Trying to embed picture in post:

Do you have any measurements on aisle widths, etc? Its kind of hard to read this rendering because everything is so small, but I am thinking that the shape of that island seems a little off to me...

I agree -- a bigger picture with measurements would be helpful.

So far, though: I'm having problems seeing the use of a prep sink at that edge of the island. It's too far from the fridge (where the veggies are coming from) and from the stove (where the veggies are going to) to be very useful. With that floor plan, I'd probably be prepping using the cleanup sink.

Also, if you are going to be sitting at the island, get a good feel for the aisle clearance. The fridge and oven doors are opening up right behind those seats.

I not only don't like the island and it's sink, I don't like that the fridge is so far from the main sink.

Remember too, the fridge is the most-visited kitchen appliance -- by the cook and by the family.

Is that the ONLY window in the kitchen? (Dark)

Hi mommytoc,
The first thing that jumps out at me is I would move the frig to the end of the run up by the DR. I"m not sure of the dimensions but what do you think of making the entrance into the pantry from the kitchen end. I imagine someone walking down the hall and someone bonks them coming out of the pantry.

Tell us about the hallway at the bottom of the plan (by the laundry and powder rooms)? Where does it go? Is that lighter gray part of the wall windows or what is that?

I ask because I'm wondering if you can shift the hall closet and pantry to the left - but keep the wall between hall/kitchen and great room. This shouldn't impact your hall way width but it would mean that the pantry would be in the kitchen proper - have the door face into the kitchen - and could avoid having an angled island. Like this:

I added seating at the end of the island - no cabinets here, only overhang and legs to hold the counter up - and moved the prep sink to the end closest to the cooktop and fridge. This is just an idea since I've no idea what your dimensions are.

I'd add windows on either side of the cooktop to let more light into your kitchen. If the view isn't nice, you can go with frosted glass.

lisa... VERY nice!!

Hi Mommytoc: I'm not one of the great layout gurus, but I did have a few thoughts. First, two questions: Is the wall to the right of the cleanup sink and window only counter high? I'm wondering if that's a full wall separating it from the dining room or a counter height peninsula. And second, what does "step clg" mean in the dining room and family room?

Now, for thoughts: As someone else noted, the prep sink is very oddly located...not convenient to range or fridge.
How about this: Move the prep sink to the other end of the peninsula AND the other side of it...across and down from fridge where Lisa suggested. Change the orientation of the pantry door, as Remodelfla suggests. Steal a few inches from the laundry room and powder room to recess a full-depth refrigerator into the wall. Make the space between the refrigerator and the ovens a breakfast/snack nook...with microwave, coffee maker, etc. Use, what I think is base cabinets in a peninsula to the right of the sink and DW for dish drawers...convenient to dining room and dishwasher...and keeping clean up area separate from cooking area. Leave the angle in the island, but make the angled end for seating on three sides...then it becomes more table like and you can look at each other while eating.

FWIW!

Sorry that the picture's so small...I'll try to zoom, and post again here:

The kitchen is 14' wide, so with 42" aisles, there would be room for a 3' (width) island. Janet_425, I agree about the location of the prep sink; would you put it at the lower left corner instead?

The only place I'd want seating would be along the (currently) angled end. Can anyone suggest a shape that might work better, yet still fit the space? I'm actually inclined to leave seating out, given the proximity of the dining room, which will have a very nice view.

Re: windows, Chisue, I would plan another to the right of the cooktop, ie. between the cooktop and sink (or, perhaps a window on each side, assuming I can sacrifice that much (upper) storage).

Remodelfla, I agree with your comments re: the pantry door - and had been planning to move it where you suggest.

I'm very happy with the arrangement of the great room, dining room and back hall; just wondering how to make myself equally pleased with the kitchen/island. If the island were rectangular, and both the island and sink run ended even with refrigerator run, what would you think?

I would definitely prefer it rectangular. I love the notion of windows flanking the stove. I don't know how you feel about this but did you consider extending the length of the wall up top to make it even with a potentially rectangular island and the sink wall? Even if it was a half wall you'd have expanded counter.

Mommytoc: I think we must have been cross-posting. I'm wondering what it is you don't like about the angled island? The prep sink placement is clearly off. But I kind of like it angled. It seems to me that if you had the island and sink run end at the same point, you'd have a whole lot of empty space between the kitchen working area and the family room. And with little ones, many people seem to find it really convenient to have a place for them to sit to do crafts or homework as they grow...out from underfoot, but nearby where you can interact with them.

