IMO there is no reason to have the cooktop in the island you have exterior wall space on either side of the sink for a much better way to ventilate too. A floor plan to scale is what we need and I have to say banquette seating is awful it barely works in a restaurant for one meal . I have no idea how seating other than stools would work where you are planning this . You have a spot for some seating where you have that table and benches do a small round table there with chairs and keep the stools but IMO make the stool counter the same height as the orest of the counters.so you will need new stools 24” seat height

I think I would remove the bar and just put in normal island seating. How long is the island? Can you get four stools across it? I have had a cooktop on an island and it was fine. But, I don't like the idea of a banquette with someone's back to the cooktop. Personally, I love banquettes, but not when they are part of an island. But, that is just my opinion. Do you have another spot for a normal dining table?

Not really- these are the listing photos so not my table. But I think I need to get that cooktop out

I’ll post a diagram when i get the measurements!

You guys are awesome by the way!

That drop-in sink's gotta go...

Joseph- like I need to replace the sink or the sink needs to move positions?

This kitchen hasn’t been touched since 1997 so any thoughts you guys have are SO helpful... my other house was a new build so I’m going in blind until I can talk to a kitchen contractor

Bad design from the start - sink opposite cooktop / cooktop without overhead ducting. Please don't add to these mistakes with banquette seating or awful "bar height" seating.

You need a Kitchen Designer way more than you need a contractor. You remember the old saw, to measure twice and cut once? That goes double for kitchens. Design twice, build once. Design on paper is far cheaper than ripping apart new cabinets because something doesn’t work.

I think the current floor plan and island are great, you might want to update counter tops and backsplash. I would build in banquette where your existing table is.

If nothing else, switch the cooktop to induction.