Gathering was one reason it was mentioned to move the sink. No one sits at the island or gathers there. Most people gather around the split level area and it gets crowded with the sink and split level.

*realized I didn't add photos. Just did

I prefer no sink on an island.

I have a large island (4.5 ft by 10ish feet) and we gather there frequently as one end of it is our sitting area for meals, etc. We chose to not have a sink or anything in the island and I'm so glad we made that decision against the advice of numerous kitchen designers. I know you said you're just replacing counters and backsplash but, if you were going to redo everything, I'd take out some cabinets above the windows and move the sink there.

Have you lived in this house for awhile? Do you use the island sink? If not, take it out, and I would definitely vote for lowering the split counter to one level. You know better than anyone else how you use your kitchen. Do what suits you and your family.

If you take out that prep sink on the island, you will have created a barrier island with it in the middle of access to a source of water for prep. The prep sink creates a nice tidy triangle with short legs between the major use points. Without it, your work difficulty is increased, and your walking is tripled.

Moving the main sink in the island but the dishwasher stays in the peninsula? That would not work. Can't imagine loading the dishwasher and doing dishes unless they are in close proximity.

I would vote for lowering the counter on the peninsula so that it's all on one level but keeping the sink configuration as is.

Love the wall color! What is it?

Keep it as is (except lower the bar).

BUT - you are already in the kitchen. Does it work for you? It is set up with a sink by the stove for cooking and a sink outside the cooking area for cleaning. Looks good to me.

If the island doesn't have a sink, it is just in the way (as mentioned above.) You need the sink to stove relationship.

We would keep the island sink and put in a dishwasher. The split island would be put to one level and a beverage fridge where the dishwasher currently is. The middle island would be extended one foot and squares off and enclosed. I’m thinking something like the pic below.

The island currently is used more for meal prep and some cleaning. It’s just in the way for cooking and cleaning.

Got it. So that would effectively reduce your "working space" in the kitchen to the area between the island, stove and the fridge. For such a large kitchen, the true working area would be fairly small and confined. Are you comfortable with that based on how the kitchen is used currently and how many people normally work there?

Right now the island is the only work space we have anyways the split island is basically unusable. I guess extending the island and just getting a prep sink could work also.

I'm sure that the split island is currently usable for doing dishes and loading the dishwasher :-) So one person could be working at the stove while another person could be doing dishes and loading the dishwasher without getting in each other's way. Would that be possible in the new setup? And if there is not enough room for that, would that be problem for how you use the kitchen? If you think that works, then go for it. Sounds like you will enjoy having the peninsula as a dedicated entertaining/hangout spot.

You’re right! I didn’t even think about that! Nope would not leave space for that at all and lots of time we are cooking while cleaning. Ok not moving sink. Will put only a prep sink in island.

Hmmm. How's that l-o-n-g walk from the DW to the dish cabinet working out? Or do you store your dishes & cutlery in the island?