I should add, the ceiling to counter cabinet is glass with a pewter grid mesh. I'd love any thoughts on our lichen plan. In case it's not obvious, the sink wall and fridge wall are opposite each other. The ceilings are ten ft.

How many workers might you have in the kitchen at once? It's so well appointed, and so large, have you considered a prep sink in the island? I would add one to the SW corner of the island...for use from the stove and fridge sides.

I would change a lot of the cabinets with doors and adj or pullout shelves to drawers. The same idea as pullouts, but with better sides, and only one action to get to the contents. With pullouts, you have to open the doors all the way out of the way, before pulling out the shelf. If they're not deep enough, things fall off the sides or back.

What is to the right of the sink? I assume one is a dishwasher, but what is the other 24" cab?

If you'll prep on the island, you might consider moving the pullout trash to the island, so that it can be accessed from the prep area and the cleanup area.. That's the way we have ours and it works great. It pulls out of the island toward the main sink.

I can see one thing. I'm a little jealous. :-) This looks like a fantastic kitchen.

Rhome, you made my day. I was nervous to post this plan.
We have two dishwashers next to each other. The point about easier access is very smart. I'll call the cabinet guy on Monday to make some changes.
Thanks!!!!

I'm a little jealous. :-) This looks like a fantastic kitchen. oh, yeah. I'm jonesing for that 60" range!

We are definitely going to want to see pictures of the progress and of course the finished kitchen!

I think the prep sink on the island is a must. Also, I'm not crazy about those appliance garages because they interfere with the secondary prep space between the sink and the range.

Putting the dishwashers on each side of the sink will be easier for loading the 2nd one. There will be lots of dripping across the floor. Also better for the times both are loaded at once. Might be rarer for you than for us, but even so, I think it'd be worth it.

I can see Marcolo's point about the appliance garage area, but it's a give and take thing. I could see opting for the garages, since you have a big island with different sides from which to work and the area by the fridge, plus the area to the right of the sink, in a pinch. Depends on if you have big parties for which you need the island clear, or have several workers and every inch might be essential.

You might consider less door/drawer combinations and go with more all drawer base cabinets.

You have a lot of narrow base cabinets and not very many wide ones. A lot of narrow framed base cabinets creates a high proportion of wasted space. Fewer, wider cabinets create more flexible storage options and have less waste.

Adjustable shelves are just about the worst guts for full depth bases. They practically guaranty that you'll be sitting on the floor pulling stuff out to get to something in the back. If you can't use drawers, at least think about pullouts. But consider drawers first because its a single motion to open them instead of open one or two doors all the way and then pull out a shelf.

The low things (possibly huge corbels) on either side of the cooking surface may be annoying and I would check the specs of how far out they come and the clearance available from the counter. It would get on my nerves not to be able to slide pans across to the counter. I generally take pans out of the oven and sit them on the burners and then move them off to the side after I've closed the oven door. If those things comes as low as it seems, I really wouldn't like having to steer around those.

I personally don't care for the small base pullouts like those flanking your range. The stuff on the first shelf blocks the view of and access to the stuff on the second shelf - so extra bending over. I'm not sure what the effective width is of each shelf, but I'm betting its 6".

If people actively do cleanup while others are actively cooking, be aware that cleanup will block the first two cabinets on the range side of the corner.

I realize the drawing is a little artistic, so your range might be different, but consider ordering the island trim instead of the short back guard. It will be cleaner looking behind the range - particularly if you're planning on a tiled or slab backsplash.

It looks like you have about a 15' walk between your sink area and the fridge. That is a heck of a long walk back-and-forth for prepping. I would put a prep sink with pull-out trash in the island and save yourself the steps. That way you would separate the clean-up and prep spaces.

Put in all drawers and don;t bother with the roll-out shelves as mentioned. I have one lower cupboard and it sits empty except for a couple of ancient phone books. Everything is in drawere - no more reaching in to the backs of cupboards on my hands and knees.

You have a beautiful looking kitchen and this is JMHO but I think that cupboards to the counters are going to say 2010 and your kitchen doesn't need them for style. They are also taking up valuable counter space. They are appropriate and look good if they are set up as to resemble a buffet/hutch configuration. my 2c.

Blfenton, what do you suggest instead of the garage?
We cannot move the sink because it's centered under the window and I can't change the window location.
Bmorepanic, what do you mean about changing the trim?

These are super helpful suggestions everyone!!!!

This is a 60" wolf range and the corbels don't impede the counter at all.
How should I make the appliance garage look like a hutch?

