I think the rectangular table will look and function better. It can be pushed right up to the peninsula to look *built in* and there's so much more room to spread out art, crafts, homework etc than at a round table. I also like that the DW is right next to the sink in this layout. Good luck with your cabinet and GC search. Your kitchen looks like it will be really nice.

Thanks for the vote of confidence cheri....the rectangular is my favorite too. Anyone else have an opinion????

I tend to prefer round shapes over square but in this instance prefer number one. IN either plan I would consider flipping the ovens and frig. You'd have an open oven door protruding into a major pathway into the kitchen.

remodelfla- Thanks for the input! The main entrance way is in through the frige side. I currently have the fridge where it is just a mere 32" from the adjacent pennisula. Like when the top freezer fridge is open, you can't get into the kitchen.

Also, inorder to keep a standard depth Fridge (as shown in both layouts), I can't have it where the ovens are.

I'm pretty sure I can live with the oven in the doorway issue. I don't tend to have the oven open for long periods of time, but I do have kids who like to stand in front of the fridge for a long time.

Is this a 'forever home?' I'm thinking that counter will look a little odd if you take the table and have the place up for sale sometime? I'm wanting to make sure it all looks good design, table or no.

So have you considered a window seat?

rhome- I did consider the banquet, unfortunately, I would have to raise the bay windows and I would loose my trash pullout (one of my main reasons for the kitchen remodel). We do plan on having this house forever, so the remodel is really for us and not for resale per se.

I'd go for the rectagular table without any doubt. Much easier for kids to do artwork etc.

I prefer the rectangular table (#1) as well. It does not sound like this table has been purchased? If not, have you considered extending the countertop material to this table, having it dropped down to the height you want for your kids? I have seen islands like this with a table attached and looked pretty nice. (It kind of looks like you did this in your #1 plan above).

farmhouse - I do not have the table yet. I may consider extending the counter material down and get a table made out of the counter material (still undecided on the type of counter...maybe soapstone, maybe quartz). I would probably also consider rounding off the corners, so that they didn't hurt as much if you bumped into them.

My only concern is what kind of supports the table would need and if that would take up too much leg room. It is likely that 4 people will sit at the table a few time a week to grab lunch, especially on the weekends.

Rhome- what do you think, would it look more like it belonged if I did it out of the countertop material?

could you put the trash pullout somewhere to the left of the sink? Or move the sink in front of the horizontal window and put the trash to the left of it there? I don't really like that little "triangle" that has the trash in it. Not sure that it would be very convenient and it makes using that bay window area difficult.

A seperate table would be a much more flexible arrangement. That way you could pull it out to seat an extra person if your kids have friends over, or turn it around to serve a buffet.

I could move the sink or trash or dishwasher to the other side of the current sink position, but then I loose some significant storage space over on that bottom run of cabinets. The easiest would be of course to put the trash there, then I would have the trash next to the prep space (between the sink and range top...I'll play with that some more and post to see what you think.

I don't think having the countertop material on the table would help with my concern. I liked that the table was separate. I'm afraid, like Mahlgold said, that that little section for the trash will make it all a bit odd/awkward looking...Like you tried too hard to make something work that didn't really. I am a 'form follows function' person, so understand what you're going for, but I'm also a design integrity person, and think they should work together.

Sorry...When I read my comments they sound more bluntly negative than I'd like to be.

I actually don't like the point I created at all. The trash pullout in the round table plan says 18", but looks deeper. Could you consider something like this?

A note about the trash pullout. I use mine while prepping and to scrape dishes during cleanup. Your location outside of the work area wouldn't work well for me. Maybe you'll do things differently, but for me it would mean putting things in something else, then moving them to the trash.

I agree that it looks as if you are forcing a design. Don't worry, I've been stuck in that mode with my design for about 2 years!

Anyway, if you keep the counter perpendicular to the hutch, it still looks like there will enough storage. I put the dishwasher next to the sink and the trash by the table, but if it works better for you, I think there is room to switch them.

Also, have you already purchased the hutch? I put in a 12" deep hutch, made that walkway 42" instead of 45" and then lengthen the peninsula by 6 inches.

