Bigger sink. That's a total no brainer for me -- a 24" sink base is really small if you're talking about the main sink in a kitchen. If there's some reason that a sink can't live beside a hinged door then I'd look for a different layout.

A spice pullout is a frivolity IMO. Don't get me wrong, it would be great to have a spice pullout if you have the room for it. But a larger and functional sink would take priority in my book.

I'd also go with a larger sink. We have a pretty small kitchen with one sink. Our sink base is going to be 30". I love the idea of a spice pullout, but I know someone who just got one and not all spice jars fit in it. She doesn't re-jar any spices, but I guess if you did that you could get them all to fit.

For me, no contest: bigger sink in wider sink base!

I had your 21x16x5 sink in my pre-reno kitchen, in a 24 inch sink base. Actually, 21 inches was the exterior dimension; the interior width was more like 18 inches. I now have a 36 inch sink base with a 27 x18x 9 sink (all interior, usable dimensions), and it's one of my favorite things about the new kitchen. The only reason I didn't go even wider is because I didn't want to sacrifice more counter space.

YMMV, but I don't "get" spice pullouts for storage of often-used items. I don't want to have to constantly bend to get to my spices, oils, vinegars, etc., which I reach for multiple times while cooking. My spices live in a drawer with a slanted insert in my prep area and my vinegars & oils live in the bottom shelf of an upper in my prep area. If you have to have one, though, your idea of storing towels and sponges in it makes more sense.

One thing to watch out for is that there are not a great number of sinks that fit in a 30" (that wouldn't fit in a 24"). There is kind of a "gap" in sink sizes between really small sinks and ones meant for 33 or 36" bases. (The number is not zero, but it is small.)

Most large D-Sinks are 23" +/- wide. Technically, it should be able to fit in the 24" sink base. A larger sink base won't really benefit you except for larger storage capacity underneath (and odds are you won't be taking advantage of that extra under sink space by filling it up with spices).

Angie_DIY also makes a good point that finding a larger sink (you'll need to go double bowl) that will fit in the 30" cabinet will not be easy. It will likely also be expensive as it's an odd size that's not mass produced. Plus, you will end up with 2 small sink compartments that while deeper than what you currently have, may not be of much use.

For these reasons, I would go with the the D-Sink in the 24" base & the spice rack.

Bigger sink, hands down. There is no "too big" for a kitchen sink.

The extra 6" on the sink base should give you room for the towels, sponges and soap.

I've never heard anyone say "My kitchen sink is too big!".

Thank you -thank you for all the varied and great advice. It all makes so much sense but most of all it feels great to feel the concern and caring from everyone.

Doing a kitchen entirely on your own is exhilarating but also scary. Because of GW I really feel like I have 'friends' working on this project with me.

I think I'll stick to the 24" base, not keep 2nd guessing myself, and now it's time to focus on the faucet. It will be very prominent because the sink is in the peninsula that separates the kitchen work area from the breakfast room. There was a raised breakfast bar and after reading through GW and looking at photos I removed the bb. WOW has it opened up the space. With the counter around the sink wider by 12" it almost gives the feel of an island!

I'll post photos as soon as I figure out how to do that.

How to post photos:

Setup:
1) Go to photobucket.com and open a free account.
2) Follow their instructions for uploading your pics to their site.

Now your pics are ready for posting on sites like GW!

Posting pics in a GW message:
1) Begin the written portion of your posting on GW.
2) When you are ready to add your pics, simply open a new browser window and log into your photobucket account.
3) Go to 'My Album' & copy the 'HTML Code' underneath the photo you wish to add to your GW post.
4) Toggle back to the browser window with your GW posting, place the cursor where you want the pic to appear, right click and select 'paste'.

Your pics will appear in the preview so you can ensure they appear properly before the final submission.

Hope this helps!

A 24" cabinet is only 22.5" in interior width. Undermount sinks also require space inside the cabinet for mounting. Go to AJ Madison's web site (or others, I'm sure, I just find theirs very easy to navigate) and pick out some sinks you might want, then look at the specifications; the 23- 24" sinks will require a minimum 27" cabinet. You will have to go smaller to fit inside a 24" cabinet.

sink that needs a 27 base cabinet

I had a 24" sink cabinet in my last kitchen, with a 20" D-shaped sink. It was fine. It was adequate. Going bigger would have required giving up my dishwasher, which, well, not a chance. If I could have had a bigger sink or a spice pullout, I'd have chosen the bigger sink, no hesitation.

