Whole Floorplan.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1399569}}

Inspiration Kitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: Clarkson Plan

Just a question.....what is the rectangle between the island sink and range?

I will repeat the concerns I expressed on the home building forum for others here...

-It looks like there may be a main traffic pattern right past the stove...in from the garage and out to laundry, etc. from bedrooms.

-The island blocks the work flow from stove to main sink and back...A prep sink in the plain, rectangular island could help

-Fridge is a long way from the pantry and dining room. Have to go 2 directions to gather supplies, and anyone setting the table goes through the kitchen, back and forth, likely during the 'dinner rush'...But it is convenient to the breakfast bar area.

-The area closest to the dw for dish storage is the living room side of the fridge...Which is OK if it's not already planned for other things.

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I don't know if this is better. Generally speaking, it's better to be edge on to your family and guests than to be turned away from them. People who clock this stuff say you spend more time getting ready to cook and cooking than doing clean up.

The problem from your inspiration kitchen is that you don't have the room in that orientation for that size island. You could sorta re-create your inspiration kitchen in the orientation I've drawn the island - with the range on the ref wall and clean up in the center.

It's also possible to move the cleanup to the ref wall and the ovens and ref to the cleanup wall - but it doesn't seem very effective. I dunno.

I agree with rhome (again) that the ref location doesn't lend itself to common access. The ref needs to "surface" or perhaps do drawers or a beverage station also.

I'm out of time, but perhaps someone will try one large island in the original orientation.

The original inspiration had one large island. I liked that much better than the archipelago in your layout. Also, you might want to consider separating your ovens and refrigerator since you're planning a SXS, you probably want some landing space on either side of the fridge.

saskatchewan_girl: That's an island.

rhome410: Those cabs are for dish storage. A prep sink would make that space more usable, I think that's a good idea. There will be good amount of traffic flow that way. I'm not sure what the solution is...a traffic light? :) It's sort of how we ended up with that front hallway, the fact that there was only one way into and out of that area...through the kitchen.

bmorepanic: Those are some good ideas. There is lots of space to work with, but island/appliance work area placement is killing us. It's almost too big of an area, if there is such a thing. I'm up for any suggestions!

sarschlos_remodeler: Thatis a very good point on landing space. Thank you. I kinda prefer 1 island, but DW saw this pic, and now I'm stuck with figuring out 2 islands...

Please keep the ideas coming!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1585423}}

With the room you have, could you move the stove wall ahead and put a 'back hall' behind? I have to say I haven't thought that through all the way...More of a brain storm/ just throwing it out there thing. I'm not usually in favor of adding hallway, but it'd be a way to get the traffic out of the kitchen. Maybe you could make use of that back hall somehow...Include a whole wall of shallow cabinets or something.

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bmorepanic, thanks for taking the time to do that. We're given that layout some serious thought. I do think it creates a much more functional space. What is the "p" next to the RF?

Obwannab, pretty house! On looking at your whole plan, though, it's obvious that as laid out your family would always be galloping the short route through your main work space, undesirable no matter where you position the appliances. And children don't just love to run, they love to run in circles.

So my suggestion for a genuine permanent solution to this problem is that you open up an alternate route connecting the left and right sides of the house in the pantry/stair area. For instance, the lowest stair platform could extend from hall to hall (and you really do have lots of room to develop food storage from).

(Getting a little farther out ideawise, depending on what sort of view could be developed into the stair area, perhaps even making that back kitchen wall an open counter flanked by columns or some such thing might be an option. Or perhaps not. But what made me think of it is that the lower stairs/bottom platform would make a great secondary place for the kids to keep an eye on things while playing (something else they pretty much inside on doing), especially if that area included a little nook, i.e., wide spot in the road, or cushy bench.)

Small pantry.

I like the reorientation bmorepanic has drawn. That snack/coffee bar divider helps with the 2-island issue. I would not put a pantry right next to a SXS fridge, though. Personally, I don't like undercounter MW, so I would probably put it next to the fridge where the pantry is.

How big are the dish drawers in the island? I am having a hard time determining dimensions of your island? I realize you're trying to provide visual balance, but in my cleanup zone, I think it's important to have the trash on one side of the sink and the DW on the other. That way, someone can clear the table and scrape the plates, while someone else rinses and loads the DW. Maybe you could put the dish drawers on the side of the fridge that is closest to the sink, and put a smaller drawer bank and the DW on that side of the island, then put the trash and another smaller drawer bank on the other side? I know everyone here seems to like giant drawers around here, but I really love my 18" 4-drawer stack and my 18" 3-drawer stack. One on either side of the sink would be perfect for storing clean towels/cloths, cutlery, foil, baggies, kids' dishes, baking utensils, knife block, tupperware and lids, etc. I love having my tupperware and lids in drawers, BTW. I never have lost lids and small bowls anymore.

I noticed that behind the wall with the fridge you already have a large pantry......could the entry to your pantry be along the wall in the kitchen? This would make you have to move the fridge closer to one end though.
Would you be interested in an "L" shape kitchen that seperates the kitchen and the LR? That would give you alot more counter space and you could still keep the island, just a bit smaller incorporated into the hutch in the DR.
Or you could do a "U" shape using a peninsula facing the DR for seating and prep.
Just some thoughts : )
One thing that really caught my eye was the 2 doors from the single garage to the double..........if you have 2 hinged doors wouldn't that cramp the area when openned? I think using a barn style roller/slider (still 2 door) would leave plenty of space for walking, the car or moving items to garage 1 to 2. HtH

Here is kinda what I was trying to say....
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