You said you can't move the patio door... can you turn it into a kitchen sink window (blue) and add a swinging door to the right(green) ?

What's happening to the right of the kitchen (red)?

Yes I was wondering too what that large opening in the wall was at the bottom of the red wall SLL marked.

It is a challenge to come up with a decent layout with the slider staying where it is, the range staying on the same left wall, no sink on the island if possible, and the large opening with two steps down to the dining. But SLL is great at thinking outside the box.

I came up with this,

But it is really OFF on the scale and measurements! It is basically just to show you the appliance placements. A to scale drawing where one square is equal to one foot would be helpful if you get a chance.

I extended the bottom wall for adding the fridge and a pantry. You would need to either making the dining room opening smaller or possibly slide the opening over more into that 40” section. I was not sure if that was possible, so just throwing out ideas.

This is what I worked up. Changes:

• 52"W pony wall where stairs end in DR (taken from existing DR opening)
• Pony wall 6" taller than Kitchen counter so any mess is hidden from Dining Room (total height is plus height of stairs + 42"). However, if you're working in the Kitchen you can visit with someone in the DR b/c that will be a "pass-through" of sorts.
• Filler between pony wall and cabinets in Kitchen – counter extends over filler to give you a deeper counter.
• Open up DR doorway and extend stairs so there is a 54"W opening to the DR
• The old 40"W wall is now ~25.5"W
• Overall opening to DR is wider, not closed off because a pass-through now replaces part of the step area and the wall is opened up on the other end to give you a 5' stair opening
• Close up the doorway to the unknown room by 9". The doorway will now be 54" wide, the same as the DR doorway. Still a respectable width.

This gives you

• Multiple places to work (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Prep Zones). Your child may be small now, but very soon s/he will be learning to help out and how to cook -- so you will have a multi-person Kitchen. (And then there will be friends visiting...)
• With multiple Prep Zones, you will be able to have someone cleaning up or helping you prep/cook (see first point above).
• A nice "Snack & Tea/Coffee Center" (if you drink tea or coffee)
• Sink not in an island (your kitchen really isn't big enough for a functional island if there's no sink in it).
• Range only moves a little along the wall
• Refrigerator & MW are on the periphery so someone raiding the refrigerator for a snack or getting condiments when setting the table won't get in the way of those preparing a meal
• The refrigerator is also situated so that it's easily accessed from those running in from the outside for a drink or snack -- again, without getting in the way of others working in the Kitchen
• Plenty of space in front of the sliding door so the traffic to/from the outside will not get in the way of those working in the Kitchen.
• I don't know what the room is on the "bottom" wall in my layout (right wall in your post), but if it's a busy doorway there is plenty of room to accommodate traffic to the DR and outside without getting in the way of those working the Kitchen.

Work Zones:

Thank you all for your suggestions and ideas!! I need to check and see what my options are with expanding and/or minimizing the wall into the dining room. The wall and opening on the bottom right is one step down to the entryway/front door. Behind the upper right wall are stairs leading upstairs.