I really love a banquette, especially in a bay window. If this is your forever home, it might be worth the expense to raise the windows. If I recall, this was one thing Beuhl struggled with, but they decided to do it with no regrets.

Rhome- I can't tell exactly what's going on there..is there an 18" trash pullout at the end of the banquet?

I'm going to try to work on a banquet version again, as I remember when playing around with it, that I couldn't fit a standard table with the banquet. It would help open up the space a ton.

I'm posting another try, what do you think of this:

By the way, the husband doesn't like the trash actually in the kitchen.

houseful - In that plan I loose some of the "getting kids out of my area when trying to cook...also loose the corner storage. How do you like the above layout?

I tried to leave the trash pullout where you had it in the round table plan. Could be counter height, or step down and be a bit shorter, since they don't usually take the full height of a base cabinet.

Dh doesn't like the kitchen trash in the kitchen? Do you share cooking/meal tasks? I'm not trying to be sarcastic or anything, just trying to clarify. As I outlined above, I don't know how having it out of the work area will be helpful.

Here's a banquet...what do you think?

Rhome-

He cleans up, sets table (with kids), I do the cooking, because I like too.

In the banquet plan, I left space for a free standing can between the hutch and fridge. Now, I could put my recycle in a few locations:
1. In it's own 15 cabinet (where the 18" is now)
2. Under the banquet
3. Under the sink

I'm leaning toward the 15" cab because then I could switch recycle/trash between it and the can.

Right now I prep into a grocery bag on the counter, then after dinner take it to the can right outside the back door. Sort of like Rachel Ray's Bowl. The problem with this is that we are moving that door, so this will not be convenient in the future.

I think banquette or no banquette is up to you, now that you've eliminated the cabinet that connects to that area, and the kitchen plan is the same either way. I only added it for some flow with that trash cabinet you had. Personally, I think a banquette would be less flexible for seating and getting around, although the banquette can possibly provide some storage.

Sounds like DH wants the trash to be convenient for clearing the table -- which is good, but you also need it near your prep area. make sure it works for everyone.

I don't like the awkward arrangement you started with. I think you are working in the right direction.

Also, while I'm not generally one to get hung up on symmetry, the off-center window in the kitchen bay would bother me. I can tell you are doing it to get a larger cabinet to the left, but that would always bother me. All your other windows are centered.

I didn't even get that far after being hung up on what was going on in the center, but I agree with Lascatx.

The window is that way today and it doesn't bother me, my counter runs into both that window and the one over the sink. The sink is not centered on the window either and I didn't notice it until started looking at it with the remodel. I've decided that doesn't bother me either.

When you walk into the kitchen from the familyroom entry, the only thing you see is the upper corner cabinet and the hoodwall. I've made sure the hood and 2 12" pullouts are symetrical.

I'd like to see what it would look like with the banquette built in just along the straight back window. It's just under 4'?... should be enough to fit 2 rears. Then I think you'd have more flexibility with other seating arrangements. I defer to rhome on everything else...

Here's my attempt at a "straight" banquette...of course my software won't let me fill in the little triangles with cabinets...

We're playing with trying to mock this up, any idea how high the back of the banquette seat should be?

I think if you hold down the Ctrl key, you should be able to stretch the bench beyond the bay walls, so at least you can see the effect better in your 3D renderings.

The height of the backs are personal preference. I imagine you'd want to keep them sort of low to keep the windows as large as possible? Maybe seats at 18 or 20" and the backs about 12-16"? I'd look for photos of styles you like. You could do no back, also.

Mstargardener1's banquette via the Finished Kitchens Blog:
http://s43.photobucket.com/albums/e359/a1v2a3/?action=view&current=P1011204.jpg

orchidluvr's:
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/1434381027059501329KrzcaC

Thanks Rhome that worked.
I love orchidluvr's, definitely the look I'm going for.

I definitely like that I would be able to seat at least 5 people here if I had too...maybe even six...so now I guess I need to look at some banquette pictures.

Thanks for everyone's help...of course I came almost full circle on my design from my original thoughts. It only took 15 different layouts...LOL.

Now to continue to interview GCs and cabinet makers....