a few areas. She didn't want to change the character of the house, so she put low counters in front of them...one has the mixer on it, in the first picture.

Would something like this work for you? There's a video to the right of the pictures, if you want to see the entire kitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sarah's Farmhouse Kitchen

I think I'm liking it, except for one thing...The path from fridge to sink is long and around the island. Have you considered a prep sink in the island? I would put it where you show the microwave drawer, or behind that...Oh, I now see the sink base on the bottom wall, but would still prefer it in the island for better use for more purposes. On the island it will serve the cook at the stove, the eaters at the bar, the coffee area, and be helpful if you do baking projects on the island, too. I would prefer the oven on the fridge wall, so it's more in the cooking area, and your cleanup and dishes area has a little more room. I can't read what's beside the fridge...Maybe that could move by the pantry or combine with it? Then the oven could move across.

How wide are your aisles?

Will you dishwasher be able to open without hitting the window trim?

@josh ct - thanks for the link to photos...good creative idea - I am just not sure it is me. I'll need to mull it over some more...

@Lavender Lass - thank you for posting my plan in a much more helpful way...I am clearly new to posting anything on this forum and the image proved to be a bit of a challenge...
Regarding Sarah's kitchen and the low window solution - very creative but a I am not sure about replicating the idea. One of the things that I like about the low window is what you see just as you walk up to the dining/kitchen level - beautiful old tall trees outside and flowers in the window boxes. My initial reaction is not to detract from it by putting a low cabinet/counter under the window... How do you feel about the idea of keeping the space open as I have it now?

@rhome - many thanks for your note. I too thought of a prep sink on the island but then wanted the island to be very "clean looking" (i.e., no faucet sticking up) - and so we then decided on the prep sink on the fridge wall. We also thought that during parties that prep sink may be filled with ice and house bottles of bubbly or wine in an area that will be essentially a cocktail/wine area as that is the most accessible part of the kitchen for guests who will come up to the kitchen level. With that in mind I moved the ovens to the opposite side (very first draft had ovens on the side where the fridge is now; however the fridge was on the opposite side...) hoping to keep friends and family on the wine/fridge side as I work on the oven/cook top side. I also wanted a more "furniture" like look on the right side as you enter the kitchen - which called for the relocation of the ovens.
Re: aisles - I have about 45-48" on each side, can move the island in a bit to make the space between cook top and island wide enough but convenient for the "pivot turns" I envision making there.
Re: closet by the fridge - is a broom/stick vac/cleaning stuff closet ("Hazel closet" as we call it :) - so that I can quickly cleanup the first floor of the house withough havinig to drag cleaning supplies up and down the steps.

Aniam- So your main sink and dishwasher are on the oven side and the prep sink is on the fridge side? I like that idea. Then the cooktop is in the middle.

I love your "Hazel closet" idea :)

Hi Aniam, I have not had much time to look at your design but from what I can see the work pattern,or magic triangle, is pretty lengthy ( sink stove fridge). Perhaps the fridge between the windows and the stove on fridge side. I would not like to have my back to company as I stir and stir and stir. Or leave the window area empty.
Can the dw open being that close to the window? I prefer not to have appl. against a wall.
Would you consider either a high 44" or low 28" bar area? I think it would add some interset,also to add some interest the island could be angled or forty fived and if there were room you could return one end wall a bit into the room. I'm better at drawing than writing so I hope I haven't confused you.

Prepping ability at the island and the handiness to the stove would be more important to me than keeping the island 'clean' and faucet free. You have to base it on your priorities, but really think through what you want and what will be more important as you use your kitchen...and decide the purpose of your island...Work space or something to look at. (I'm not saying either is wrong or right, but there are better ways to set it up depending on the choice.) The sink can be useful holding ice on the island for buffets, etc., as well. I am not trying to sound critical or judgmental, it's just sometimes easy to get caught up with one aspect and forget others, and I want to make sure you think from all directions, before it's there and you might have regrets. But it's your kitchen and your priorities win. ;-)

Small thought - maybe not appealing, but maybe is.

Can you move the pantry and oven to the ref and 21" whatchamacallit side? Retain a small amount of flat counter on that side but get a great deal more on the cleanup side.

Pantry, Ref, oven, ice, wine and 39" of glass front cabinets on the lower side. Coffee, dish storage, dishes on the other? Maybe as 36" hutch, dishwasher, sink, trash, misc storage ending in a filler or extended stile for clearance

Prep sink tucks in on lower side of island in front of current ref? Or it should be possible to get a micro in the 24" cabinet that faces the dw and put a nice prep sink where the micro was.

Ok, more like this...
{{!gwi}}

I think this does guest-bar space as well as a more compact work area. There are things about which I noted options.

Because of your layout - if you're either going traditional or modern, I'd go for a mantle hood across the entire 7 foot area. I think it would be spectacular and fitting. I might put a plate shelf across under the mantle or a rail system for hanging a few decorative, functional things, but I wouldn't put up wall cabinets.

Part of trading the bar to the other side is to cluster glass storage within easy reach of cleanup, gives visitors access to drinks and canapes and keeps them from the interior of the working area. Maybe add some ref drawers or a beverage ref for other sorts of drinks - and keep all of your guests (and kids!) out of the main ref completely. It helps out a bit setting the table, too. If you're trying to ice down beer or other sizable stuff, I think I'd either use the cleanup sink or, more likely, a big container on the counter. Or a cute ice chest on wheels. I have kinda a large group of sibs, so even a small party is for 20-30 people and the idea of their beer fitting in a prep sink is funny - so count me biased.

Last thing about moving the bar to the other side is NOT creating a big group of people at the top of the stairs.

I think I'd stage the island a bit closer to the ref/pantry side and if my guesses are correct, closer to the cleanup side too - I think the island ends up a little longer than shown.

I'm another one would want the prep sink in the island in this layout or your original layout. It would be so much easier to just spin and add water to a pot or dump a big boiling pot of pasta or wash veg or rinse a knife without dripping across the entire floor.

I like bmore's idea of having all the tall stuff on one wall. There are several GW kitchen's with this feature. I love Mahlgold's kitchen with this feature but couldn't find a link.

When I saw your plan the first thing I thought of was an older SL idea house we toured several years ago. The shelves may be too busy for the look you want but the under window storage area would make great window seats!

Homeagain- Love that picture! Thanks for sharing :)

I have a friend with a new superinsulated Georgian-style classic late 18th century style house--long windows in deep inset niches in a high-ceilinged first floor. She ran her countertops in front of the windows on two sides of kitchen. They designed their kitchen using Ikea units (non-historical style) and so there's Ikea butcherblock in front of the windows. Those two below-cab open niches add light below cabinet and allow someone standing there to get her knees under the cab. A stool lives under one of the openings. This treatment prevents the problem of slice and dice countertop subsections of the kitchen.

Bmore's plan is like I meant...But with the added plus of moving the pantry, too...Which I wanted, but didn't think through to figure out how. It's nice to have all the storage stuff together and the oven in what seems to be a more convenient location...near where ingredients and other oven-related activities are.