I think it looks great! Is there a window somewhere? Are you planning on putting stools up next to the peninsula (like in your current kitchen)? What cabinet setup are you planning (drawers, doors, etc)?

I'd love to be able to take out part of a wall and put stools up like that.

Seems pretty good. One option would be to get rid of the peninsula and the corner storage issues there, but it would make the kitchen feel very open to the table area, so if you're like me, you probably appreciate the separation. Make sure you have plenty of room in front of the fridge for opening the door and standing there without backing yourself into the cabinets behind you.

I think I would cut the peninsula. It seems more inconvenient that protective to me. I'd rather have the longer straight piece of counter. I might make that stretch a few inches deeper than normal.

Would there be wasted space without the peninsula? I like the one I have now, but I agree, it seems awkward in the mirrored version.

No barstools on the peninsula in this version since they would be around front.

About all you'll lose with the peninsula is the corner (storage and counter, which both tend to be awkward to use fully) and the spacer between the dw and corner...Basically, you'll take the cabinet that makes the peninsula and pivot it, putting it next to the dw, eliminating the corner cabinet. Maybe map out your storage to see if you'll use or need that corner. Seems like it would be accessible only from the table side anyway?

That was supposed to say, "About all you'll lose by NOT HAVING the peninsula is the corner..."

Another consideration --if you keep the penninsula: the dishwasher is pretty close to a cabinet because of the angle. I'm a sloppy dishwasher, but inevitably I need to clean up the adjacent cupboard because I've splashed water (or worse--coffee,tea or whatever drink was in the mug) on the cabinet door. It makes me crazy and is something I've promised myself I will avoid at all costs in our remodel. But maybe you are neater than me....

I don't remember if this was an option, but if you moved the DR door to the right and then had the "U" on the range wall, it would (1) provide a protected area for the cooking zone (where it's usually needed most), (2) the peninsula is back where it was, only w/o seating this time to get in the way of the Laundry Room doorway or the table area, (3) you don't have to walk around a peninsula to go b/w the FR & Kitchen, and (4) DW isn't blocking access from the FR/table area to the Kitchen.

(Does the Laundry Room only go to the Laundry Room, or does it also go to a garage/family entrance? If the latter, then you need to weigh when you'd rather have to go around a peninsula, when coming in the door or going from the FR to the kitchen...I would pick the door b/c I'd be using the FR/Kitchen traffic pattern more often...plus the peninsula would direct non-kitchen traffic away from the kitchen.)

Personally, I like the idea of the added storage & counter space...even corner storage is useful. If you don't like a super/lazy susan, you could turn the corner cabinet 90o so it opens toward the table area...you could store table linens, and other items specific to that area in that cabinet.

Did we discuss this previously? It seems vaguely familiar!

The only 2 possible issues I see are...

The refrigerator...where to put it? Leave it where it is? (That would require the opening b/w the FR & Kitchen to be slightly smaller, but not much.)

And...dish storage. But perhaps the cabinets on the other side of the Sink + peninsula would work. (Dish storage isn't that convenient in the posted one either, though...except in the peninsula.)

Here's an example...

Thanks for the comments everyone. I have been torturing myself to find the best layout. I like what I have now, except we want to open it to the FR and move the refrigerator if possible because it's hard to open the freezer against the wall.

Buehl- Yes the laundry area also has the door to the garage and that is where we come in all the time. I like how you flipped the U- but DH really doesn't want to move the pocket door because of the work we'd have to put in on the other side. But he's ok with moving the water and busting up the floor! Ha!
And yes, I've posted this before, and you have helped!

Do you all like this better?

{{!gwi}}

It seems REALLY open to me. Do you think I'd be better off keeping the origianl layout????

Anyone?

It is more open, but I feel like you have a lot of wasted floor space w/o the other leg of the "U".

With the "U", I like the expanse of uninterrupted counter space on the peninsula. You don't have that on the sink run b/c of the sink. At least you'd have it one place. And you can still turn the corner cabinet around to face the table area. You'll also have more room for dish storage near the DW w/the peninsula.

Is that a raised counter I see for the seating? I hope it's at least an 18" deep surface. The bi-level counter just reinforces my opinion that you need that other leg of the "U" for workspace since the sink run will be pretty useless for large projects.

Would one level counter work here?

If you keep the refrigerator at the dining room end of the kitchen, I would design the cabinetry to enclose it so you are not looking at the side and back corner of it. I would also consider getting a counter-depth type rather than having something that can approach three feet deep looming over the eating area.

I understand why you want it in that location, however.

This is the sort of thing I really want, but not sure if the island is big enough to contain a sink. 6 feet wide? Thoughts?
{{!gwi}}

How wide of a sink do you want? How wide is the opening at the "top" of the island.

It appears like you could shrink down the opening at the top and go with a single bowl sink and get a few more inches to the left of the sink when you are standing at it. 6-1/2' feet would be better (24" + 30" +24")

I thought you said you couldn't move the pocket door....has that changed?

Well, DH REALLY doesn't want to move the door (because of the repairs we'd have to make on the other side) but I'm getting desperate. I haven't found a layout that I love, and if we're going to go through all of this, I figure I should love it.

I'm late to the party but have you considered something like this?

Here is a link that might be useful: corner bowl sink

Very interesting...haven't seen anything like that yet. Would the fridge be too oppressive in that location? That thing is a beast!

Could be that the fridge would tend to look a bit oppressive as seen from the dining room. Maybe you could swap the fridge and stove position although that would give you less landing space beside the stove and I think you need more landing space there than beside the fridge.

The big thing I think is to keep both the fridge and the stove out of the narrowest sections of aisle-ways b/c they are where you are most likely to have one person standing while another needs to move past.

I noticed that on the back side of that kitchen wall is the laundry room. How much plumbing and wires run through that wall? Is there any chance of opening up the sheetrock on the kitchen side and doing a little reframing to create a fridge-sized "niche" for the fridge to be pushed back into? Three inches could make the fridge seem practically like a counter-depth model from the outside and that would make a huge difference in how "looming" it fridge feels.

The backside of the kitchen is the garage. I'm guessing there is alot of stuff running through that wall since the plumbing is there and the hot water heater backs up to that wall on the other side.

Buehl- when you mention dish storage, are you thinking they would be in drawers or wall cabinets? Not sure what you are talking about when it comes to planning the storage....

Do you really need the direct traffic pattern between the family room and the dining room that you create with the island?

You could also do the straight island plan without moving the pocket door: Whatever that tall end cabinet is would just jump to the other side of the door.

Your last plan is really short on dish storage options. One of the steps you should take in designing the space is mapping out where you will store what so you're sure you have places for everything in the appropriate and convenient locations. A lot of us here have jumped on the bandwagon to keep our dishes in drawers...I think it's split whether people keep cups and glasses in drawers, also, or like me, keep them in uppers/upper hutch with the plates and bowls in drawers below.

Bevangel's plan offers more, but with all due respect to the suggestion, that sink has the small basins that drove me crazy in the temporary housing we lived in while we were building. I would rather see a better sink installed on the diagonal, or something other alternative sink location.

Here's an attempt to move the fridge and establish dish storage...It's near the dw and table, while getting the frig into a less dominating spot...Not perfect, but just another set of compromises to consider.

Another option... I'm a big fan of open space

Here is a link that might be useful: