I like option because I don't like sinks/appliances i the island

For the second option the dining room looks tight. Could you use a round table instead of the rectangle?

You need to have at least 4 feet to you dining table from the island but if you can get that i vote #2. If put a prep sink in the island and reconsider the sink in the pantry unless you have a specific need you're addressing with it. I don't love the hike to the pantry around the island but anything else would require rearranging your walls.

I like option 2, but I don't think you need another door in the kitchen. Since you have a large pantry maybe you can reduce the run along the range wall and make the island smaller. That will give more room to the dining area as well.

Option 2, with a smaller island, but with a prep sink. You show only three seats, so 72" is the minimum needed for elbow space. I'd do 77", and add the extra inches to the aisles. Also, you can get by with 40" depth, rather than 42", and 44" behind seating, so add those extra inches to the work aisle. It looks as if you aren't accounting for counter overhang on the perimeter--that will be at least 1", and the fridge door and oven doors and handles will protrude farther.

By moving the range and fridge to the right (as one faces them), a side-loading pantry can be added to the left--for frequently used items--so you're not constantly running around the island to the WI pantry.

I drew a corner susan, with narrow cabs on each adjacent run, but that corner could be voided in favor of wider drawers. The DW was switched to the right, since cabinets to the left would not be easily accessed with the DW door open.

Do you use a MW?

Oh interesting!! Yes we do use a microwave and hadn't even gotten to where to fit that. I was thinking a prep sink might not be a bad plan. The sink in the WI pantry is for our coffee/tea/wet bar station.

I like my microwave on the kitchen counter in a corner where it doesn’t get in the way. I do not have it built in….they do die eventually and I don’t want to have to get a new one which fits a particular slot.

A few things:

The aisles are no more than 39" wide, not 42". Aisles are measured to/from the items that stick out into the aisle the farthest -- appliance handles, counter edges, etc. The 24" depth shown in your layout only includes the cabinet boxes -- not the doors/drawer fronts, knobs/pulls, or counter overhangs. Counters overhang cabinet boxes by 1.5". Major appliances are usually deeper as well. So, with that in mind:

• If the refrigerator is a counter-depth, then the aisle b/w the island and refrigerator is no more than, 33" wide (counter-depth refrigerators are around 30" or 31" deep once you include the doors & handles, and that doesn't count the space needed behind the refrigerator for air circulation).
• If the refrigerator is a built-in, then that same aisle is no more than 36" wide (built-ins are around 27" deep once you include the doors).
• The aisle b/w the sink wall and island is only 39". 42" - 1.5" counter overhang on island - 1.5" counter overhang on sink cabinet run = 39"

Move the DW to the other side of the sink so it's not in the way of the Prep Zone and an obstacle b/w the sink and range. (See Mama Goose's layout - she moved it.)

Unless there's a serious need for a sink in the Pantry, I would eliminate it. It adds moisture & a coffee center will add heat to the Pantry (food storage should be dry, dark, cool) and it's a far walk from the main parts of the Kitchen and that pantry sink. If you want a second sink, I would put it in the island where it will be useful and in the main part of the Kitchen. Technically, you don't need a sink in the island, but it would make the overall workflow better and minimize repeated zone-crossing while preparing a meal.

Do you live in a year-round warm climate? If so, consider extending (or putting in a separate) counter on the patio side of the left exterior wall and having a window that opens so you can pass things from inside the house to the outside without having to run back & forth inside to/from outside. You might be able to do it even in a 4-season area if you have windows that are well-sealed, etc. (After all, doors are similar.)

Exactly what I was thinking re pass through around the sink. 4 season climate but we will have the patio covered and I think that would be a great option.

Thanks for the details on the measurements, really important to keep in mind!

I just think this is the most important part of the house to get absolutely right.

Oh great ideas! Ignore the thing in front of the window, that is a clip art record player since we said space was important. We will be doing some built ins in the living room to house records, speakers, record player so it won't need to go in the dining room and take up space.

That helps with the aisle b/w the Powder Room and table...the table can move down a foot or so.

Definitely 2 is better -- with less of a monster sized island -- so much walk around space needed that is, arguably, wasted space, especially with less kitchen wall space usable. Could still use some adjustments.

Islands were fads that replaced the lower in kitchen tables but have become a staple ; however, you might consider that a peninsula/ bar can work as well or better in some plans. Don't completely discount them as you consider your options.

Would put the sink beneath a window to the screened porch.

IF you need more dining area often (instead of such a big hulking island), the screened porch could be built as a sun porch with three of its walls all patio doors w/screens -- more usable space in more seasons. Depending upon the size of the porch, you might even consider adding a small (gas log) heater separate from the house heating system, especially if your stove and/or heating system is already gas.

Would put the stove against a wall w/overhead hood/venting, not in an island trying to down draft vent..

One exterior door via the "mud room" corner of the kitchen is likely the only exterior door you'll need -- unless you're intent is to create a patio door to the porch instead of one from the "mud room" corner of the kitchen:

DO make that end of the mud room a part of the kitchen instead of a separate room so you can make the pantry an end closet off that "mud room" entry. You could s till keep a coat closet o n the left as you enter the "mud room" corner of the kitchen from the porch.

