Another idea with only slight tweaks to your plan: I reduced the laundry room by 1'-3" but if you go with stackable W/D, it's still a room, not a closet. Front load machines usually run 28" wide - even full capacity units - which leaves room for a 26" wide cabinet and counter between the W/D stack and the doorway. I changed the swing door to a pocket door. Light switch would go on the wall shared with the kitchen behind the fridge. This allowed me to expand the pantry, giving you a wider aisle between cooktop wall and fridge space. I switched the pocket door, too, so that you won't have issues with outlets on the fridge wall. Pantry light switch can go on the wall between laundry room and pantry. Yes, the oven/MW column is now in a pathway but if you are like most families and only use your oven 3xs a week, this may pose fewer hassles than your original 2'-2" wide aisle to the pantry, which will be used many, many, many more times than that a day. Moving the oven/MW column reduces the chance of door dings, as noted by athensmomof3. The 18" wide cab next to the fridge (oops, forgot to mark that) can serve as a landing spot for pantry, fridge and oven. It also helps make that area a bit more open in feel. I added a prep sink to the island and switched the DW to the other side of the sink as others suggested I'm not sure why your architect marked the cook top side of the island as being 2'-6". It should be 2'-2" (actually 2'-1.5" but I didn't want to mess with fractions on the plan): 24" deep cabs with 1.5" counter overhang. Is he or she suggested 27" deep cabs? But that implies a 3" overhang there. Very confusing. Anyhoo, I changed that and also enlarged the counter overhang from 12" to 15" (reduced the aisle between island and FR at same time).

Wow - such great input - thank you all! You're making me think of things in ways I hadn't, which makes me panic this close to start date, but I know is a good thing in the long run. I'm 47 (DH is 56) and we hope to age-in-place as long as we can :) We have considered an elevator and given the layout (and the expense) dismissed the idea; we are making sure the plans can accommodate adding a stair-lift down the road instead. We're very resistant to changing windows - unless it's adding more of them ;) Our home is built up into a ridge on the edge between woods and prairie and the land is abounding with wildlife. The views are a big part of why we chose this house. I wanted to add a big triangular window above the appliance wall, but structurally we cannot :( I have loved appliance walls for many years so that was a feature I really wanted in this kitchen. I'm thinking maybe either the pull out, (or my baking cart-love this idea!) pulling out of the north end of the island would make a good landing spot when I am working out in the kitchen if as I age find it difficult to pivot. Yes, it would block the walkway if I pull it all the way out, but is an option. The island is all one level. We purposely went with a large island with a table-like end to get away from a dining table. We've talked about moving the island a little further towards the living room to allow space for a very narrow table to be pulled in front of the bench seating for little ones that are too big for high chairs but too small to get up & down from the island themselves. Thoughts on this? I HAVE struggled with putting a big vent hanging down from the ceiling over the rangetop - but I know it must have a vent. The point that really hit home (thank you mama goose!) was asking where I wanted to face while prepping; the answer is my family & friends! My architect will hate me. So - if we move the rangetop to the only wall space outside of the appliance wall I loose my one and only upper cupboard :( It would force me to totally embrace the euro-kitchens I've drooled over - lol! While I like the idea of the dishwasher being out of the prep area so others can help but stay out of the way ... I'd like to keep the dishes stored near the eating area at the end of the island. Does the dishwasher work if placed in the wall opposite the sink? Left of the window seat is a bar area with a wine fridge, a beverage fridge, a Grohe Blue tap and barware storage. The drawers under the window seat will be for overflow beverage storage: The style I'm going for is modern with a mid-century undertone (hence the shape of the shelves over the bar.) Cabinets will be walnut. Counters will be thick, honed marble. Yes, I know, this choice is VERY controversial! We've lived with honed marble in our current bar area for over a year now and abused the dickens out of it on purpose - and still love it.

Mama Goose, Thank you very much for your input. I agree with you about the seating on the island. It has always been difficult. We were thinking of re-working the island making it deeper and converting it to a square shape instead of a L shape.. Seating opposite side of L is a walkway. By altering the island we would likely need to remove the beam/sliver of a wall :) in front of dinette The hood does seem dated to us and we had similar thoughts.. Salex...thanks for the link.. the Ice-Water-Stone-Fire is something I had never heard of it before and makes sense to me

Declutter. CAREFULLY pressure wash the house from the roof to the foundation. I would keep the fretwork ornamentation and the shutters. The swing, accent table and ferns can stay. Once you wash everything, you might not need to do anything more. The home is very charming. Love the soft colors and the brick porch. Add geraniums to the planters.