it's hard to tell from the pics but the blue really isn't that dark

Putting your refrigerator against an outside wall with the entry door opening against it will not only bang up your refrigerator but could also make it difficult for you to open your refrigerator doors entirely in order to remove the shelves and/or veggie drawers for a thorough cleaning if your refrigerator hinge were to be on the left. What is outside that exterior door -- any chance it is a porch or deck and you could change the hinged door for a sliding glass one? If you know you will have a double door refrigerator, and since you could clean shelves without removing them, the remaining concern would be if you were planning to put a wall on the right side of the refrigerator. Wouldn't; just leave the side of the refrigerator show between the countertop and overhead cabinet and set your refrigerator far enough out so the cabinets don't interfere with opening the refrigerator door all the way. Consider moving your wall ovens to the right: have the wall to the right of your wall ovens be even with the opening to the right of it so that you can put a wider countertop between the cooking surface and the ovens. You need space to set a large heavy pot on both sides of any cooktop. Is the dining area within this kitchen your only dining area? If not, you might well consider other alternatives in lieu of both an island and a table -- you could create one very long island ... ... but only put base cabinets in the one end of it nearest the sink; ... or put base cabinets only on each end and put your beverage fridge on one end and other storage in the other end; ... or you could put your base cabinets and beverage fridge only in the middle with a "pedestal" table in the "dining" end of the kitchen and, perhaps, a "desk" end or a pedestal for seating for two nearer to the sink. http://xlian.me/the-most-attractive-bar-height-kitchen-table-island-home-decor/kitchen-island-ideas-breakfast-bar-kitchen-island-spectacular-in-bar-height-kitchen-table-island-prepare/ You can keep the island countertop a rectangle the same width for its entire length and/or have it widen beyond the double ovens and still have room for your six chairs. In a smaller kitchen, if at all possible, round the four corners of any rectangular island.

Thanks. We do spend a lot of time in the family room. That was my first thought actually of opening that wall. The initial problem with that wall between the family room and the kitchen is that it is a load bearing wall. The living room we use as more of a formal sitting room if we have friends over. My wife also has her desk there. My wife has also thought about making the living room the dining room. Personally I think that is a waste of space but am open to being convinced otherwise. My wife and I would like to have more of an open floor plan. Thus thinking of combining the kitchen and dining room into one room. We eat 99% of our meals at the dining room table, so the table would have to fit into the larger kitchen design concept. I would like to incorporate kitchen and eating together. To me the difficult part is all the doors in the kitchen... the sliding doors to outside, the family room door, hall door and basement door.

This is a blank slate of the floor plan. The kitchen is over an unfinished basement and we have significant freedom to move water and gas lines. There is a ceiling obstruction that extends from the alcove on the exterior (left wall) across the room to the right (wall abutting the dining room). Two beams extend from the alcove across, and there is a dropped area of ceiling that is only 81” high in the area directly across from the alcove (it’s 47 inches wide). I have a young family with 3 kids between the ages of 5 and 9. We have lived here 10 years and intend for this to be our forever home. We like to gather in the kitchen and do a fair amount of informal entertaining. My current kitchen is chopped to hell and is not functional. I want more functional counter space and better function on the whole. I prize making functional use of all space. I do most of the cooking, and my husband is kitchen helper and is often doing clean up and dishes while I cook. Thanks for the tips regarding what info I need to provide. If more is needed please let me know. And thank you!!