Hey everyone. So I am having a little dilemma with the layout for our kitchen. Our house is very old, and we're going to be doing some structural work in the floor of the kitchen. So with that being removed and replaced, we figured that that is a good time to utilize the space better and do a full remodel. So the layout below is the proposed layout. We have a couple of architectural limitations, and we're struggling to figure out exactly where to put things. We can't put the sink in from of the east window because we live in a historic home, and the window is ~ 20" or 24" to the ground. We can NOT change the exterior, so a higher window is not an option. I was going to fabricate a counter that can raise and lower, so when we're in need of a regular counter hight, we would flip a switch and it would rise, but when not needed, it remains low, like a bench.

Below the layouts, the top being the current layout (the drawing is missing widows, but they are indeed still there), and the bottom is the proposed new plan.

We think all in all, the new plan is an improvement, but we're a little leery about some of the details. For example, there has been great debate about where to put the sink. Originally, we thought about putting it in the island, but once we think about adding the dishwasher, we realize that we're either back-to-back with the stove (not desirable), or we put the dishwasher on the south side of the island with the sink on the east side, which just seems odd, or we lose seating, which isn't an option. We do currently have seating on the north side of the island and we HATE it. There's not enough clearance there currently, so there's no way to get past if people are sitting there, and not enough room even when people aren't there to get by comfortably.

Another option we were discussing was doing a double wall oven (we love to cook) and a cooktop in the island.

So mostly, what I'm wondering: what is the thought of the proposed layout? What are the feelings on the sink in the corner? We're forgoing upper cabinets, so we're thinking it might work since there won't be a cabinet in your face, but we're uncertain. The sink faces the wall right now, and, although it's okay, we're not super crazy about it (but I think that has more to do with the dishwasher cutting off the walking path due to the weird peninsula on the island that is only about 2" farther than the door height when opened).

Thanks for any feedback and input here!

OLD PLAN:

NEW PLAN: