Hello All! I have read this site for years...well before I even knew I would be building a house...but this is my first post. We are a ranch family and are building a new home. The builder has been selected and we are just starting to work on an official floor plan. I'm asking for input on my kitchen. I love the look of an island but it does invite people into my work space (assuming the island has seating.) Historically I have had a peninsula and it has worked well for my family. It creates a defined space for the kids to do homework, projects, etc and then I can be in the kitchen space.

The current kitchen is currently 11x13. My first question is regarding the work triangle. Its 9ft across the room from the refrigerator to the sink and 6ft from the sink to the stove. Isn't that about the max?

I really want to be able to have double ovens but that may be out of my budget. I'm just starting to look and gather costs. If I went with a drop in range I wouldn't have to worry about giving something up in terms of cabinetry for the oven.

Another thought that I have had is to move the refrigerator to the open space to the left of the cooktop/range. But then I wouldn't have an immediate landing space for groceries unless I put a countertop in the place of where the refrigerator is now. It would work for me, but I now that my family would collect their "junk" in that spot since it is just inside their primary entry into the house.

My third question is should I push the entry area and pantry/ref wall back a few feet to allow for a small working island? If I did this the island could be roughly 2.5x5. I think that is too small. I really don't think I want seating in this kitchen unless it were flipped directionally to allow the seating to act as a barrier between the kitchen and living space. I do not want a U kitchen (with or without an island) that opens into the living space. I like a slight barrier.

Please share your thoughts. Thanks in advance!