Unfortunately there is no room for an island:

You have 122'' (10 ft 2 in):

25'' x 2 (two perimeter runs of counter): 50''
36'' x 2 (min. aisle ea. side of island): 72''
already adds up to a total of = 122''

I am just pointing this out at the beginning so you don't fiddle with trying to squeeze one in. That said with a 10 x 18 kitchen using the space from the breakfast nook, you should be able to get a nice kitchen with a couple spots for people to sit.

Thanks for the information regarding the measurements. DH had at one point mentioned sticking with an L layout with an open wall running one side of the kitchen, which might give us room for a narrow island, but storage is #1 for us right now! Thanks!

You mentioned the walls need to stay - what about the closet in the middle? Is that a walled in support post? Some here have cleverly hidden support posts in cabinets and colums.

yeah-that's a really tight/skinny kitchen. Maybe you could extend everything down include the nook into your kitchen & do a sitting bar kinda like a G shape by the doorway.
Good Luck!

Even if the island was 2 ft in an L + island config, your aisles will be under 3 ft, which is too narrow.

I'm guessing this will be 'no', as I know it breaks the no wall moving rule, but any chance of usurping any of the garage?

Are you sticking with the 30" range, or would prefer wall ovens and maybe larger cooktop? Or larger range? Do you like to bake, entertain, or have other special needs for your kitchen other than storage?

Hi! Thanks for the responses,

Granite-girl, I'm having trouble visualizing what you suggested, do you mean the seating is backing into the doorway?

Chicagoans- The current pantry is hiding the venting for the gas furnace & hot water tank. I think it can definitely be made smaller, if not eliminated.

Rhome- I wish I had the option of stealing space from the garage, but it just wouldn't be do-able. We desperately need every inch of our 2 car garage. Especially in the winter! The range would definitely be a 30", I need counter space more than I need a cooktop/wall ovens. I like to bake, not cook. There would never be multiple cooks in the kitchen. Only someone to keep the cook company. We would not want to "entertain" in the kitchen, but people invariably end up in there!

I guess I feel better that i'm not the only one who finds this layout a challenge! LOL!

So, are you saying that breakfast nook is slated for disappearance or not?

Could the housing for the stairway be opened up so it's a part of the kitchen, sort of? Or do you want a self-contained kitchen on a commute to the dining room?

For what it's worth...we were at an impasse until someone suggested taking 2.5 x 8 feet out of the garage. This has made all kinds of options more doable. [Unfortunately, we now need to reposition the garage door so it's centered, but cannot afford time or money to do it, until next year? Santa Claus? the lottery? But your garage is not in the same position. You'd just lose space at the end of the car. ]

Florantha- The breakfast nook does not need to stay at all. The only thing that has to stay is the four outside walls, the rest is a blank slate. The staircase could be opened, we hadn't thought of that. We are very open to any and all ideas!

1st quick stab:

2nd...Like it better, but not sure of feasibility of range move. Do your windows open? Would you be able to vent there?

Hmm, have you heard of the TV show, "Sarah's House"? They are running it here on HGTV right now and she is renovating a 70's backsplit In Toronto... you may want to see if you can check it out, she just did a beautiful farmhouse in what looked like Upstate NY.

Rhome- Thanks for your ideas, I like the idea of a small banquette. I like the layout with the pantry beside the table better than the fridge right beside the table. Unfortunately the windows don't all open, so placing the stove in front of the windows would require different venting.

Pepperidge farm- I have seen all of the Sarah's house episodes, her backsplit isn't much of a comparison though, since she blows out all her walls to create a very open kitchen. I love her designs though! BTW all of her shows are filmed in Ontario, all close to me! haha!

You have one really good option that doesn't move walls or plumbing or electric: get rid of the peninsula and extend the counters and cabinets or shelves all the way along that wall to the wall by the stairs. Go floor to ceiling with them and you will have all the pantry you need.

For the chatting, have a drop-down or gateleg table (available at Ikea) and some folding chairs on the wall between kitchen and garage.