You can find sinks sized well for a 30" cabinet. Here's one. Though your options may be more limited.

I wouldn't rush into this decision. I think it would be smart to post the proposed layout here for people to look at it. Usually lower spice pullouts are placed next to the range/cooking area because that's where you're standing when you need to use them. So it's not a reach to get them. I question why she's placing the pullout between your sink cabinet and the SS which isn't a cooking zone.

I'll also state that while a 21" deep sink can be functional, many bathroom sinks are this width. I'm wondering if the wise people here can help you get more out of your space by shifting some things around a bit. If you're redoing your kitchen, coming from a 21" sink, wouldn't it be nice to have more sink room while your at it?

Due to the snow I probably may not get to the appliance store today - which may be a good thing since everyone has given me so much to think about.

Here's are the current plans - I thought I had finalized them but now I'm not so sure.

I'm second guessing the Super Susan too. Should I put a bank of 30" drawers on the right (instead of the 15") to balance out the look? The designer said I'd get a lot more storage space out of the Super Susan. It would be easier to access that rather than drawers that open on a 90' angle to the sink. Currently I have an old metal lazy Susan - there's a pole thru the center and the trays rotate with the door. I push it open and use it all the time but I'm not so sure about the hinged SS.

The bank of drawers next to the refrig have been changed to 36" wide. The counter will come out 30" to make the refrig look more built-in but the actual drawers are only 24".

The cabinets on the refrig wall go to the ceiling - on the stove wall - soffit needs to stay - and the header above the stove area remains.

What if you did a blind corner pullout instead of the 15" cabinet & super susan to the right of the range? (See link below) You could have the cabinet people make the cabinet front into a faux set of drawers to visually match the drawers on the left side of the range to get your symmetry. The door would be hinged on the right and open toward the sink wall. My Mom did this in almost the exact same scenario at the corner (- the faux drawer front) & it works great. Then you could also have a bigger spice pullout next to the sink. We have a large spice pullout (15" wide & 3 tiers) & it holds our salt, pepper, cooking oil, non-stick spray, flavorings, spices, sprinkles, etc. I don't think they called it a spice pullout though--maybe an undercounter pullout pantry? Ours does have a faux front with a drawer over cabinet look to make it symmetrical with the other side of the range.

I would see about changing the exterior of the spice pullout to look like a cabinet vs. a column as there is no matching column on the other side of the sink which makes it look awkward & out of place to me.

Unless you're going with a large D-shaped sink, I would be tempted to eliminate the cabinet on the end of the sink run, slide the DW down to the end & enlarge the sink to a 36" base that would allow for a very nice size double sink.

Overall, I really like your plan. Hope this helps!

Here is a link that might be useful: Blind Corner Pullout

Put the 15" trash pull out cabinet next to the 36" corner cabinet, then a 30" sink base with a large single sink, and then the DW, and then a 3/4" panel. You want as much room as possible between sink and stove as that is where all of your prep takes place.

I agree with live-wire for the sink area.
I'd see about making your drawer banks by the stove a 30" & 18". 15" wide is just too narrow, IMHO.
Is that an appliance garage in the corner? I think it breaks up your work area. I'd skip that if it were my kitchen. I'd rather put the small appliances by the refrigerator. If you have a side by side, you won't be using that as much for a landing area and with being extra deep, you have room.

Like Dianalo, I agree with LWO. 24" sink base is tiny. I suggest you do some research on faucetdirect dot com to see how big/small a sink is that fits into a 24" cab. (I like faucetdirect because their intuitive sorting function lets you select products by size, material, depth, etc.). And also like Dianalo, I wouldn't do the appliance garage there as it cuts up your prep space between the range and the sink.

Great idea to pull your cab next to the fridge for extra counter space and fridge hiding!

I am interior designer who is also an avid home cook. Please do not put your spices near the stove. Practical yes. Good for the spices no. I would make the top drawer near your refrigerator a spice drawer - there are inserts you can have your cabinet people install or buy them yourself at rev-a-shelf.com or hafele hardware.
A bigger sink is a necessity if you cook. Take your largest pots and a lasagna type pan when you go sink shopping and put them in the sink. Can you comfortably wash them? Unfortunately many designers go for "look, not cook". You need to be be practical about everything you are doing. Chances are that you are not going to be doing this again so your choices are important. Take your time.