The layout IMO is not good you should never pass the range to go from fridge to sink. Do you need to hang pots in the new space ? I have done a simple one bar pot rack in one of my kitchens but it only held my copper pots and honestly more for decor than function. I also think in a small space they look cluttered . Sky lights can hamper pendants but uou have what apper be lots of pot lights so really no need for pendants . I would make sure all those bulbs are LED 4000K too.It would be helpful to see the actual to scale floor plan with all measurements clearly marked too. All drawers for bas cabinets will for sure help with storage and I assume the whole house is styled to be very traditional I do not think Victorian homes need to be Victorian inside but that is just me. BTW this was my kitchen in a 1905 1 1/2 storey house . kep the exterior looking the same but not the interior this kitchne was totally disfunctional to begin with . See the pot shelf to the left of the wall oven maybe that could be something to think about

In your new layout, is the island built-in or no? hard to see how the kitchen is wide enough for cabs and an island? but maybe I am missing something

Great kitchen, PCC. I like your style!

On pot racks - I think they can be very efficient. When placed over an island or table, they make use of a large volume of space that isn’t usable/accessible for anything else. It’s like getting storage for free - “free” in that you don’t give up anything else to get it, and in that a pot rack is fairly inexpensive. It is also storage well optimized for pots and pans, which have awkward shapes, often don’t ”nest” with each other, and take up a large amount of space if stored in drawers. (For lids, a drawer or shelf rack works well.)

For example, my pot rack (work in progress kitchen, sorry) holds more pots, pans, utensils, colanders, etc than could fit in an entire drawer stack, and you don’t need to bend over and lift out an entire pile of pots just to get the largest one on the bottom. If you favor heavier cookware - copper, cast iron, thick stainless - that’s not a small issue.

OP’s kitchen is on the smaller side, won’t have a surplus of drawers, and she has a good number of pots.

Aesthetically and historically, potracks go well with Victorian-era houses - unless you’re going for a different look.

I would be interested in the actual dimensions of the room. The second plan drawing seems to have rather tight aisles, and are you really moving the skylight from the center of the room to one side (and why)?

On the lighting issue, how tall is the ceiling and can we see a photo or two at night with all kitchen lights on?

I vote no on pot rack...but I don't particularly like pot racks as they tend to close in and make a Kitchen look cluttered, especially if you have a lot of items on them > take my opinion for what it's worth 😊. I also don't like the idea of pots & pans sitting out where the dust, grease, etc., can land on them and, unless you use every pot and pan every few days, you will likely have to wash them (or least dust them) prior to using.

Regarding lighting, I would focus on plenty of under-cabinet lighting in addition to the recessed lights. I would also probably put a couple of pendants (or other lights) directly over the sink...over the sink, not in the aisle in front of the sink as you will cast shadows on the sink when working at night if the lights are behind you.

Layout....normally, I would agree about appliance placements - they should follow the Refrigerator > Sink > Prep Workspace > Range flow (Ice.Water.Stone.Fire). However, it may or may not be possible here.

I also don't think a permanent/stationary island will fit in your Kitchen -- the aisles look REALLY tight! E.g., it looks like you have only around 24" b/w the refrigerator and island. (42" is the minimum recommended aisle width for a one-person work aisle.)

Could you please post a fully-measured layout of the current space along with a sketch of the entire floor the Kitchen is on? Let us see what we can do.

It looks like you're closing up doors, where do they lead? (The sketch will help with that.)

BTW...I agree with Patricia regarding the Kitchen vs exterior. Just b/c the house is a Victorian, it doesn't mean the Kitchen must be Victorian as well!

I can't help but think that our ancestors would laugh at us for trying to keep everything "to the period" of the house. They designed for what was available then, not what we have now. They designed for what was functional then based on their lives, not on our modern lives!

The exterior, aesthetically sure, as long as it doesn't mean a poorly constructed (in modern terms) home. E.g., I would not keep windows from then. I would replace them and try to match the style aesthetically, but not necessarily functionally!

I never want to come through a doorway and have a hulking deep refrigerator blocking my view to the rest of the kitchen. That is always a terrible layout. Additionally, having had a French door refrigerator for 10+ years, they are not all that. I'd still get a fridge with a freezer on the bottom, but a single door on top.

I have never liked the appearance of a hanging pot rack but that is just my preference. You have to do you, though the one you currently have isn't particularly attractive. I'm sure there are better styles of racks available.

I hope that the details of your kitchen will be leaning more traditional as you see below

The way the current pot rack is attached to the ceiling is what is offputting to me.