Extend the cabinets a bit along the garage wall, but not so much they start blocking traffic in and out of the kitchen.

canuckgal, do you have a current picture of your kitchen? I am wondering how high the windows go on the back wall.

rhome's layouts are nice, especially the range on the back wall. It could really be a focal point, even if it is a modest appliance. There are people who put their ranges in front of a window, but the windows have to be positioned correctly.

In her second layout, I would make the depth of the storage just to the left of the entrance shallower than standard, as shown in her first layout. It would allow for a more graceful entry into the room. In the end, you would have two pantries (one near the entrance to the room and one between fridge and banquette).

With a family of your size, every extra square foot of storage is important, so creating the banquette seating to double as storage could really pay off. Plus it gives the family somewhere to hang out while you are cooking: doing homework, helping with meal prep, coloring, etc...

You have a good sized space to work with, even if its not wide enough for an island. You might want to design in a space to store a rolling 'island' for when you need more prep surface.

Sandy

If it is not feasable to use the back wall for the range, I would definately leave the sink and dishwasher on that wall. The expense of moving the plumbing lines would make that decision for me.

Essentially, that would give you rhome's second layout, except the sink and range would be swapped.

Windows not opening is actually a good thing if you wanted the range on that end. In some places code disallows hood vents within a certain distance of an opening window (like 3 ft).

Lazy gardens- I agree that maybe the best idea is a re-working of what we already have, but I love to hear other ideas.

Busybme- The windows start about a foot above the counter and end a foot below the (standard 8' height) ceiling. I really like the sink near a window, but I can see how it would make the range a focal point. I also love the idea of a shallower pantry near the entryway, easy snack access!

I was wondering what you guys thought about the idea of a galley style with the banquette tucked under the windows? I thought it might be cozy, ideas?
I love that all these ideas have lots of pantry storage!

OK, as I was searching for a picture showing what I was talking about with the banquette under the window, I saw this!

{{!gwi}}

I think it is so gorgeous and inviting. Could I have a galley style kitchen with this banquette at the end under the windows? Thoughts/ideas/problems?

I love that! I'm trying and can't say I'm getting to where I think the transition is fantastic, but here are a couple tries:

I prefer rhome's "A" sketch. I really don't care for the idea of people seated at the opposite end of the doorway, having to walk through the work area every time somebody wants a glass of water or a soda.

Nor would I underestimate how much it might cost to 'reduce' your existing venting. ANYTIME you break into walls, the $$$ rise proportionately. These days, when the payback for remodeling is so small, you would be better off avoiding any kind of structural change.

A pantry wall will give you an amazing amount of storage. We have a double pantry: two units totalling 3' wide, 2' deep, and 8' high. Unbelievable how much it can store!

Agreeing that is would be the least expensive, I was looking at "A" again and noticed that the fridge would block the seating from getting some of the light and window view...So I switched the fridge to the other side, which I think works better anyway. The counter extended to the left of the stove could be prep area, and/or a great snack/breakfast counter...Room for microwave, toaster, etc. by the little table.

jkom51- Thanks for your input, the table is really for socializing and in-kitchen seating. I don't think walking through the work area would be much of an issue with such a wide middle section. The problem with the A-2 scketch is still that there is no where for the venting. It would have to be reduced in any plan. With the layout of A-2, either we still reduce the venting ($$$), or move the fridge too close to the doorway.

Rhome- I still have to say that I love layout D. I could play with the pantry width and use it to hide what venting I do have as well. Maybe I would shorten the bench seating under the windows towards the garage wall and extend the counter top all the way to the windows. I love this plan alot!

I, too, have a 10 x 18 kitchen in a split. But we eat and hang out there--so---
Expanding on the first part of lazygardens' idea, I'd consider tucking in an undercounter fridge or fridge drawers. With 5, it would help greatly for snacks, yogurts, fruits, milk, juices--and when they are old enough, they can get their own stuff. One gw'er uses hers for sack lunches made the night before. That would keep traffic out of the prep area. Helpers could bring the drinks into the dining area/room while you cook.

