We are completely gutting and replacing our kitchen. It is a very large room -- 21'2'' wide by 30'1 long. The kitchen is on the north side of the room. On the south side is a kitchen table, fireplace and two chairs for sitting. The entrance from a new mudroom is on the SW corner. Next to the kitchen is the den. We have two kids (3 and 6), and we cook meals most nights.

Here are the current plans for the kitchen side of the room. We are planning to install large picture windows on the N and W side and not use any upper cabinets. Everything will be stored in the lower cabinets, the corner pantry, or the island.

And here is a rendering.

The dishwasher goes on the island to the right of the sink if standing in front, to the left as you look in the picture. The microwave will be placed in an opening on the other side of the sink. The island will be large -- approximately 9' wide and 6'3'' deep, though it hasn't been cut yet. We are planning to do approx 30" wide drawers or cabinets that open to the sides for additional storage, and a 15" overhang for seating opposite the sink.

Some constraints: in order to keep a centered 54" opening into the den, it can't move. We are planning on an induction cooktop, and it's important to me that it be located on an exterior wall so that the hood will function properly. We have a perfectly functional double oven that we use and are planning to re-install. We are located on a crawlspace and the floor is being completely replaced so we are not constrained by the locations of anything else at this point. We do want a pantry and are happy with the location of it here. The giant picture window on the W side that you can see in the rendering above has already been installed.

This is roughly how I see the work zones breaking down:

In this way, we'll keep plates / glasses etc in the cabinets on the left side away from the prep / cook zones. Also, family can set the table etc. without getting in the way of cooking.

Not sure where to place the trash. We'll end up doing a pull-out drawer with trash and recycle. Seems like it should be either next to the oven or on the north side to the left of the cooktop. Both are not located near the prep zone, however.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.