Your pictures ( new ones) didn't load.....? Wait for the gray to be gone, and the pic to clarify before "submit". Add pics of the mudroom and all the surrounding!

Tell hubby his enjoyment as kitchen helper will be VASTLY improved, ridding yourself of the tiered 42" height will blow his mind with how much more open the kitchen feels......and you're not "wasting",( ? ) salvage what you can and put some storage in the garage?

Here are some pics of my mudroom/1/2 bath and current dining room along with my plans to update my dining room (it never ends!).

And my living room... we painted the beam and shelving unit white last year.

Folks? Full context is good.

Here......who KNEW?

Don't pinch that passage and we've no clue what you have now, because we don't have the FULLY measured, accurate kitchen, which has boundaries!!

Here:

I see a nice 6 foot closet, full of what?

You have cubbies for the daily come/go?

I asked earlier.....where do you keep FOOD in the kitchen? Should some or all of that closet be Pantry??? Who the heck knows. You have a basement. Can winter parkas, etc be stored below when not in winter season?

Where is a picture of the front foyer? Is there another closet?

One more thing..................

It is natural to want improvement everywhere. Asap, usually. Beware you turn your home to gray /white cool!!! YOU'RE LATE? There is a huge warming trend afoot following 15 YEARS of cooler gray and white and whatever interiors. Lots of warm greens and mellow woods abound. In every room you can think of.

Stop, breathe.........and do a thing well before the very things that are important long term get dollars sucked from those things that are more important! Kapeesh?

FULLY draw and measure. Neatly. boldly. Include the wall at stair, etc. ! in that kitchen

What's wrong with the RUG down here? It's as warm as your granite.!

Change the curtains to a plain soft white as the chairs , change the mirror to art if you like.

Draw and MEASURE. all the walls, all the windows down below? .....seems obvious which space needs more help?

Or I am insane???: )

with all the white and the dining spot being somewhat dressy , seems a more useable island w a more casual day to day use would be a plus. The end sections at elevation are an interference w good daily use/ destination. A warmer tone/ color will be great considering the location and flow of people coming and going . New pendants as final touches will allow your personal imprint, if you take this project.

I think an island redo will make a HUGE difference. Go for it!

Since you are building the island, review what you need and don’t need. I agree that drawers are way more convenient that cabinet doors. And this is your chance to relocate the microwave if you need to.

P.S. I love your dining room!

Thank you so much for everyone's constructive feedback!! Jan, I truly appreciate the time and effort you've put forth to draw a sketch of an improved kitchen floor plan. That will definitely come in handy when I replace the entire kitchen! I wish I knew about this site 10 years ago!!
I know the cow is tacky, but did you notice how sweet her eyes are? I realize it's a mass produced "farmhouse" trend of the past, but I'm still in love with her. She's the only thing I love in that space. I just can't part with her.
As for a pantry, I'd love one! We are able to fit all of our groceries in our cabinets and lazy Susan, but I'd love a pantry to place my crock pot, mop, broom, vacuum, and cleaning products! I've not considered converting our front closet into one, but that's a fantastic idea!
I love the artwork suggestions! I've been eyeing the one I posted for a while. I plan on purchasing it on Black Friday. I actually do have ikea rivta curtains in cream/white, I plan on putting them up this spring. I have to take it slow or hubby will have a melt down!

Back up,...........

Open the MUDROOM 6" closet please?

Draw the island side you have, that faces your current sink ......get brave, show what is in there!

OPEN ALL the existing cupboards and drawers and ask

Do I need it

Do I use it

How OFTEN do I use it?

You're entirely focused on how it all looks..not how it functions.

Now, give me a picture of the inside of the MUD CLOSET? PLEASE

SHOW A PICTURE OF YOUR FOYER ENTRY?

XOIXOOXOX

I love you JAN!! Thank you for your help! I will do that when I return from my daughter's modified basketball game this evening! I'll get brave and show you all my junk. The corner cabinets on the island are not very practical, but they do hold a few tall items that don't fit in the other cabinets. We do have a finished basement w/ more storage, but it's not practical to store the items I use often down there.

Bravery is good.......I've seen plenty of crap, so don't worry! No judgement ! But here''s the thing.....

In suburbia, I find folks who don't remember the last time they opened the front foyer door, don't even remember where the key is..

If you have long coats ( and few do, other than a long down parka ) You hang them at the front. The rest tends to be grab and go, can go on those hooks in the mud - where YOU COME AND GO.