For sitting, we will have a rectangular table jutting out from the cabinetry-which is your present b'fast nook.

I do love that banquette under the windows.

I can see the point of having seating within the kitchen, as I've always wanted some and see what you're trying to accomplish. And I left that overlap area in the SW corner of Plan D, because I wasn't sure how you'd transition in that corner from counter to seat, but I think I would prefer the counter to continue to the window wall, as you were saying.

BUT what I'm not seeing is why there is a venting problem with Plan A2, as the range isn't moved from its current location...? And I don't know how this affects the fridge? What am I missing about what you're saying?

Westsider- Do you have any pics or links to threads about your kitchen? I would love to see what you are doing with a similar sized kitchen! :)

Rhome- I was responding about Jkom's comment that reducing the venting hiding in the current pantry would be difficult and expensive. I was thinking about in regards to layout A-2, which with the fridge there would still require me reducing the venting. I still love layout D. I would definitely bring the sink run of countertop all the way to the window. I can also not worry about the venting because I can hide it in the pantry area. One reason that I think I love the idea of a banquette so much is that while there are lots of windows that let in gorgeous light, when you stand at the current sink, the view is not pretty. I face the side of my neighbour's house & all their pool machinery, obviously that is not something that's shown in the layout! ;) Having in-kitchen seating is important for me but also for future value, as is seems to be a necessity in our neighbourhood.

Rhome-Where would you suggest we put a micro, if we decide to have one? On the counter or under? maybe built into the pantry area? I also would love to have storage under the banquette seating for* very occasional* use items (holiday platters etc) I will try to upload some current actual photos!

No, sorry, I don't know how to post or even scan photos. And our kitchen won't be started until the end of Aug at the earliest.

I do have great plans drawn. I'll try to verbally describe. Kitchen is in the front, looking out to the street.

We have three doorways in the k, one to foyer, one to dr, and one is the back door. Entering from the foyer- is the cooking half of k-with cooktop, double ovens, sink, dw and peninsula-the peninsula kind of divides the k into halves. The fridge is a tad down on the double oven wall, 18' long.

I know, I know, the problem is where to dine. I thought we'd have to eat standing up!

So on the fourth wall, in the eating area, which is 10' long, and also has the back door, we will have floor to ceiling cabs built, about 15" deep. They will be slapped up on that now blank wall EXCEPT there will be a 31" wide space with only partial cabs on the top and bottom, and open to the wall. The wall opening will have the 30" side of a 30 x 66 rectangular table-kind of looking built-in. The table will jut out from the wall.

On the open part of that wall, will also be a flat tv. Just above the table will be two shelves spanning the 31" open space, and they will probably be 15" deep. I will put my laptop there and probably salt/p. The shelves may turn out to be a clutter collector.

Summarizing, four walls.

10' wall, doorway entry from foyer, has cooktop and otr mw with cabs.

18' wall has sink, dw, peninsula end, and three large windows. There are 17" between the end of the window and the tv wall.

18' wall has double ovens, fridge, 2 15" pantry pullouts, cabs. At the end of that wall is the doorway to the dining room. Just next to that doorway will be 4 feet of upper and lower cabs, giving us 4' of counter space.

The peninsula will stay but tucked into the end of the sink run, and facing the eating area, will be an undercounter fridge.--in what would otherwise be a dead corner.

And the fourth wall, 10', includes the back doorway to the outside, and the new cabs and tv and 30" side of dining table. I know I've been repetetive but I'm trying to be clear. oy oy

OH! I totally missed that vent's existence. In Plan A2, thought, couldn't it be masked in a structure (fake cabinet?) right beside the fridge? Although, if you like Plan D and it can work for your budget, that's great, too.

The microwave location depends on how you use it. Looking at D, it could be on the counter near the table area, or in the wall in the pantry, or to the left of the fridge (the fridge would have to scoot right a bit).

Sorry I missed your followup comments and questions until now!