Your kitchen looks really nice and roomy. May I ask the dimensions?

I would definitely put in a prep sink. I did not put one in this house and have often regretted it.

Borepanic has a point about the corbels on each side of your cooking surface. I think if you go with what is on your plan you will like it, but I went all the way down to the countertop with mine and often find myself annoyed, plus it chews up counter space. I would advise you not to go all the way down. Others may feel differently. Kitchen is mess in this pic. Sorry.

Sorry, I probably confused you with my reference to buffet/hutch example. But, if your area beside the fridge was bigger and you were planning on making that a buffet/hutch then cabinets to the counter on either end would work style-wise. I'm just not sure that style-wise they work on your range wall. Please keep in mind that this is just my opinion and if you need/want them go ahead, of course.

To me they just don't seem to be balanced with anything else. What do you plan on putting in them? The range itself is symmetrical with 28" on either side taken up by the corbels and cupboards on top and the pull-outs and drawers on the bottom. To the left of the range is then a doorway - free airy space, if you will - and then to the right is 4' of heavy cupboards to the counter. It just seems somewhat weighted and closed in to the right. What does save it from being too much however is the window above the sink. If you do need an appliance garage I would probably just do one of them. To balance it out I might consider putting one at the other end of the sink run although that probably mucks up symmetry at that spot.

Here is an image that shows both sides of the island, which will be a stained cherry. Above this is a drawing of the hutch (not sure if I'll do stained or painted for this) which is further down the fridge wall after the door to the pantry.

To answer the size question, the entire room, which encompasses an eat-in area is roughly 27 x 16 I think.

I should add that all the trim in here is white and the door on the range wall will be stained cherry, the french casement window above the sink will be stained, and the pantry door will be stained. Not sure if that info. is helpful to your understanding of the aesthetic here. The floor is going to be a dark hardwood, but we've not determined which species or shade yet.

Red-lover's photo has "island trim" and there is only the very short 1" piece sticking up at the back of the range covering the tile.

Most short back guards are 4-8" tall but some are as tall as 15". Then, there are tall back guards that starts at about 15" tall and quits at about 24" tall. For I guess historical reasons, the short back guard tends to be the "standard". They pretty much all have island trim (for when the range is mounted in an island) and tall back guards available but you'd need to order them. Sometimes, its an extra change. Mostly, the back guard can be changed out in the field for one of the others.

Ask your kitchen designer or appliance person for the specific details about your range.

redlover, your kitchen is stunning! what color paint did you use on the cabinets? are they also glazed? i really like it!

what does everyone think about moving the microwave drawer to the island so it faces the part that is near the range? i don't love the way it looks in the cabinetry near the fridge.

if i don't make the appliance garage as wide, what do i do with that space? the "opening" on the other side of the range is actually a door to the mud hall, so it won't be airy. i don't really want to put cabinets on the left side of the sink because they'd be skinny looking and might not look well there, which is why we only have them designed for the one side.

any further thoughts?

oh, in terms of what i'd put in the cabinet garage--i'd put a toaster oven in the bottom and maybe my stand mixer.

ok, never heard of island trim before--thanks. i was planning on either doing a marble subway tile backsplash everywhere on the range and sink wall or, if it's affordable (and i highly doubt that it is) do a marble slab. do i still need this island trim?

So, now my concern is the ceiling-to-counter cabinet with the pewter mesh and glass insert. Some on here suggested this might end up looking trendy or dated and part of me worries. We cannot change the location of the range as its centered on the island lights and the electric has already been done. So, I'd like to maintain the symmetrical cabinets flanking the painted wood range hood cover, but wonder if I should cut the ceiling-to-counter cabinet in half width-wise and add another upper cabinet in its place. I'm not sure if that would look good and I'm desperate for any opinions. I need to tell the cabinet guy what to do on Monday morning.
Thanks1

and, any suggestion whether the hutch should be stained like the island and french casement window or if it should be painted black? thanks!!!!

For me, that to-counter cabinet would look to tall and skinny cut in half.

Honestly, only one person mentioned it looking dated, and not that their opinion isn't valid, but it's an opinion and something to think about, but not necessarily something to make yourself crazy over if it wasn't an issue for you. Maybe it will, maybe it won't... I think a hutch-looking piece might have the same problem. Do you like the style? Did you help with it, or was it all the designer's vision? If you'll love it, I wouldn't worry about it, as I think we'll all have things that look dated in time and we don't have the crystal ball to see what things will hold up and which won't.