The island as currently drawn appears to show overhang along the whole length, but you could actually have a 24"D cabinet on one side and a 12"D cabinet on the other side and then transition to an overhang to seats where the island turns. This would give you great storage and great accessibility to your storage. The other thing to keep in mind that the island as currently drawn would only give you 12" overhang and you probably want 15" for it to be more comfortable. When you think about it like that, I think Lisa's island drawing will more easily accomplish that. You could do seating around the whole end in lisa's drawing. If you keep it like it is with the 12" overhang, the gurus on this forum have noted that people won't take up less space if you have less legroom, they will just extend into your walkway. Hope that helps.

Lisa_a and Melissastar, I was working on my follow-up, and didn't see your posts.

I like Lisa_a's layout (and suggestion for windows flanking the cooktop!) a lot, but wonder about leaving the back hall in it's current location. This would make the island a bit shorter than Lisa_a shows. My only concern is, does this leave too much open space in the area between the great room, kitchen and dining room?

In answer to your questions, the hall leads to the basement stairs, mudroom and garage. I'm not sure the architect's intention re: the wall separating the sink run and dining room, but I'd want it to be half-height. Perhaps this would be a better site for seating than at the island itself?

If you all think a straight island would work, I'll start mocking up a larger scale kitchen plan.

Thanks for your help!

Melissastar - I'm partly biased by my current angled sink, which I really don't like. Although I do think an angled island fits the space, I'm not sure it fits "boring old me". And I know that every time I had to walk around the angle to the main sink, I'd wish it were straight! I think you're right, though, about having space for the kids to sit, and will definitely work that in.

Brianadarnell, I agree with your suggestions re: the island. I'm starting to think that I'd prefer seating along the sink run "peninsula" instead, but will mock up both versions when I post Round 2!

Here are two options for leaving the hallway in its present location:

Option B

Option C

Changes made to both options:
Kept the rectangular island as proposed in my first plan, only shorter. Also kept the prep sink in the same location.

Replaced the pantry's swing door with a pocket door to reduce the potential for hallway/door collisions.

Added windows on either side of the range since you wrote that you like that idea.

Here are the differences.

Option B:
Extended the peninsula, removed the pony wall and added 15" overhang for seating. The upside is that seating is kept out of the work center of the kitchen - which is where it's located in your plan. 42" aisles are not large enough to allow for seating and cabinet/appliance doors opening, IMO, especially not when you have other options.

The downside is that peninsula seating may interfere with DR table placement, particularly if it's a large table. I'm assuming that a chandelier would be placed in the center of the coffered ceiling and that your DR table would be centered under that. If you have a 48" wide table and a 15" peninsula overhang, you'd have 51" between table and counter (center of room is 7.5' or 90" from sides. 90 - 24 (half of a 48" wide table) - 15" (peninsula overhang) = 51). That might be doable but more wiggle room would be better, especially if you think you might have diners seated at counter and table at the same time. We have 41" between kitchen table and counter, with seating only on one side and no cabinet or appliance doors in the same aisle. It works for us, even though it's less than the recommended width.

Option C:
I kept the peninsula as it was. I created an overhang at the end of the island and added 2 seats. There's still plenty of aisle room to move around them and island seating won't interfere with DR table placement. Also, it's more convenient seating when people want to chat with you while you prep. But you'd only get 2 seats - unless you extend the island further, which you can do, creating a slight walk around instead of a straight path from hallway to DR. Just watch that you don't cut it too tight between island counter and pantry corner.

btw, you have plenty of space to allow for a 36" cooktop (your plan looks like its only a 30" cooktop). You may not need 5 or 6 burners often but having extra room between large pans, as you get with a 36" wide cooktop, is always nice to have.

(Thanks, remodelfla!!)

Lisa_a, thank you so much!

I think I prefer Option B, especially if the dining room were extended out "just a bit". But I agree that the seating is more convenient in Option C. So I'll need to decide, but would likely be happy either way.

I agree with your cooktop suggestion - I'm definitely planning for 36" (and induction, hooray!). After cooking on my current range (a 40" Fridgidaire), 30" cooktops look so small!

Again, thank you Lisa_a - you've given me the start of a kitchen I love, every bit as much as the rest of the plan!

You're welcome!

Two more thoughts. You could tuck a beverage fridge at the end of the island in Option B or at the end of the peninsula on Option C. This would keep drinks or snacks handy to family and company while keeping them out of the kitchen proper.

Last thought. If your pantry system needs the side wall for support and the builder tells you that you can't put in a pocket door because of it, ask to have the wall built a bit thicker to accommodate both. Easy enough to do in construction. The other option is to go with a system that relies on the back wall for support (like Elfa, which I have and love).

Oh, and don't forget to do a mental run-through of meal prep and clean-up so you plan storage accordingly.

Oops, I forgot to tell you to allow 24" per person at the counter. My drawings are only estimates. You'll need to fine-tune them with exact measurements.

Good luck!