It sounds like you a happy with your layout and want to get started, but I just think that you should consider one more thing. Are you sure that you will be happy with only 24" of prep space to the left of your range? That seems to be the place where you or your DH will be doing most of the work, and it seems small to me. It's not just losing overall counter space, it's losing the most useful counter space. If you just pulled the prep sink over on the refrigerator wall and filled in that corner you would have more useful work surface. But then, I have had two U-shaped kitchens, and it never bothered me. I had lazy susans in my old kitchen, and they were just ok. I have ordered the Hafele Le Mans corner lower cabinet pull-outs for my new kitchen. They are supposed to great, but I don't have them in, yet.

I love quarter sawn white oak, and your cabinets should be really gorgeous.

ok you didn't ask...but heck i'll answer...what's the one thing that will most date a kitchen in five years....multi colored cabinets!

But you didn't ask so I'll go on as if I'm not seeing that being screamed in my head...

I would complete the L on the opposite side of the refridg (sink side) since that's basically dead space and you could use the counter space. I suppose if you insist on doing multi cabs, in 5 years it will be easiest to replace the single one by the fridge. (But my dear...your kitchen screams for a lovely all white layout given it's size) but ummm I won't mention that.

I-chic, I think you're right. Mixing finishes will probably date the kitchen so you just exorcised that particular demon for me. Thank you so much! I'm not going to use painted cabinets though, as beautiful as they are, because I'm just too hard on my stuff and I know I'll ding the heck out of them. I love how white quarter sawn oak can have a victorian feel to it, which I think will fit in nicely with the rest of the house.
What I have in mind:

Astidh, the prep sink is actually pictured bigger than it will be in reality. There's 4 ft of space on each side of the cooktop, and I was thinking a 13" prep sink installed only a few inches from the wall. I have been waffling between the layout above and the one below (which wouldn't need a prep sink). I would still find myself working where I do now which is to the left of the range, away from the corner, but that's not really a hardship.

L-shaped kitchen

Pros of layout 1
No corners
well defined zones with no one getting in each others way
I love the symmetry on the cooktop wall
I LOVE how open it feels
it's not so run of the mill

Cons of layout 1
gives up some storage space
gives up some counter space but I think what you lose with the corner is gained by having 4 ft of straight run

Pros of layout 2
more storage space
sink isn't totally visible from dining room
no prep sink needed

Cons of layout 2
A corner I know I won't work in (but DH will)
4 ft of rather unusable space to the right of sink
Can't do a farm sink (I guess I could move the sink down to where it is in layout 1 and keep the prep sink, hmmm)
It would look like this:

L-shaped layout with sink moved down (opens another can of worms...should the sink be centered in the run or with the opening to the dining room?)
{{!gwi}}

I'm beginning to believe there is no hope for me and that I will remain hopelessly indecisive. I'm really leaning toward layout 1, possibly without the prep sink (I could put a refuse receptacle there instead) but am not sure I should give up the storage/counter space of layout 2/3 (my cd player currently resides there). How am I ever going to make up my mind? Can anyone see any obvious reasons why one of these layouts would be superior to the others? All comments, even those which answer questions that weren't asked are deeply appreciated. TIA, again.

I adore the cabinet example you posted. Just gorgeous. Like you, my DH and I both work in the kitchen, and getting a separate prep sink was the number one thing that I wanted in this remodel. I'm glad that you will have more work space there than I thought. I agree with igloochic that your particular kitchen doesn't lend itself well to using different cabinet finishes. I personally am not a fan of different colored upper and lower cabinets, and go don't have an obvious candidate for a "hutch" or island. (Actually I am putting in a contrasting color island) I think your clean up sink should definitely be to the left of your DW. What is the approx. 6" by 3' rectangular area bump out by your clean up sink?

Sadly, astridh, that bump out is what's left of the original wall to the house when the kitchen was added to about 50 yrs ago. There's a matching one on the other side and they can't be removed (something about how they tie in with the remaining stone). This has been the biggest problem with my kitchen in addition to the soil stack in the little protrusion next to the fridge (the stack also can't be moved because there is no where else to put it).

So, keeping the DW to the left of the sink, if I center it in the run, it won't be totally open to the dining room. I'm thinking it may look better shifted down a bit more, sacrificing the symmetry in the cabinet run.
Which would look better
this...
{{!gwi}}
or this...?

Oh man, I'm drooling over that cabinet picture. Those are gorgeous.

I like your first design in this thread. That extra standing space in a multi-chef household would be quite handy.

I love the cabs! And I like the change, but the sink is bothering me. I think you need to focus on symetry there more than on the cabinets, either by centering it in the seating area or on that bump out wall (and then hang a gorgeous mirror over it). And what about doing a raised counter where you have that seating? That will keep the dishes out of site.

I like the symmetry of your original design, but I do worry about the lack of continuous counter space. The design with one corner functions better in that respect. But you know how you cook and how much space you need. You might want to try things out, taping down portions of countertops to the sizes you'll have available, to see if they'll be sufficient for your tasks.

If you really like your original design, then three suggestions:

(1) If you want different cabinets, then the range wall would be the one to make different. The other three small runs are too small and not located such that they benefit from being emphasized, so it wouldn't work so well. But I think if you had a dramatic dark stain on the range wall, and a light stain or natural wood on the other three, it could look really nice.

(2) The second sink position in your last post is much better IMHO.

(3) Where will your dishes go when they come out of the dishwasher? I would consider adding an upper cabinet to the left of the sink. IMHO, I think it would also provide "balance" on that sink run, giving a reason for the sink to be off-center in that run (or, in other words, emphasizing that the sink is not supposed to be in the center).

For the "L", try the range wall as 36" base, 33" upper, 36" cooktop cab with 42" hood/upper, 36" base, 21" upper plus 36" upper corner and a small base. We share the same adversion to corners, so I might tuck a cabinet in the corner that opened into the other room or maybe say the heck with the corner.

Shifts the range a bit from "prep central" so two people aren't trying to occupy the same space.

This is really personal choice. I would want the "L" and no prep sink. I would be afraid of having a too small prep area and a too small clean up area.

I think I like the "L" with the sink in front of the bump out best. You could get a 20" deep (front to back) sink with a wall mount faucet so the bump out would be less noticable and would look period appropriate too. Then maybe open shelving, or dish drainer/rack above. With that it gives you two great places to prep, on the peninsula, and in front of the window to the left of the sink.

mom2lilenj-it's not what I want to hear but I think you are right! And I love igloo's idea to put a mirror there.

Thank you everyone for such great input. As usual I have a lot to think about. I'm having dinner tonight with an old friend who I haven't seen in over 5 years. I plan on catching up with her, enjoying some great food and wine and when I get back, I hope to feel rejuvenated (certainly relaxed) and be able to reach a decision. I'm am determined to make my mind up before I go to bed. This should be possible as it's only a choice between having the sink in front of the breakfast bar in layout 1 or centered on the bump out wall in the L-shape layout. Maybe I should just flip a coin!