Do you use your penisula? We rarely use ours, as the table is so close. If you don't use your penisula and don't think you'd use island seating, you might go with a rolling island/storage thing.

I think the island is better, if you have a lot of traffic through the garage door. If you use the penisula for important counter space and seating, go with that.

We vote for the island as the peninsula doesn't offer the flow of traffic that the island option does.

My daughter had her dining table put on locking castors. It raised it to counter height and she added counter height stools, no arm, but with backs. Kitchen was gutted, peninsula gone (gained a lot of room), and the table has become multi-purpose. She has a formal dining room and when entertaining she uses the "island" for serving app's/drinks.

This was a vintage Pottery Barn table, with butterfly leaves, and a stainless top. Way too great to let go.

Thought this idea might be worth your consideration.

https://www.remodelista.com/posts/10-easy-pieces-dining-tables-on-wheels-casters/

Bay window is too high for seating and we dont want to add cabinets to front wall. Our house does not have a dining room so we really dont want to lose this eat in area.

Too small for either at the end of the day. Too tight of space, moveable island maybe at the most.

Both look dysfunctional from a circulation point of view. You definitely don't have room for seating where you show the seats in the island (right side) unless you get rid of the "built-in buffet" on the far right wall. That potentially could be a busy aisle and you should, ideally, have 54" behind the seats, but 48" at the very least. (Main entry to/from garage is there.)

If you eliminate island seating, the aisle is fine. Eliminating the seating would also allow you to add a row of 12"D cabinets to the back of the island for more storage.

I would also switch the refrigerator with the MW area - the refrigerator is already very far from the sink and the (tiny) Prep Zone b/w the sink and range, so move it closer by putting it next to the Living Room doorway instead of the Laundry Room doorway.

Aisles appear to be mis-measured. They should be measured to/from the items sticking out into them the farthest, not cabinet-to-cabinet. Cab-to-cab measurements only include the cabinet boxes, they do not include doors/drawer fronts, cabinet hardware, or counter overhangs.

For example, the 24"D perimeter cabinets are actually 25.5" deep when accounting for counter overhangs (1.5"). Then, you need to account for the range depth, including the handles. You might argue there isn't overlap, but there really is b/c that will be a pinch point trying to get around the range and the island. That also has the potential to be a busy aisle b/c the entrance to the Living Room from the Garage is blocked by the island.

Your range does not have any emergency landing space on one side and it's next to a doorway (although what appears to be a wall will prevent pot handles from pointing to the left and potentially being knocked/bumped when going through the doorway).

FYI...your island may also become a catch-all since it's so convenient as a drop zone to the main garage entry.

I agree with millworkman--the room is too small for either an island or a peninsula. The aisle clearances are too tight and both island and peninsula impede the flow, especially keeping in mind the traffic flow from the garage to the living room.

Option 1: Keep the L-shape with sink, d/w and range, and fridge on the same wall it's on now. Eliminate peninsula and replace it with a much larger/longer table.

Option 2: Consider moving the doorways. If you moved both doorways to the upper left corner, you might improve the flow.

I think your peninsula is just too long. Shorten it to leave one good wide traffic path in your kitchen, instead of doing an island with a cramped traffic path on either side. You would still have room for 2 stools.

I moved your table in the drawing to better show how you actually placed your table.

As far as the 12" upper cupboards on the peninsula, a picture of them would be helpful. Do they go all the way down or are they 18" high above the counter? Taking them all the way down, and making this open storage (no doors) would give you much better accessibility to that space. Although it does take up counter space. You could lower them all the way across or see what part would be most improved this way.

I can see how the end of the peninsula closest to the garage entrance would be a very inviting space for people to plop down anything the have in their hands! Realistically, you need to leave some landing space for people entering the house with their hands full, but not encourage a permanent pile of "stuff".

I use the down-to-the-counter cabinets in my kitchen for more attractive items (e.g. big serving pieces, wooden salad bowl, teapots) and keep cans etc behind closed shelves or on the lazy Susan or in drawers.

The end of the peninsula (I show in blue) could also be 12" deep open storage. Very easy to access.

If you don't want a lazy Susan or equivalent in the corner, you could have the corner open to the other side, by the window, as drawers or a cupboard, for less-often-use items. Shown in green.

This article has some interesting options for cabinets/shelves above a peninsula. link Scroll to near the end of the article.

I agree that it's too tight for an island. The idea to shorten the peninsula is a good one. 48" will give you room for 2 stools. You can add a 24" drawer on the outside of the peninsula or do a lazy susan on the inside. Then add a nice 36" wide pots and pans drawer in the peninsula for stoarage.

I would consider moving the living room doorway towards its wall to move the refrigerator into the kitchen zone. I would also do full height 15" deep pantry cabinets where you have the buffet and move the buffet into the dining room. Just be careful of creating a pinch point by the garage entrance door. No to island or peninsula. It would be great to also move the arage door but without seeing the rest of the plan not sure if this is possible.

g

Swithching the living room opening with the refrigerator is a good idea. Here's an idea that shortens the peninsula, leaves the table where it is now, but still has enough counter space for food prep.

It gives you a landing space on both sides of the range, and food can go from the refrigerator to the sink or the peninsula.

The space I've marked in gray is now available. The OP can think about what works best there. Maybe a counter with a microwave shelf above, them microwaved food can go directly to the table or peninsula seating.

If it works from the living room side, moving a door isn't as daunting as it seems. My sister did it in her kitchen to improve flow. You need a new threshold between the kitchen and the living room, but the ceiling doesn't need to be touched.

