Good Day to you Michelle hope you are having a blessed Sunday. Something that is really cost effective and user friendly is using a AI app like google Gemini. If you need any help we are more than happy to help. To use it you simply take a photo and write what changes you would like to do. If you have any questions we are more than happy to help.

The drawback to Ikea planner is it does not allow thinking outside the box. I have been doing Ikea kitchens for 24+ yrs and never use the planner . You will get a ton of free advice here if you post a to scale floor plan. Show every window, doorways and where those lead every measurement cleraly marked and post here in jpeg format in a comment . Do not start another post about this space . If an actual KD is in the plan then make sure they are independant , have lots of experience and are not caibinet sales people . AI is not at this a designer and often distorts what you give it. Apps are not easy to use in most cases . My advice start here with the plan and pics as I said all done on this post .Use graph paper it makes doing to scale plans easier . Add info if there are things you either cannot change or things you must have. There are many actual designers here who offer great advice .

Thanks. I'll take a stab at putting something here on paper and I might try the IKEA method. I am not a fan of AI as it doesn't take into account measurements. Overall, I don't plan to much for movement (might push back the peninsula a bit and get rid of the bar on the opposite side as we never sit there). Maybe remove a cabinet that is above the peninsula. I'll repost here. Thanks

Hi, Michelle,

My suggestion is to forgo the "fun" of crowdsourcing your Kitchen design before consulting with a local design professional. You'll risk getting so invested in whatever design you come up with that you'll be less open to the designer's ideas--and may pass over a better design. Begin the design process when the designer walks in the door.

In preparation for your initial meeting with the designer I suggest you spend your time thinking about how and how often you cook; whether the design needs to accommodate one cook or multiple cooks working in the Kitchen at the same time; your preferences for appliances (gas vs. electric vs. induction; water in the door of fridge or not, range vs. cooktop, etcr;) what your storage needs are, preferred location of the dishwasher relative to the sink, single sink or multiple sinks, list ancillary appliances like blenders, mixers, Cuisinarts, etc. and where you prefer to eat everyday meals (island, peninsula, table, banquette, etc.) or whether one eating area for all occasions (consolidating the Kitchen eating area and Dining Room) works for you.

The IKEA planner or SketchUp can be helpful for playing with ideas, but start with accurate measurements. Include every wall, window, doorway, ceiling height, appliance and anything that cannot move.

The software is only as accurate as the information you put into it, so I wouldn’t order cabinets from a rough DIY plan.

We used a 3D model for this Mar Vista kitchen to check the layout, island size, cabinets, appliances and lighting before construction:

https://overlandremodeling.com/interior-design-gallery/mar-vista-kitchen-design