What are the measurements? I would consider an L shaped layout with an island if you have the room.

From your comment about the backsplash...do you plan to keep both sides of the U shape open with no wall or does your plan put in a wall between kitchen and dining area? Is it basically overhang seating on one side of a two peninsula U-shape? How many people are in your family?

I am not usually a big fan of a main sink in an island, but this is one of the times that I think it would make sense instead of the U-shape If you want both sides of the kitchen open. That would put the cooking surface and the fridge on the back wall,; perimeter prep space would be in front of the window. There could be seating on 3, 2, or one side of the island depending on what you need.

You are missing a measurement from the window to the counter edge .by dining room. What is the overall dimensions of the kitchen that you are planning.

I think your 'possible future' layout has potential. A couple things to think about though:

• where will you put everything that is currently in the front hall closet? Are you getting rid of it so the hall will be wider? If so, what about a shallower closet instead?
• put the dishwasher to the right of the sink so it's closer to the dining room and the dishes. You can put it on the dining room arm of the counter if it won't fit directly beside the sink anymore.
• put the stove on the living room side so that you can watch tv while cooking instead of staring into an empty dining room.
• let the seating overhang on the living room side be at bar height. That will give you room for a bit of backsplash for the stove and even room for a pop-up, downdraft vent.
• skip cabinetry in the blind corners of your kitchen. Install drawer units that, respectively, face either the living room or dining room. You'll love having some dedicate storage in those rooms and you'll avoid the expensive and less-than-wonderful corner cabinet "solutions" inside your kitchen.

I am not sure that is a good location for a stove....no wall. Wanting both sides open is going to limit things a bit.

Think about the kitchen as completely open with 12 feet across the back if your given dimension is correct, but your diagram indicates less than 12 feet on the window wall???

Starting on the back wall with the sofa: 21” cab—30” stove—50-52” ”prep space—38-40” fridge wiith side panels. The window should fall within the prep space???

There would be a 48” aisle minimum, then a deeper island with seating. The sink would be centered in the island or the back window with a dishwasher on one side and a trash drawer on the other. The longer the island....more room for other cabs.

The stove is against an outsude wall for easy exhast with venthood.

Yes, bar height counter on LR side and regular height counter on DR side. More often than not, the DR side will act as a buffet or servery rather than seating (at least in my world!). In fact, I'd probably skip counter seating on the dining room side entirely. There are seats at the table less than a yard away and counters are nice for standing at or leaning on.

One other thing I'd do is get rid of the soffits and take the cabinetry to the ceiling. That will allow you to get rid of the uppers on the LR side of the kitchen since you won't need the storage. Also it will make sitting at the bar more comfortable and improve sight-lines between kitchen and LR.

As you design the kitchen, you should keep in mind that you are selling and design a space that considers modern trends. You want it to be a selling point not ”what were they thinking” like a stove in a peninsula. Resale is another reason to look at an island design. What you propose is not going to have the appeal over an island. People will not want to pass dirty dishes through an opening and walk around a 12’ peninsula when an island would give better flow. Additionally, most people are ripping out bar height counters in favor of one level countertops...much more practical, comfortable, and safer.

A galley with an island will use less cabs than the U-shape, I think...did a rough guesstimate. If that is the case, you would save money that could offset the added plumbing costs. Is your house on a slab or crawl space/basement?

I get the designers’ concern...it would not bother me, but I was so tired of working in my small kitchen....I opened up walls too for visual and physical space.

One thing turned out to be true for me...my kitchen remodel was all about trade-offs and compromises. Good luck on your project.