Hubs isn't sold on idea of microwave drawer, but what about under cabinet micro to the left of the fridge? We are wanting built-in dog bowls in the side of that cabinet.....(hence the faux panel there now. Maybe we put an under counter microwave and low cabinets (to avoid the panel) and have all drawers on other side of fridge? And I mean the KA microwave with a door that opens down like an oven.

Linzita, can you give us a quick sketch showing how the kitchen relates to the rest of the house? Where does the doorway by the ovens go? What do you see from the sink? What's to the right? Finally, how many people in your household? Do you entertain a lot?

Linzita we need a sketch of the room with dimensions and also how the kitchen relates to the rest of the house. please.

Hubs isn't sold on idea of microwave drawer, but what about under cabinet micro to the left of the fridge?

Awful. It would mean having to constantly bend down to reach in or see what's inside. With a drawer, the controls are easy to read while standing and the drawer opens up and you reach down to pick up your food. Why is he against a drawer?

I don't think I can move fridge, and probably not sink or oven at this point, unfortunately.

Why not?

Tell your husband your marriage will be at far great risk if he pushes you into some quick decisions that you will later regret!

As you were told on the other board, those bottom cabinets need to be changed to nice, deep, wide drawers. They will be the best thing about your kitchen. They are life-changing!

Hope some of the great experts on this board show you how to make some changes.

Please post the 2d drawing with dimensions and we can offer more specific help.

I don't know your dimensions or where the rooms lead to but based just on what you gave us to see, this is what I'd do.

1. I'd move the oven down a bit more and then move the fridge to the opposite side and then center the cooktop on that wall.

2. I'd move the dishwasher and cleanup sink to where the fridge was.

3. I'd put a prep sink on the island but make sure it's off centered so that there is plenty of prep space to the left of the sink.

4. I'd put a drawer microwave to the right of the sink so it's across from the fridge. Easy to access then.

5. I'd add a double trash drawer to the left of the prep sink.

6. I'd make all the cabinets under the cooktop and to each side of the cooktop drawers and make them as wide as possible.

I would forget about symmetry. In reality your version wasn't symmetrical either since the island was off center of the back wall. You will never be viewing the kitchen symmetrically. It's only in 2D that we care about symmetry in the kitchen.

What you now have is distinct zones for each task. A separate zone for prepping food (on the counter). A separate zone for cooking (on the back wall) and a separate zone for cleaning up (along the lefthand wall.)

Appliance garages on both sides of fridge...where is the landing zone for things taken out of the fridge?

I'm now available again and digging into these now....here is floor plan to kitchen area as requested. And to answer first questions I saw...family of 4, with hopes of entertaining...don't currently do much in our small house.

cpartist I guess nothing is impossible, but not sure I can backtrack with electrical, plumbing and drywall already finished. :( feeling beat down and frustrated. not enough planning was done upfront I don't want get into details venting about the builder, but the process has not gone as it should have. can't change that now, trying to make it best as we can with minimal changes to current progress.

rantontoo I will be getting rid of those appliance garages, we tried hard to make them work but i see for many reasons they will not. but to answer your question, i was thinking the island would serve as adequate landing zone.

muskokascp I found your photos (and figured out how to tag people!) - beautiful kitchen and I'm happy to see some similarities to my own! Thanks for sharing your pics and tips.

I would sacrifice a bit of symmetry for better function. If the plumbing can't be changed, I'd at least move it over to the right, and place the DW on the side nearer the DR, which I assume is off to the right. Then I'd put a dish hutch on the perimeter counter, to balance the ovens on the other end. With the DW and dish storage on that side, a helper can unload the DW or gather dishes to set the table, without interfering with prep and cooking.

I moved the pantry door forward, to give you more space in the pantry, and to incorporate the door into the fridge wall. If you need elbow room on both sides when removing something from the wall ovens, you can open the pantry door. Cooktop and hood are centered between the ovens and dish hutch.

The fridge is beside the pantry door, bringing it closer to the prep area, and providing a counter beside it for landing. The MW is on a shelf beside the fridge, with a cubby beside it, for cookbooks, cutting boards, or coffee cups, with space below for the coffee maker. Someone can re-heat left-overs, make a sandwich, pour a glass of juice, etc, without needing to turn to the island. The MW could instead be a drawer model, beside the fridge, but I wouldn't recommend an under-counter MW. Dog bowls could go in a low drawer, or toekick drawer under the dish hutch, or in the side of the island nearer the DR, to keep them out of the main prep/cooking areas.

Trash pull-out is on the end of the island, convenient to the prep zone, cooking zone, and also the fridge/snack area. The single bowl sink is off center, but if you use one with a left back drain, you can put the faucet more toward the center of the island.

Images--dog bowls in drawer

My kitchen isn't all that different from what mama goose has done. I agree that you want to move your sink so that you can maximize your island counter space. My fridge wall was exactly as she has drawn, except that I put my microwave in an appliance garage in the tall cabinet. It worked really well for me.... it was at the right height and I could get it out of sight.

It's still workable without tearing out out the entire thing. mama goose has it in order.

mama goose_gw zn6OH that is a lovely plan and I'm grateful you took the time to make suggestions. I maybe I can scoot the sink over but i don't think I'll be able to move pantry wall without drama, and therefore oven...we are so far along, they are building shelves in pantry already. I'm going to consider changing as many other items you recommended though.