I notice that most of your questions have to do with appearance, but that varies so much based on personal preferences, that I am better with layout/function issues. In this regard, one thing I noticed is that by centering the prep sink on the end of the aisle, you take away any work area, leaving only small pieces of counter to each side of the sink. I would move the sink to the side of that end (the corner) nearest the fridge, so you can move veggie from fridge to prep sink, then to counter beside the sink to prep, then a simple turn to move them into a pan directly across the aisle. In other words, I would leave as much open workspace as possible directly across from the stove.

This position would also make the sink easily accessible from the long side of the island (fridge side) so that someone else can utilize it for making salad, sandwiches, etc., and it's also fairly handy to the hutch bar/serving area when entertaining.

For your numbered questions:

1. Sounds lovely, but I don't know of any photos. I hope others can help.

2.I heartily agree with your hubby, as I'm not a fan of either diagonal corner cabs or appliance garages. I let my stand mixer sit out...Is yours not attractive or something it's ok to see? Again, I hope someone can help you with photos. I know there are people on the forum who have 90-degree corner cabinet fronts. We did it for the base cab in our last kitchen. It would be as the drawing shows for your base corner cabinet...just set back flush with the uppers.

3. Sorry...out of my area of expertise. I like the drawing, but I don't see anything for your spices there.

4. Having something like a matching beadboard backsplash and/or corbels could allow you to have counter and the one-piece hutch appearance. See the link below.

Is the white door you show not inset? I don't think the wood ones have the same feel because of the very wide rails and stiles on the doors. The last one is pretty and closer to the one you like, although still not exactly. All of the inset ones you show have a heavier appearance to the style, while the white one is more delicate.

The link below and this picture show hutch's with counters, thanks to Erikanh's inspiration finds and her own kitchen:
http://s326.photobucket.com/albums/k423/ErikaPix/Inspiration%20Kitchens/?action=view&current=pantries06.jpg

Here is a link that might be useful:

I found an upper corner cabinet that has a jointed door, rather than a diagonal...In the HGTV Dream House! Look through the slide show linked below...The detailed view is photo #6. They used the regular European hinges for it, not a piano hinge.

Here is a link that might be useful: HGTV dream house kitchen

rhome410- you are an angel! Thanks for the link! I think I like it! I might be being swayed by the overall beautiful kitchen!

On earlier post, thank you for responding. I also really like the hutch you sent. I think I am going to do the beadboard which I initially didnt think I wanted but now I realize it makes it look like a single wooden unit. Also I will try to find some corbels to patch the ends together.

The white door is full overlay. Its a shiloh - i just happened to really like the finish I saw, its called highlighting and brushed- its a low sheen, light glazing kind of look. I wish I knew of others that had that sort of effect in case they cant come up with a suitable inset.

On the prep sink, gosh I wish I had a picture of an offset prep sink. The other KD did this thing where she centered the stove with the island and not the wall- which I never thought of, Im not sure if I love it or hate it.

You have really been helpful! Thanks!

Unless you have a separate pantry somewhere else, I would try hard to find another place for the stacked washer and dryer.

Because you have somewhat limited pantry and storage space in the current design. If you go around the base cabinets and count, it turns out that most of those cabinets are occupied by something (dishwasher, undersink, trash, warming drawer, microwave), or are the dreaded ''inside corner'' (I find them hard to use, personally), or are narrower spaces flanking the range, or are rather shallow (the ones in the island facing the refrigerator). You have a single stack of wide, deep drawers, to the right of the sink, and then the appx 36'' wide pantry to the right of the refrigerator. I'm not saying that's a measly amount of storage or anything, but for the cost of a remodel with the quality you are contemplating, I think it would be nice to get a kitchen with a ''lot'' of storage.

Move the washer and dryer somewhere else, and you'll have a lot of storage.

Plus, it'd be better not to restrict yourself to stackable washer/dryer if you don't have to. I don't know if this is a house, townhouse, condo or what, but I'd rather have nice big front-loading washer/dryer - even in the garage, if I had to - than some stackables squeezed into the kitchen.

Another way to get more space are to move the microwave to an upper cabinet.

Maybe I am too fixated on storage space. I guess it depends on how much ''stuff'' your family has.

As for the hutch, for bar purposes I'd consider more vertical clearance in the center (enough for an ice bucket and a magnum of champagne) and glass lights in the uppers (display your stemware and fine old bottles of single-malt). Where will you rack wine bottles?