If you want something different to consider, you could try something like MamaDadaPaiges' counter-to-ceiling hutch-like appliance garage. With the openness it has, it might feel less heavy than this design, which was another concern of Blfenton's. In the thread below you can see it new and empty, and if you scroll down, you can see what it looked like filled/in use.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread showing MamaDadaPaige's kitchen

thanks, rhome. yes, i agree it'd be strange looking to make the cabinet half it's width. i like mamadadapaige's kitchen "hutch", but am not sure it's what i'm going for. actually, i'm not quite sure i'm sure what exactly i'm going for. the problem is, we need to decide asap!!!!

I apologize for saying what I did about the cabinets to the counter. It is your kitchen and my comments were just my 2c worth of nothing. You know what you need/want in your space and you know the overall feel and style that you want. Don't let comments from the people here dissuade you from what you want. If someone makes you question something and you are still firm in your choice then you will be really happy with it. Your kitchen is going to be beautiful and you have obviously put a lot of thought into it. Sometimes I think we try to have it all - both function and form and sometimes it just doesn't work that way.

(Maybe reconsider the pewter mesh? - just kidding, sort of) Shutting my mouth (fingers) now.

blfenton, you're making me laugh.
please don't apologize for giving your opinion--I posted on here because I want opinions from gardenweb members! :)
why no pewter mesh, cause it will be a pain to clean or because it's not pretty in your opinion?
i honestly have no idea what else to put in that area. the original idea was that of a designer we had been working with and it seemed like a pretty idea to me. would leaded glass or wood mullions be better?
any further thoughts on this (or if anyone wants to chime in on the black vs. stain for the big hutch in the eating area that'd be fantastic)?
thanks, everyone!

I hope, Blfenton, that I didn't offend you, or make you feel you shouldn't have spoken, because I sure don't feel that way. I think any thoughtful, intended-to-be-helpful input like yours is valuable, and then the kitchen owner can decide.

I almost put steel mesh in my hutch instead of glass, so I kind of like the pewter... An upperscale version of chicken wire, or kind of industrial. Something different than the glass that everyone else has. I thought it was a little unique.

Are you doing plain glass in the hutch? If, perhaps, you're doing leaded or something textured there, it might be nice to connect the 2 and do the same in both?

I was thinking about the finish for your hutch. Did you say what countertop it will have? Is there a particular reason one of the options is black? I LOVE black hutches, but I'm not sure of it with your other elements. I could see gray to connect with the color in the marble backsplash and island counter... or maybe 'off black,' so not quite as stark? Will your soapstone be more black or more green?

the hutch is going to be all wood, either stained or painted. i want it to look like a colonial antique.
i'm going to do regular plain glass.
the butler's pantry, which connects the kitchen to a hallway near the hutch has cabinets that will have leaded glass uppers, painted and the counter will be stained wood.
should i somehow try to do that on the kitchen cabinet in question instead of the pewter mesh. i like the mesh because it's kind of an aged finish. the hardware on my kitchen sink window is an unlaquered brass and it has a time-worn quality to it.
i'm at a loss for what to do and have no designer to help bounce ideas off of at this point.
oh, and the perimeter counters will be black, in case that helps.

Interrupting for the range trim, its gotta have something! Seriously - you need to choose one of them, island, normal or tall.

You sound like you should get the island trim (1" tall). If you get the default (4-8" tall trim), it will cover over more of the backsplash than you'd like.

For the hutch, remember that black is a pita for showing dust.

I gotz the following stuff about the appliance garage - have you thought about how those doors will open? It looks like one will open towards you and without special hinges may actually block you from being able to get into it.

It doesn't look like a good place for a mixer because it would need to be pulled out onto the little piece of counter towards one side of the sink - not a lotta room to sit other ingredients nearby.

Remember to ask what the clearance height is for the appliance garage and know the height of your mixer. With framed cabinets and large mixers, it might not have enough height. When I used to own a kitchenaid mixer, I felt like I needed a certain amount of overage to be able to pick the darned thing up because it weighed so much.

I don't know if I'd be comfortable using a toaster that close to a water source.

sorry, but i still don't fully understand why i need "island trim." why can't i just have my backsplash a slab or marble or marble subway tiles? all the way down?

Trying to clarify what Bmore is saying: You can have the slab or tiles all the way down if that's what you want. But all ranges have a trim and you have to specify, or you'll get the regular/taller one. The island trim on the range is lower, so more subtle and sleek... Just not as in-your-face, and not sticking up in front of your backsplash, whatever the design choice.

Also a good point she's making about the doors on the appl garage... Maybe have it look like a double door, if you like the appearance, but actually be one piece that flips up?