Use a small dairy table or prep table measuring 4x2 feet. I keep two backless stools under mine for daily use but take stools away when entertaining as to keep walkways over 36 inches.

if you can shift the living room entrance lower, a few other options become possible. I would consider a quote for that change and come back and tell people what measurement the range wall expands to. You want to change the traffic from crisscrossing your very small kitchen which is the problem both with peninsula and island.....foot traffic from living room right thru the middle of everything over to garage door? You dont want to bump the kitchen into living room space ? ....., understandable, but please consider expanding the length of wall to work with / traffic then moves on the outside of maybe a U shape or bigger L shape/ maybe a galley...

get your range wall working for you better than currently.

Compact Modern Kitchen Design-Chicago · More Info

Many have commented that our kitchen is too small for an island or peninsula. I wanted to clarify that the peninsula layout is the current layout of the space. Our house was built in the early 80s and had a small island originally.

Removing the peninsula altogether would leave us with hardly any counter space. We do not have the option to move any doors because of the layout of the adjoining rooms. It’s a frustrating little space for sure!

We are in the very early stages of planning and even though I had my heart set on an island with seating, keeping the current layout but shortening the peninsula is probably our best bet. Lightening up the finishes will also help the space feel larger and more open.

I appreciate all the feedback and fun ideas!

Just curious as to how the layout of the adjoining rooms prevents you from moving the doors? Is there a brick wall or something similar? Is there something you haven’t shown?

Maybe a fireplace?

Can the garage entrance move all the way to the left?

My kitchen is narrower than yours (11' vs your ~12' 9"). I have a 5' 5.5' peninsula that comfortably seats 2, vs your much longer 7't 2" one.

We looked at an island when we renovated and decided we didn't have room for (or need) 2 traffic paths through the kitchen. One generous path is much more functional.

I have included a more comprehensive floor plan below. Before anyone suggests it, expanding into the sunporch is not an option. The wall behind the sink is load bearing and its not in the budget to take it down. Plus, we use that as a mudroom/plant space. We do not want to relocate the door into the living room. I am against taking the wall down between the kitchen and living room, but my husband likes the idea. I do not think there would be room in our budget to do that anyway. We are trying to stay in the 50k range which will need to include new flooring in the kitchen, laundry and sunporch.

I can see why you wouldn't want to move the door to the living room if it means having to walk past the basement entry to get into it from the kitchen. You have a fairly good walkway into the kitchen with the peninsula the size it is currently but if you shorten it by a foot, I don't think you'll miss it. I think you'll get the biggest bang for your buck by taking the cabinets up to the ceiling if possible and adding as many base drawers and other clever storage solutions as possible to maximize storage space. You may be able to get two 36" drawer base cabinets into the peninsula. My dishwasher runs into my peninsula so I decided to add a 24" wide drawer base with roll out shelves on the outside of the peninsula that faces my breakfast area. It's a great place to store crock pots, my KitchenAid mixer, and other appliances I don't use every day.

After viewing the entire floor plan, it's obvious that the basement hallway/stairs would prevent you from moving the doorway in the kitchen. This is why we always ask for the entire first floor plan when commenting on a kitchen renovation.

Given the constraints, it seems like shortening the peninsula would be your best option.

If you can change the door entry from the porch, I think you gain a little more storage and put a little more space between the sink and stove. You can add a cabinet to the left of the stove for safety and you could put your fridge a little closer the the action.

You could put a coffee bar across from the table instead of the fridge.

Your wakway through the kitchen improves too.

I think you may not have room to open the door into the kitchen, but you could have the door open into the porch.

I typically like isalnds better, but in your space it seems that the peninsula will give you more surface and storage. If that was my kitchen, I would go with the peninsula. Storage in a kitchen is vital in my opinion.

Karenseb's layout looks like it could work.

@Karenseb is along the lines if what i was thinking when i suggested to move the door from the garage. i didn't realize that door was a sun porch.

“Flow of traffic” is not necessarily a good thing when you are entertaining; you won’t be able to pull things out of the oven, get to the fridge quickly, etc as you prepare and set out food. The peninsula gives you a bit of protection and you can move about your work area easily. One big key is to set out appetizers in the living area, and maybe a bar cart to help you guests settle in the comfortable living space.

The OP said "The wall behind the sink is load bearing and it's not in the budget to take it down"

Yes, but the wall already has a doorway in it, so moving the doorway doesn't really affect the load, does it? You'd close up one area and open up the other. The wall would still be the same length.

The concern seems to be more about budget than engineering, but it wouldn't hurt to get a quote.

Revisiting our kitchen layout. Moved the eat in area to the existing sunporch and change the location of the pass through window and door. This allowed us to add a large island for storage and seating as well as small cafe table and two chairs near the bay window. The island is off center, but the overall space is so small that I don't think it will look strange. Wondering what the general consensus is. Feedback appreacited!

This is a difficult space. I'm going to say something crazy (and very possibly crazy expensive): Swap the kitchen and the dining space.

Why: Entering through your existing kitchen is something of a maze. Someone entering disturbs thcook. It's just a mess, and neither the peninsula nor the island seems to work. If you push the kitchen to the lower side, the person entering just walks around the table, which is better.

Look into a simple U-shaped kitchen in this lower space. Do you have to keep the laundry entrance, or is it posible to open a door into the (hopefully) hallway on the other side?

Swap for a round table, as it's easier to navigate around the table. Possibly even go with banquette seating in the area that's now your range /sink. This is a space saver and would allow you more space by the door.

i'd consider rotating and connecting the island over to the right of stove and get a U shape work zone. Fine to keep the fridge on the left side, / you can place the sink on the peninsula that you just created , if you desire... as it can be longer by 6 or 9 inches than the sink run opposite. then for your bonus seating......just push those chairs into your bottom right corner. i might consider opening a passage from living to dining at the top to the left of the living room fireplace. you can really benefit by the continuous counter if you make the U shape....