You take a 6' closet back there? And for spit, your dad can make you pantry/utility! Got a laundry you aren't showing? or it is on the second floor?

What's my point.......as you make it lovely you make it all........function and use every inch to your advantage. Ten years in a house?Kids? Don't tell me you use e.v.e.r.y.t.i.n.g .: )

My bet is you FIND storage you never imagined. When food and other goes to pantry and island in a more convenient way.

Hubby will "bite", then love it.... your dad can do it.

Great that your dad has the skills to make a new island! Nice that it will just cost for the countertops.

I get where your husband is coming from. It can feel wasteful to rip out what appears to some to be perfectly fine.

Perhaps you can donate your current island and that will make it not feel so wasteful to your husband. We posted our old broken range for free on craigslist. The Hatian refugee who came to get it knew how to fix the electric board. We struck up a conversation and he ended up taking our entire kitchen -- all of the cabinets and appliances. His friends from church came and got it in a bunch of pick up trucks. They were beyond grateful. It felt quite nice.

Thank you for that suggestion Kendrah.
Here are pics of my island cupboards and closet. Please don't judge... it's not pretty.

Island drawes

Island

Not much of a foyer.

We don't use any of the coats in our closet. We do however hide the kids' shoes in the corner of the closet.

Pay attention..........

Where is the foyer? Does it HAVE a closet? You must have a front door or am I nuts??

Is there a closet IN that foyer?

What is the DIMENSION of the entry closet in the mudroom? 5' ..........six feet? Less?

The end cabinets are not the only storage in the current island (clearly rather useless for all the bulk they add to the room! )

This....... are there enough hooks?.......nobody in suburbia has a bedroom to which shoes can be returned/stowed or every pair we own must live near a garage door............

The answer here isn't to have to keep shoving things wherever......it's to make the best of a kitchen that can have ONE change which is an island.

You have food stuffed ........where? PB and crackers whatever in that end thing?! In upper cupboards.......in an inconvenient lazy susan better reserved for less frequently used bowls, pots......whatever?

A frequently used Crock Pot? It can live on your counter by the fridge! Only if it is infrequent should you want it further from reach.

You need to do your homework.......before you build a new island. And to get help here? That means full disclosure show and tell: )

What do you most need.....and where?

Show the darn foyer! at the front?

So we put all of our food in the large upper cabinet and our canned goods in our lazy Susan. We sadly do not have a closet in our foyer. I included a pic of our front door which is opens up to our dining room ( we use the mudroom as our main entryway).
The opening of our closet is just over 3 feet, but the interior is 5'.

"We don't use any of the coats in our closet. We do however hide the kids' shoes in the corner of the closet."

What am I missing? If you don't use the coats? Do you need the coats? Or can they live in the basement in case you NEED the coats? What is the climate?

"The opening of our closet is just over 3 feet, but the interior is 5'.

So..........you use the sides, and you build a simplified version of this. what goes in there?

Kids dry snacks, paper towels, baking , like flour, sugars, ,rolling pin, etc because it isn't every day? Pasta sauce....canned goods, large bags of chips etc.. That leaves your Lazy S for the most needed AT HAND /daily.

And you figure out which side is utility, /cleaning and you can use the backs of doors.

We can't tell you..you need to think it through for this.....and some nice deep drawers and a more accessible microwave and a place for trash and recycle

It is hard to tell if this idea would work without all your measurements for the room next to the kitchen in front of the sliding glass door.

I personally prefer to sit at a table instead of an island. Also, you want more storage.

If possible, I would shorten the island to allow for the 48 inch aisles. Then I would make back to back cabinets on the island, no seating. This would increase your storage.

Then add a small round table in front of the sliding doors for extra seating.

I may have just convinced my husband ... he seemed to be in agreement with replacing the island and getting honed black granite. Would black on black be too much blk?

Small kitchen, either do the cabinets ALL the same color or the tops. Not two different cabinet colors AND two different top colors.

not..not too much. soapstone consideration??? find inspirations. Project will be great for you.

i think these may be soapstone.. your white elsewhere leaves numerous options...

medium to darkish island cabinetry w various dark tops [granite can be leathered or honed]

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She can not have back to back cabinets. Unless........

Her island can not exceed 36" depth to achieve her 48 " clearances. Which still gives her stools at the island.

If she doesn't mind giving that up? She can have 12" depth doored storage: ) where stools would have been. Or just two stools and the rest as doored storage........

We haven't a picture from in front of the slider.....if they eat in the dining room for family or in a breakfast spot/casual

Please just paint the island white in a match to the perimeter? and it will free you for black and for a top ( fewer dollars ) or even a wood top!