Its a 3200 sq foot house which is really too small for us but we love our neighborhood (lots of friends, close to work) the school (top rated public gifted magnet school which is IN the actual neighborhood) where our oldest just started kindergarten. So we'd really like to move to a bigger house but right now we are thinking to stay for the time being, making the compromises becuase the neighborhoods great and we are almost done with the mortgage.

So that is our psychology. I surf GW, then realtor.com, then GW. Once I sign a remodeling contract, the decision will be made.

I know 3200 doesnt sound small, I grew up in a 2000 sq ft house I thought was big so who knows what happened to my perspective. We have very little storage space b/c we finished the walk out basement with a dining area, rec room, full kitchen, full bath and bedroom. Our nanny lives down there and the only storage is a walk thru area between the nannys bedroom and her bathroom- it has two huge racks on the wall with bins on it. That is our only other alternative for the washer dryer- but I have to weight it against losing one of those racks and having to sort of be in her space to laundry. She wouldnt mind, but it feels inconvienant to me. Otherwise I've checked all the walls and spaces and there is no where to put the W/d (which are huge front loaders). Even my garage, I have to turn sideways to walk by my car- and my husband is a fanatic about keeping cars in the garage. My friend has the same house and just did a remodel and also searched in vain for another spot and came up empty. She said she felt like she had a ton of more space after her remodel with bigger cabinets.

So, I agree the pantry space is not great. I do feel like I am going to throw out a bunch of stuff when I remodel. I have like 10 pie pans for example- dishes I dont use- etc. all must go. I'm going to be ruthless. I hope I end up with a little more room than I have now and I have a hall bath remodel Im doing too that I might be able to pack some additional storage into (on bath forum) but overall I think I could live in my space today (and do) esp. if I got rid of some of my dups and do-not-use items. Then again I am making my window a foot bigger so I will lose a cabinet there.

Wine bottles we have a pottery barn bar in the living room that holds about 20 wine bottles and a stand alone rack in the dining room that holds a few then we also have a large sideboard in the dining room where we sometimes stash cases of wine if we buy a lot. We dont collect wine (except for about 5 bottles)- we drink it!

But maybe I will ax the warming drawer in the island if I go with the AGA PRo+ range which converts to a sort of warming oven with the divider in. That is a big question mark for me.

How would I move the microwave to an upper? That is sort of interesting- do you have any pictures of that? Is it like an open shelf with a smaller top above?

If I do ax my warming drawer, my island will need a 24 inch cabinet for the sink. A 24 inch for the micro with a drawer under and then I am left with either a 36 inch space (drawers?) or two 18 inch cabs (that'd be dumb right?)

Re: the hutch, does anyone think it ruins the hutch look to use one of the bottom sides for a wine fridge? Should I try to get it in the island? (forcing me to that 2-18 inch cabinets noted above).

Thanks for the responses, I really need a sounding board!

Shoot...I KNOW I posted an answer last night that doesn't show here. Must've gotten lost when they did whatever to find the threads that were missing yesterday.

Anyway, I often like a stove centered behind the island, but in your situation, it'd be too close to the doorway.

My kitchen is a completely different style than you're going for, but my prep sink is offset/on the corner. This enables me to have prep space on the end of the island, right in front of the stove, while still reaching the sink easily, and, also, we can access the sink while doing baking projects on the adjacent side of the island. I put the faucet on the corner so both sides would feel like the 'front' of the sink.

Thanks for the photo. I think an issue I will have is that the side of the island away from the sink is supposed to be an overhang. Sort of a curved overhang. This is my island shape I cannot quite pictures and I am quietly and desperately waiting for a picture to appear. GW usually comes through..:-)

I saw once a prep sink actually right next to the range. I toyed with that idea. Seemed almost like a pseudo pot filler. But of course I dont have a TON of room on that wall and Im not sure if that would make the island itself less functional as a prep zone.

If my range was centered, I think it would leave me a single 15 inch cab on the right before you hit the door to the dining room.

I like your kitchen though! Very nicely done. I appreciate a lot of types of kitchens even as I repeatedly grativate to my aged old world design for my own.

I knew you wanted arcs on the side of your island...I was assuming they'd be shallow and similar to what's drawn on the ends? I don't think that changes how I'd decide the sink position, and I'd want it where the plan shows the cabinet marked: 4D15. If you put the sink in the center of your 39-42" island, you'll only have about 12 or 13" to each side of the sink...hardly enough room for even a small cutting board.