I love the look of a pot rack in older homes with high ceilings, especially, It signals that someone actually cooks in their kitchen rather than the vibes given by the marble (and fake marble) palaces that are so popular now.

They do make pot racks with integrated lighting:

BTW I ran a catering biz from that kitchen so those things on the rack were in constant use .

Two considerations: having fridge closer to sink and stove will function better and could the island be moved to the right (pots or lights will work, as they will hang from a solid section).

Maybe base your decision on how you will be using. If mostly a working surface area, a 2nd sink is handy, suggest a buther block surface, and hang pots. If you prefer to have it used as a place to gather, I’d opt for no sink, pendants, soapstone surface and seating for more than two. DeVol Kitchens photos (Instagram) might inspire you and the ideas are perfect for period homes.

Than you all for your thoughtful responses and opinions which have given me pause to think of any changes I may consider.

To answer some of your questions.......

The kitchen as it is now, is quite dysfunctional in the layout with the kitchen and fridge at one end and the sink, chopping board and drawers on the other. The good thing about it is that it does make me take a lot of steps :)

The kitchen is 16'x12'. The ceiling height is 12'. The skylight is not being moved - a mistake in the drawing.

The space between the 2 L shape counters and the island is 36" and the space between the island and the narrow counter leading to the inner door is 42" - all of these are within code.

The 2 doors off the kitchen that are being closed lead to a bedroom and a bathroom that is being converted into another space.

Although I like the idea of having the refrigerator closer to the sink, I could not make it work with widening the window and the door.

The window and the door leading to the porch will now be an 8' folding door - see photo below.

By entering the kitchen through the 8' folding door, you see not only the refrigerator but also the stove, island and basically the entire kitchen. The brown door is restaurant style swing door leading into the dining room.

The existing small window above the sink will be expanded to be a 6' window - see photo below.

Having processed all your suggestions, I realize I love having a pot rack. i love the convenience and the aesthetic.

I use all the pots and pans regularly and there is no chance for any dust or grease build up.

I also realize I do not need pendant lights over the island.

Between the 8' glass folding door, the 6' kitchen window, the skylight and the strategically positioned recessed lights and the lights that will be added below the cabinets, the kitchen will be well lit at all times.

Thank you again for all your suggestions and opinions.

PLease OP come back with some help for us to help you. ^ days to wait for info is a long time ansd so soon this post will be dead if we get not info from you then all we do is guess.

There is a concept used in some commercial kitchens, to be designed around a large central island.

In OP’s case, I think the room is not large enough for counters on the left-side wall AND a useful island AND sufficient aisle width.

The napkin sketch above uses a large square island, that will have tons of drawer storage on all sides, outlets, and optionally an appliance lift and a prep sink. The additional counter sq ft from the large island replaces the counter sq ft lost from the left wall. A larger pot rack, and the skylight above.

The sink is moved to the right, still under the window, with the DW on the left, appropriate for a right handed person.

The fridge is on the sink wall, easily accessible to the areas where one would prep.

The range is in its current location, but with more counter/landing space.

The island is the centerprice, so needs great lighting focused on it, polished pots, etc.

Sorry for the awful napkin sketch above, at least I didn't spill my drink on it.

Here is a better sketch, still without dimensions. Note the aisles are generous, while the larger island replaces the counter/storage lost by removing the left-hand cabinets.

I think the island will be the main prep area, there is room for many dishes to be worked on, by multiple people if need be. Possibly the prep sink should be on a corner, to be easily shared by two persons. The counter between wash sink and fridge is a secondary prep area. If the aisles are large enough, a tall shallow pantry cab "might" fit along the left-hand wall, but I've drawn one in the lower-right corner.

For this concept to work, the island volume needs to be completely used for drawer storage. Maaaaybe the right-hand side (toward the patio?) could have a stool or two, but I think it is too small a kitchen to be "eat-in". A Victorian house will usually have a nice dining room right off the kitchen anyway.

You'll want good lighting above the island, positioned to avoid shadows on the countertop from the potrack or from people standing at the island. Lighting could be integrated with the potrack, or pendants hung "through" the center of the potrack. You may want a potrack whose shape is squarish like the island, maybe custom made - I can imagine a square of polished copper pipe with copper hooks.

Might find some inspo pics of kitchens built around large squarish center islands with potrack above.
P.S. Most "appliance lifts" are spring-loaded and swing up and out from the edge of a cabinet. "TV lifts" are motorized and lift vertically, and I think a TV lift can be adapted to work in the center of the island.

P.P.S. The original drawings don't show a microwave, so I didn't put one in my sketch. But it could go where the upper cabs by the range are drawn.