Review and decide what you most need.

Most important.......decide WHICH is most important ....seating. storage, or a combination

I prefer seating over storage. I love the style that's pictured in my attachments.

You are showing trimmed /closed short sides on both. You need to decide the MICROWAVE. Which side? Facing sink window or facing the fridge?

the closed end really hems in that last chair - fwiw so many inspo island pics have 4 chairs squished together and lined up like soldiers - I always think how does anyone get in or out of those chairs?

^^^^ I have three stools in a row and you know why it works- because I’m the only person that ever sits at the island. Husband prefers a real chair at the table which is adjacent. Isn’t it good we are all different.

Quick question: We have three shallow drawers on the stool side of our island. Would it be possible to include 4 shallow drawers on the stool side of our standard height island?

Re read the thread. The depth of the island no matter how you configure, can not exceed 36 " in total, unless you crowd clearances. You can not have storage on both sides , with stools unless as something like below

You've been given a host of ways to address storage. You will have to pick a poison , and the drawers on sink side of island are a gigantic improvement on what you now have.

i think Id prefer spending the little extra if need to get the drawers to my liking on the kitchen side of island. those drawers on stool side will cost and place that cost onto organizing or selecting drawer configuration as perfect as you can imagine. there is the END of island also..I use baskets all over the place.....you could basket the items on the ends. maybe.

island ends.

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I agree with your advice and measurement suggestions. I just was wondering if I could add shallow drawers on the stool side (under the counter overhang-similar the ones pictured. )

find out what the cost will be. You can do about anything. what do you care to pay to do this.

" find out the cost"

This is MATH. There is no cost. It is zero, Unless you do not want stools, or you reduce the stools to two on the non sink side of the island.

Twenty four inches depth of cabinetry depth on sink side, and a 12" overhang to accommodate the stools opposite side, is the 36 inches total depth that allows the passages/clearances. EVEN if you do as below pic? There is zero purpose to a drawer. It useful ONLY has a shallow shelf space with doors.

Again..........

I just wanted to thank everyone for your guidance! I decided to do a (very rough) mockup to see what a one level White Island with black hone granite would look like. I love the look!
These mockups are obviously not to scale, but just to see how the colors would look in my space.

There ya go. New pendants please.....: )

Now, go back and figure out where your micro is going, WHICH type of micro, and all the drawer space on the sink side. Remember you are KEEPING this island, and it is feet and inches of everything......first.

I'd love a microwave drawer, but they're pretty expensive. I'm going to research built in microwaves and make a decision. I definitely would like to keep it on the sink side of the island with a drawer underneath like I currently have.

Up to you. But in ANY case, build the island to accommodate the drawer style. For an 800.00 difference between the cheap and the convenient? Over five years? that difference is 160.00 per year and a lot less than you spend on pizza delivered.

A standard microwave is not useful below counter height- you have to get down on your knees. A drawer microwave is the only feasible option in the island. And yes you get two choices and they are expensive. But you do it once and don’t do it again. Remember you rushed the kitchen design last time and you already are redoing it? That’s what you are trying to avoid this time. Take your time. Plan. Get it right.

Could you share where you purchased the runner?

I purchased it years ago from Ballard design. I'm actually going to replace it soon.

I wouldnt have the heart to tear out such a pretty island. The answers here are awesome! i would prbably just try to draw the eye up

What are your thoughts on honed vs leathered/brushed black granite?

Do you think honed or leathered blk granite would look best? Or would either be fine? I like the look of both. I plan on going to the granite yard this weekend to check out the different black granite to match my gold granite.

I love leathered- I have leathered absolute black on my perimeter and nightfall on my island. That said if your other counters are gloss you might be better off with honed. Less different.

Would you be willing to share a picture of your leathered counters? My granite is polished...I was worried the texture might be a lot w/ my busy granite.

Honed will be perfectly fine! jmo

My final question is which style do you think would look best or function best?

As has been mentioned.......closing in the sides simply limits the comfort room of kitchen stools.

Function is what is stored IN the island, on the side directly opposite the fridge, if anything and the microwave makes most sense there as it keeps KIDS out of your PREP area. The long SIDE facing your sink.................is where you do not need "more people" any size people. Food goes from fridge to micro, and it is why we pay so much attention to clearances and function first. I realize you don't want to spend for the drawer, do it your way, your locale. But it not the best or most functional in now or future use.

The drawer micro opens toward fridge. The TRASH opens toward the sink mess.