Skip the walls all together. They add way too much thickness that isn't needed and are much less versatile than a plain cabinet panel. Do a bookcase facing the woodstove on that side, using all of the 9'' that would have been used up by the wall.

Don't think I'd want to design an expensive difficult to vent space where I did all of my prep work in a timeout corner. That's what you've designed though.

Haha, Apparently I have not learned much here.

I don't see the time-out corner as the main prep space - perhaps because both DH & I are left-handed and tend to put things to the right of the sink after washing? I see prepping either on the island across from the fridge or on the counter between the two sinks, depending on how mulch water is involved Stuff could even happen to the left of the cooktop if multiple people are working. In the time-out corner, the area next to the oven would house the espresso machine and the area to the left of the prep sink would serve as staging for the prep sink.

As far as venting goes, It's a one-story house with a shallow-pitch shed-type roof. The builders don't seem to think installing an island hood is a big deal. It sounds like it's just a matter of making sure there is not a rafter right where the hood exhausts, just as with the stovepipe. The cooktop is induction so a modest hood will do.

The bookcase is an interesting idea, but we just don't have a use for a bookcase there. Perhaps a pull-out broom closet would work. At one point a pull-out pantry was there, but it's not a good spot for food.

I guess I will just have to find this fridge in a store and see if I can figure out how wide/deep the recess should be so the doors can be fully opened.

Thanks for the feedback.

You want to prep on the island? Put the prep sink on the island. On the corner. Move the cooking zone down further. And it would really work better to swap the fridge with the wall ovens. That makes the long side of the island actually able to access the fridge without bumping a hip on the island.

But, really and truly, you can get a MUCH better kitchen out of this by putting the cooktop on the back wall, between the windows. Prep sink on the island. Fridge where you have the DW. Cleanup sink on lower wall where the fridge was located. Just do 30'' deep cabinets all along the back wall to help hide the depth of the fridge.

Yes, the fridge is in the wrong spot for the work flow. Read Marcolo's Ice, Water, Stone, Fire post. The prep space is next to water. In the corner. With two people stepping all over each other.

Thank you, Palimpsest, for the examples and the suggestion of making the walls the depth of the refrigerator cabinet. Your second picture is what I was thinking of.

Thank you, also for the reminder about the fridge & oven door bumping. I remember reading that story, but had forgotten. And I know just the regular visitor to our house who might do that :-) The reefer is a french door/2 drawer model and we are bucking the trend by having just a single oven. I *think* that the fridge doors will be at or just above counter level and the oven door just below so that may mitigate some of that risk. A trip to the appliance store with a tape measure is probably in order.

@Hollysprings & Greendesigns I appreciate your feedback. I have read Marcolo's I/W/S/F post.

Maybe it's just me, but it seems that each of the gazillion decisions that go into a house require balance and compromise between form, function, budget and the stuff you just want, even if it is not entirely rational.

What the current kitchen design does right for us:

-Clean-up sink, DW and dish storage are located near the dining area and the door to the outdoor grilling/eating area

-Fridge is closer to both main & garage entries and to the small pantry behind it, so there is less grocery schlepping and all the food storage is together.

-Fridge is also accessible to people not working in the kitchen who want to grab a drink or some ice.

-Fridge is not in the lane of traffic between the rest of the kitchen and the door to the outdoor area.

-There is more than one option for a prep area. Yes, a secondary prep-er might have to walk around the island to get things from the fridge without getting in the primary cook's way, but there is an option to help without getting in the way.

-We think we will like having the cooktop on the island so the cook can be part of the action while stirring the risotto or whatever. If the cooktop is on the wall, there is no option- cooks face the wall. Maybe it will turn out that we hate this. I have seen the question asked in the past and there are people who like their island cooktops.

I pledge to come back after 6 months or so of using the kitchen and let y'all know if we regret our choices.

When we remodeled our kitchen I thought I had it all figured out too. My custom paneled fridge doors opened easily to the 90 degree. BUT when I wanted to re-configure the adjustable shelves and remove the bins to clean them I had to pull out the fridge away from the wall so that the doors could open 180 degrees for that. Be sure to take a very close look at your new fridge so you won't get surprises later.

-Babka