I vote L - it just seems more balanced to me. Defines the space a bit more too..

I vote L also, for joy's reasons plus the fact that it gives you more counter and cab space. I envy your room size!

Three times a charm. I like #3 as well. Same reasons.

L-shaped, for all of the afore-mentioned reasons.

Another vote for the L! It is the one you like and you will be living there..not the KD! Not to mention the oppurtunity for more cabinets or drawers and a place to use as a "buffet" or as a landing place for plates, etc. W

I'll be the dissenting vote...I vote for the first one. I think it looks like the "L" was an afterthought and is facing in the wrong direction. It also looks like it encroaches on the FR too much. If you like the "L", can you flip it the other direction, so the backrest is against the FR side? Not sure if you have the room.

Another L fan. I cant picture sitting at the end of the couch that butts up against the cabinet.

Thanks all.

Malhgold, an L facing the kitchen was alternative #3 that we wrestled with. The downside is that it would break up the cabs and counter space there; facing the family room also faces the tv, which DH voted for). But I had concerns that it would look like it's in the fam room too.... I'm not good at visualizing.

decisions, decisions.

Another vote for "L". I saw one like this in a magazine a while ago and really liked it. I like it facing away - if people want to talk to you while you're cooking they can sit at the island. This way people aren't looking at the mess, and being able to see the tv is a nice option to have.

I'd also suggest considering at table with a leaf (or two) in it (maybe even rectangular?) - with this layout you could expand the table and fit a ton more chairs around for a kids birthday party, or informal meal. Wonderful!

LOVE the L but and it looks great as drawn but I noticed something else which seems to indicate your layout may not be to scale. Your aisle sizes are way narrow for an 11' kitchen. An 11' or 132" wide kitchen with 25.5' range wall width + 25.5" or more oven wall width + about 40.5" island width leaves you only 40.5" to split between BOTH aisles. That means each aisle is less than 20" wide which is way too tight. Am I missing something and maybe the kitchen is more like 15' wide?

L L L all the way! We have a straight bench (which is just an old sofa at the moment) and I'm saving my pennies to build an L shaped bench around the table. You will love the counter space in between - perfect for setting drinks, snacks, and side dishes if having informal meals there.

I like the L too, but what are its actual dimensions? Like circuspeanut, I agree that the L counter behind will be a great place to get the serving dishes off the table if you serve family style since that layout as drawn can only accommodate a 41" or so table. Depending on your number of family members, you won't have space for dining plates and serving dishes.

We are planning a banquette for three with a 41" table and I've been figuring that we're just going to have to go back to restaurant style plating. On the other hand, my husband and I have each gained 15 lbs. since we started our renovation - a gain I blame partially on my new family style serving - so it's not necessarily a bad thing.

tracie.erin --- you have a great eye!!! You're right -- don't know what I was thnking -- it's actually 14.5' from range wall to the pantry wall. The wall opposite the banquette is bumped in for the mudroom, so that widteh is only 11.5'. Thanks for catching that!

Thanks so much everybody for your input!!!!

I'm glad you have that space. :) At the risk of being considered nosy.. before you commit to moving much around, you may want consider posting a layout thread. Your aisles are still tight and a prep sink in the island would be ideal. There are some great eyes here ready to help if you'd like to take advantage. I know that wasn't your question in posting this thread but the spirit of this forum is always to at least advise you of all the possibilities. Sorry, I'll shut up now :)

Here is a link that might be useful: NKBA Kitchen Guidelines

I think the L facing the family room looks a bit awkward. Because it's "back" is to the kitchen, it reads as if it's in the family room, which is a strange place to have an eating area. It doesn't look like a part of the kitchen (or even it's own separate dining area) to me. It looks like someone put a banquette area in the family room!

I would keep playing with it. Maybe it would look better as a "booth" style with banquette seating on both sides - one back to the kitchen, one back to the fam room. I am not crazy about that idea, but maybe that can jog someone else's idea that would work....maybe a sofa-like seat on the other side of the banquette seat? A sofa would dilineate the space more than chairs.

I like the straight one. It's more accessible from both spaces. To me it functions like a bridge between the two.

The "l" has some issues for me - it's more like a booth for tv watchers who haven't participated in making dinner or something. It's kinda klutzy to use for meal planning or committing a laptop-while-cooking crime because of having to run around it if somthing needed attention in the kitchen. The new peninsula would block your view of what nefarious things small children might be doing in the family room.

I don't think it would work well at all to have to lift down service dishes from behind and a few inches above your shoulders unless you are very young.

Completely different topic, I'd move the prep sink about 12-18" towards the family room. With a french door or an sxs or the twins (can't tell exactly), the very best landing space is immediately behind you as you stand at the refrigerator. That would BE your prep sink or robbing your child of their plate space. I'd rather have a little room for landing stuff beside the sink.