I have mixed feelings about the switch but I think I can get over it if I change my habits a little. Currently, I do all prepping on the peninsula and pass dirty dishes to my right and then eventually in the sink. IÂd have to start walking them over now. Our table is on the other side of the peninsula so we clear it by either walking around or in a two step process of setting them on the counter, walking around and then putting them in the sink. I'm sure having the sink over there will keep things from congregating in the corner but right now it seems foreign. The biggest pro is that weÂll be doing the kitchen ourselves (in two phases), starting with the fridge wall. If we tackle the sink and DW first, IÂll never be without them and have the old sink as my prep sink for a while to see how much use weÂd get out of it. The con for me is not having a window above the sink and being flanked by a wall and the fridge. I have "confinement" issues so IÂm not sure how that would make me feel. LOL The other negative is that dishes and glasses would not fit on one side of the DW so IÂd have to split them but thatÂs been a HUGE issue in my current kitchen so I may be over thinking it a bit. IÂm pretty set on Silgranit but if I change my mind and go for stainless sinks, IÂll definitely get Ticor. You canÂt beat that price for the quality.

Hi Mom23: I am not a fan of sinks in islands. That said, with the current set-up you have, with cabinetry along the side of the island nearest your main sink, and seating on the side facing the refrigerator, where would you put a prep sink that would have cabinetry underneath, and not interfere with seating--other than directly across from the main sink? If you reconfigured where on the island the cabinetry would be, you would lose seating area. A few other observations: The walkway space between your range/cooktop and the island seems tight. The overhang of countertop on the seating side of the island (on the refrigerator wall) seems too large without any support on the one corner. If you are using stone, maybe rodding it would solve that. I am not a stone expert, but I think anything more that about 12" needs to be supported in some way. You have the post on one side but what about the other corner? this would be something to check out with your fabricator or contractor. I would consider rotating your island 90 degrees, so the length of it is oriented the other direction. With a 6'6" island, and 15'8" to the counter along the refrigerator wall, you would still have 3'7" walkways between the main sink counter and the island, and the island and the refrigerator-wall counter. That is not generous, but not bad. You would then be able to have a more generous walkway along the long side of the island--between island and range, (which you want if you have 2 cooks in the household). You would also have more space between the dining area and island seating. You could keep the cabinetry under the same section of the island as in your drawing--except now, it would be in the corner of the island closest to the refrigerator, which is where you want the a prep sink if you have one. It is also not going to interfere with seating there. rotating the island gives you many benefits--and if you will not have seating on the short ends anyway, is a viable option. Another alternative to consider is doing a more "triangular-shaped" island with a straight side along the "sink wall" and the "Range wall," with the third side having a curve to get more seating. The island seating would then not interfere with the dining area, and with the curve, you would get more seating. You would be limited by allowing for the pantry door swing--and that would dictate how big the curved side could be, and how much seating. Just some thoughts..

thank you!!! i love pplog's idea... we lived on a boat for two years and the i cooked some of the most amazing meals in my life in that compact galley.... I have seen the fold-down faucets on some new Euro boats (I have been a judge for Cruising World magazine's Boat of the Year contest for the last 3 years) but I think they are quite pricey :( runyfig- ikea has some neat solutions, too. I think we'll live with the coffee/desk zone a few more days and get a feel for how splashy a sink would be there. it's actually a fair amount of space -the desk is 43" from sink edge to wall... if I need to move the laptop I guess that is easier than finding new homes for the coffeemaker and MW! buehl- much as I respect your opinion I have to say that the island/prep zone layout is working extremely well for us! The aisles are plenty wide, I have a lot of room between the range and sink but I have been using the island more because I am trying to baby my marble. The trash pullout is on the island just opposite the sink-right under my prep zone- so it is great for sweeping debris into (though I also have a door-mounted compost bin under the sink that I LOVE!). There has never yet been a time that as island prep sink would have been useful. Again- the title of my post was wrong... this sink we're debating is really a bar sink or second sink, not a prep sink. Sorry about that! caroleh- The base cab is 18" so the countertop is about 21" deep. I can fit a small sink the hotdog way or a medium one the hamburger way :)

How about something like this? Layout #1 But...it would require moving the gas line and the water lines. Are you on a slab or do you have a basement or crawl space? It's not moved by much, I wonder if it could moved from above the floor? I'm not an expert on gas lines - I recommend getting two or three estimates for moving the gas line as well as moving the water on the sink wall and adding the prep sink. If you have a basement or crawl space, you may be pleasantly surprised about the cost... If you do get estimates, get multiple estimates and what is included in the estimates including the approach they take for moving/adding...some plumbers charge more than others b/c they're either lazy and take the obvious and often more expensive option or they lack imagination/analysis skills (or they don't want to do it, so they give you a ridiculous cost so you'll say "no"). This layout gives you much more useful counterspace - and where it's needed most! I showed two possible locations for a MW - the more expensive option is the MW drawer and it does take up a 24" cabinet. BTW...I think your aisle b/w the peninsula and sink run will be more like 45" to 46", not 48"...still a respectable aisle width. Here's another option, but I prefer Layout #1 above b/c in that layout, the refrigerator is more accessible to both the kitchen and the DR and the DW is not in the aisle b/w the peninsula & sink wall.... Layout #2