Also, what don't you like about the sink and stove hood? Have you picked out your appliances?

Looks like a lot of storage! All that pantry makes me drool. What about it don't you like aesthetically -- the embedded microwave? the high glass? or just having a whole wall of cabinets like that? Hard to give advice in the face of vague dissatisfaction...

More storage? Instead of base cabinets, do drawers. Use corner drawer cabinets in the corners. Roll-out shelves in the pantry.

I second the vote for extending the cabinets to the ceiling. With respect to the hood, I have a problem with the interruption of cabinets to put in a giant hood, then starting up the cabinets again. I prefer an enclosure that fills the width of the space between cabinets & doesn't leave a lonely chimney. My bigger concern is the width of the walkways between island and fridge and island and stove -- looks like things will be tight (but it could simply be an optical illusion).

the ceilings are over 10 feet high so if I extended the cabinets I would need more than a step stool to reach them. I agree I am vague and that is the problem. I can't pin point what seems off to me and so I just feel wishy washy. I thank everyone for their helpful comments

Instead of having the fridge framed with storage, off set it so you have a clearer sense of pantry storage. Your open shelf to the right of current fridge placement could be used with glass jars which will add personality to a sterile room design. I would either remove shelves by window - and enlarge window or ditch shelves and add more cabinet.

I think the microwave would look better built in to the shelves beside the fridge. I'd like to see identical pantries on each side of the fridge. Once you get the backsplash installed the hood won't seem so obtrusive. I agree that drawers are the way to go on bottom cabinets.

Can you access an existing closet from the kitchen to create a walk-in pantry?

In my opinion, the cabinets around the fridge are quite busy. I liked miacometlady's suggestion to have open cabinets but without maintenance, it would likely get messy/busy too.

Have you considered a more seamless look?

I don't like the hood either. You'll have a whole new design dilemma about where to end the backsplash because of a hood next to cabinets that don't go to the ceiling. Consider a cabinet with a hood underneath.

The fridge area is nice, but with those shelves and the corner cabinet that comes down to the counter, it's too much. You also have all the tall cabinets on one side, which makes more counter on the other side, which makes everything look unbalanced. Maybe move the microwave cabinet to the right of the stove.

Are the aisles 42"?

I agree with drawers on bottom. They are so much more efficient. The fridge seems to be overpowering the space. I agree with another post about opening up near the refrigerator to balance things more.

We just completed our remodel and I second or third the drawers on bottom suggestion, I did and am so madly happy with them. Also, another suggestion, maybe the issue with the fridge wall is the microwave stuck in the middle of the wall, which really pops out to me. I had mine set into the island. It is low, but we dont use it often at all, and its not like you stand bent over any longer than a moment, no different than an oven.

More ways to maximize space.

1. Rethink the corner upper cabinets. The cabinets on either side of the window are unnecessary. The left cabinet, especially, is blocking access to the area in red. In other words, the cabinet next to the window is not adding storage. It's only making up for what it's taking away.

2. Agree with others on having drawers on the bottom.

3. I would also combine the cabinets above the fridge and install dividers for cookie sheets, trays, etc. Ex.

Layout:

Imagine this one if the sink and stove were swapped: