I don’t see why it couldn’t be a standard straight overhang. Do you have any more photos that show the space?

It's good design, as the kids have demonstrated without even trying.

The island shape is unusual, but I don't think it looks bad. The curve is better than straight if the goal is for people sitting at the island to talk to each other (as opposed to talking to the cook).

Are those fluorescent light fixtures in the main part of the kitchen (not skylights)? A lot of fluorescent lights don't have great color rendering (measured by CRI), and that could be affecting the appearance of the cabinets. (I noticed that in the pic, the cabinet above the fridge looks like an entirely different color to the left of the pendant than it does to the right, which could be due to it being partially lit by daylight or light from another source; the uppers on the right have an almost greenish cast compared to the lowers; and the island counter color and paint look different than the main part of the kitchen--that's all due to lighting). If you are inclined to replace the lighting as part of your mini-remodel, I would do that first, before trying to choose any other colored elements. Get lamps with high CRI, >90 (I would recommend this even if you stick with fluorescent fixtures; you can find fluorescent tubes or LED tube replacements with different CRIs and color temperatures).

Why do your cabinets look yellow? Fix that before you proceed.

IMO fix the lighting change all the bulbs to LED 4000K then see what works for counters I would change the island top to a rectangle just to spruce it up a bit. I also would suggest you look at white polished granites IMO a much better choice than quartz.

@patriciacolwellconsulting thank you! Do you have any white polished granites that you like? I’ve struggled terribly with this! What do you think of river white?

I like the countertop shape but more importantly your family has demonstrated that they do -- keep it! Have you thought about soft blue or soft green hues of countertops?

ETA: If you go with a delicate blue or green granite, a new wall color would probably be in order.

Hmm. I might relocate the stove just for ventilation if its on the other side of the island. How are you fanning your cooking smells out of the space? Any safety issues with the kids working closely to a hot surface?

This may sound radical, but sometimes kitchens are betters served with a worktable instead of an island. Yours may be one such space. You could have seating and additional prep or counter space and use it much as you do now. I might relocate the stove to the wall beside your fridge and do a pretty hood and fan, recirculating if you can't vent to the exterior. The center can be one big worktable with a nice counter of whatever surface you choose. I would probably go with a more traditional counter height rectangular table simply because it will fit better with your cabinet doors and the more squared-off angles of your space.

Are you going to keep the white tile backsplash? To my eye that white is clashing with your warmer/more yellow-white cabinets. If you are willing to replace that as well, try covering it up with colored paper or something to see how those cabinets really appear without such a stark white next to them. Should open up your countertop choices a lot. Personally, I wouldn't want white counters in that kitchen, but if you do, find something that has a lot of warmth so it doesn't fight with the warm cabs the way the white tile does.

I am DEFINITELY replacing the white tile backsplash. No idea what I will put there, but definitely not keeping what’s currently there. I’ve also thought about doing a black honed granite on the perimeter, and a different color on the island, but I’m not that good with decorating and afraid my “idea” might turn into a nightmare haha. I guess I figured a white-ish granite would be subtle and make the kitchen have an airy feel. I also intend to paint the kitchen something less beige, maybe a greige color such as BM Revere Pewter or SW Agreeable Gray.

We inherited a warm beige similar to yours (it was a Behr color called Comforting) throughout our main floor from the previous owners of our home and we finally painted over it this spring using SW Versatile Grey. Huge improvement. We considered Revere Pewter and Agreeable Gray too - I don't think you can go wrong with either of those two! Your final choice will naturally depend on your countertop and backsplash, though.

Anyway, you could do two different granites on the perimeter and island but given that your kitchen isn't huge, I probably wouldn't. I also don't love the idea of black in this kitchen. Personally I would look at lighter colored stones in the grey, green and/or blue families that also include warm white as a background/speckling/veining color. Something like Taj Mahal quartzite could be stunning (though $$$$). Do you know you want granite, or are you open to other stones/solid surfaces?

I’m open to other stones/solid surfaces, but I do love the durability and low maintenance that granite offers.

I like granite too - much more than quartz or marble. Quartzite is a natural stone too, though, and performs more like granite. Do you want something with a lot of movement in it, or a more "quiet" stone? Do you prefer speckles/flecks of color or wavy striations? Do you want your countertops to be the star of your kitchen, or do you prefer something more neutral so that your backsplash can be the star?

In your photos, you appear to have warmish-white cabs with cool-ish brown floors. If this were my kitchen, I'd be looking for a stone that bridges that gap (so one that may include a variety of whites, browns, greys, even some blues/greens, etc.). What do you think about some of these?

Baricato:

Brown Fantasy:

Colonial Cream:

River White:

Aurora Blue quartzite:

Classic White quartzite:

Taj Mahal quartzite:

I’m definitely looking for a very quiet stone. I don’t like a lot of movement. I’ve considered River White. I really love the look of the Colonial Creme in this picture.

Have you visited any stone yards yet? There is a ton of variation between slabs in any stone, so it's entirely possible to fall in love with a particular slab of a stone you hadn't considered previously. When I was trying to choose a granite for my last kitchen remodel, I visited several yards, some more than once, before finding just the right stone. Take a door from one of your cabinets with you so you can see the real cabinet color right up against the stones. You should also take a basic drawing/measurements of your counters so that the people at the yard can tell you if you'll need more than one slab.

I'm going to second that you really need to change the lighting before making any major countertop decision. The pendants look like they are casting a warm light while the ceiling lights are... fluorescent? They definitely make the cabinets look a sickly green/yellow on my screen. Does the wall color run through the whole house? Are you planning to change it?

I’m not sure I have the money to replace the fluorescent lighting, but will be getting some estimates to replace with can lights. I did as someone else suggested and replaced all lighting with 4100k lighting and it does brighten the space and looks less green/yellow. The wall color does run through the whole house. I am repainting with Revere Pewter. I may do Pashmina in my dining room just so the entire house isn’t one color.