The objective in accessing the pantry from the "mud room" corner of the kitchen instead of via a separate door would be to have a wider solid wall for more cabinet/countertop storage space within and facing the kitchen on the kitchen/pantry wall. You could make those cabinets/countertops on the kitchen side of the kitchen/pantry wall more shallow than the 2' cabinets on the opposite wall), (and/or even create an indent in the wall by the back wall of the powder room for a refrigerator and/or upright freezer.

In most of the drawings here, unless there is a full height wall beside your refrigerator (at least as deep as the overhead cabinets), you're going to see the coils and behind the refrigerator from the dining room.

Off topic: Would put the hinge of the powder room on the other side of the door so the door itself hides the toilet w/door open and doesn't block the window w/door open.

@Buehl is the large red C just standing for coffee? or is that a drain/small sink? Sorry if it's obvious to the layout pros ;) Love the idea of keeping that station a bit more out... that totally makes sense since we will be making coffee every morning.

That's a "Coffeemaker". :-)

The sinks in the island and along the perimeter are so close, that I didn't think you'd need a sink there. However, if it's really important to you to have a sink there, then I suggest a small bar sink, not a prep sink, to minimize the amount of space it takes up. All it will probably be needed for is to fill the coffeemaker or add water to something that's going in the microwave. You would still have some workspace to the right of the sink (over the MW drawer).

Personally, I'd want all the workspace for both the coffeemaker and other snack center needs, but it's up to you and what's more important to you and your family.

For storage, there's room in the upper cabinet(s), in the drawer under the MW drawer, and, if no sink, in the cabinet/drawer base next to the MW drawer's cabinet.

I really like the layout @Buehl put together for you, flows much better in my opinion. I would tweak it slightly by moving that microwave drawer to the island, closer to the refrigerator since (at least in our family) we are typically pulling something from there to go directly in the microwave to heat. Then, if you really want a sink near the coffee station (which I can understand because I sometimes think I should have added in a small one near mine), then you'd have the choice and space to do a small one within the coffee area she has shown. I do also like @mama goose_gw zn6OH idea about something on the end of that fridge with storage. It would make the kitchen feel more finished, in my opinion. It could honestly be tacked on to @Buehl's plan if it was a shallow one that was a foot or less deep. (thinking either a pull out spice/oil/vinegar type storage...oh, or use it for a pull out "spice rack" that is actually a glass storage since that would be so convenient right beside the fridge. Or, have it be a full height shallow cabinet with hooks inside to use it for brooms/mops/etc if you don't already have a designated spot for that in the home. Designing a kitchen is fun but stressful because you really have to think thru every spot and what you'd store there. Plus, the work flow is important. That is my only bigger con in any of the layouts...that is the island between the kitchen and the pantry. It isn't a deal breaker though and I think it can work out fine with some well thought out storage plans within the kitchen.

The_Lane_Duo...I understand your thoughts about the MW and I did toy with putting it in the island. However, it would put it in the middle of the primary Prep Zone - meaning if someone is trying to work next to the sink at the island or needs to get into the refrigerator while someone else is at the MW, the person at the MW will be in the way. That's what I have in my Kitchen -- and while it isn't a huge deal, it is very annoying when it happens. It would also cut down on prep dish/tool storage at point-of-use.

You might turn the MW cabinet 90 degrees (if in the island) so it faces the table, but then if someone is sitting at the table on that side, that person would be in the way.

Regarding the refrigerator, It's surrounded by finished end panels or even a decorative door panel so it will look "finished" and built-in. If the table could move over even more (and, the door or window as well), then you could add another cabinet -- even just 9" deep would work as a Utility cabinet.

As I was writing the above, I realized I was thinking the window in the dining area was a door, hence my notes saying "Door moved...". It should have been "Window moved..."

Ok we will get an update posted soon - going to build of @buehl s layout and have large passthrough over the sink onto patio. Then large mostly glass door next to it and get rid of that mudroom door. That means reconfiguring the mudroom and pantry but I think it will give us good useful space (we have a dog too so storage is a good thing!).

Well this is what we got back today.

It feels... inelegant? I don't know why he really wants the dishwasher on the left side of the sink. And I'm just not sure we are maximizing the functionality of closet/pantry space. He also left out some pretty key dimensions. It's a process! Much better to be meh about it at this point then when it gets built.

Can you move your mechanicals to the other side of the pantry? It looks like you got a huge closet out of it...what is your concern about the space?

The coffee bar looks too cramped with a sink. I would put the sink in the island, where it can be more useful (per Buehl's layout).

Definitely switch the DW location and confirm space between island and dining table.

I think I'm just getting used to looking at it. Trying to consider overall flow of the house and make sure I'm not doing anything weird by having a large closet and pantry right next to each other. I don't think anyone has ever complained about too much storage, but...

Def agree about dw and prep sink as well

I liked the bench and hooks from the previous renditions.

update on the first floor layout! I think I will switch the door hinge side so it opens directly into the closet/storage area.

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful input!