I like the second design idea without uppers on the window wall. How about adding a cabinet that sits on the counter like the link below?

Here is a link that might be useful: Corner Cabinet Alternative

Are you sure the frig with the peninsula won't create a pinch point? Maybe not, since most people don't stand in front of the frig for extended periods of time; unless you have a teenage boy who can stare into that space for hours!

One question - what is the aisle width between the fridge and the end of your peninsula? From the top it looks a little narrow.

I like the idea of not wrapping the uppers around the corner. Leave the window wall without cabinets. Another suggestion is to make those end 24" cabinets 15" deep instead of the standard 12" and put glass in the doors. It does 2 things - it gives some interest/visual relief to the wall of cabinets and it makes the window appear as though it is continuing around the corner. Do that on both sides - the range wall and the fridge wall.

Generally, angled corner cabinets look best when the run continues on with another cabinet--sometimes they look odd when they're the last cab before the window. Do figure out what you need to store, though. Those cabs can be good for certain kinds of things.

A fridge that is either counter-depth or partly recessed would help your traffic pattern.

Much prefer the version without the corner uppers. More elegant without. I love how flatwater (in the link) designed his corner uppers to end at the counter. You can hide some counter top appliances in there if you want. Katieob is another example of someone who did that, but bumped the cab out to about 15" as blfenton explained. You can see her kitchen on the finished kitchen blog (FKB). It's a stunner!

I had a similar pinch point between peninsula and fridge in the old kitchen, but mine was a single door fridge. It can create a problem if someone likes to hang out at the fridge. Have you mocked it up to see how it feels IRL? It might not be an issue for you.

Thanks everyone! Great thoughts!

The fridge is a 24.8 cu ft French-door KitchenAid and the distance between fridge and peninsula is about 40 inches. Our contractor thinks he'll be able to recess the fridge 2-4 inches into that wall, but won't know for sure until he gets into the wall. So hopefully this won't be a choke point for us.

We also generally like the look of not having a corner cabinet. If we run the cabinets straight into the corner, we'll have about 15 inches of wall from the end cabinet to the window trim. Blfenton, does this change your thoughts on putting glass in that end cabinet since it will be a foot from the window even with the cabinet depth extended to 15 inches.

Luv2Laf, Blfenton, and breezygirl, those cabinets to the counter do look fantastic. Do you need to have a plan for what you would place in the cubby? My DH was planning to put a small tv on the counter in one of those corners.

One option that we're also considering is to have a true 90 degree corner cabinet there. It would only be a 12 inch cabinet on the window wall and there would still be 3 inches to the window trim. We think we like this look better than a corner cabinet (diagonal face) there and we'd still get some utility/storage with the cabinet.

Do you think the 90 degree angle on the corner cabinet would look good with a smallish cabinet on the window wall?

If we do run the cabinets into the corner and end them there, do you have any suggestions on what(if anything) to put on the walls next to the windows?

Also, any thoughts on the placement/desirability of the prep sink? Is a square sink better than a circular one there?

One other note to add is that we plan to put a circular window in the gable above the 3 casement window wall and possibly some exposed wood treatment/beams on the gable ceiling.

Thanks everyone for your help and keep those suggestions coming!!!

You should have a general plan where everything goes before you order.

I really think the diagonal uppers are not attractive. But it's your kitchen.

I thnnk square/rectangular prep sinks are almost always better. Unless you can find a really big one.

I think putting in glass, even though the cabinet is 12" from the window is still good. A foot isn't that big and it leaves the window area not feeling crowded and with the glass it will really feel open and spacious. (IMHO)

Don't know if your budget will contain it and don't know how it would fit with the other windows on the same elevation, but I would be thinking about changing out the window over the prep sink counter so that it matches the proportions of the sink windows. The sink windows are a bank of vertically-oriented ones and the prep sink one is horizontal, which is a design problem for me. If the other windows on that side of the building match the horizontal style, then I would try hard to use visual tricks inside the kitch to disguise the mismatch, or consider changing the overall proportions of the windows over the sink.

In general, I think people are too ready to consider the fenestration of a building on a room by room basis and wind up compromising the aesthetic unity of the whole building.

Other than that, I think you're in the home stretch - congratulations!

L

We have angled wall cabinets at the beach and I really don't like them. It's very hard to reach anything that's stored there. I like the layout without them. You may also want to consider having more drawers instead of base cabinets. They hold more and everything in them is easily accessible.

Either the 90-degree corner cabs or no cabs on the window wall are much preferable to me than the diagonals. Like Marcolo was saying, I think they look like connectors without something to connect to when there are not cabinets on each side...Plus I just don't like how the diagonal makes the cabinet hang out further over the counter, and the narrow opening for the deeper cabinet. Things get lost in the back.

As long as you have the 3" between the cabinet and the window trim, I think it'd be fine to have the corner cabinet wrap to that wall, even though no cabs on that wall makes it feel more open and spacious. I would let what you need for storage make the decision.

Thanks again for all your great input!

Here's our latest layout below including the following changes based on your suggestions:

1) running the cabinets to the window wall and ending there.

2) Extending the cabinet depth for the end cabinet (at window wall) to 15 (or 16) inches. The last cabinet before the window wall is 21 inches wide with 1.5 inch fillers on each side of that cabinet. The cabinets on the north (left) side run are 36 inches, 36 inches, and 21 inches. The cabinets on the south (right)side run are 21 inches, range hood, 21 inches, and 21 inches.

What do you think of this final plan? Is it ok without the glass and not having the final (extended depth) cabinet going down to the countertop? We need to order the cabinets by Thursday or Friday.

Do you have thoughts on 42 inch tall cabinets (with 2 inch trim) versus 39 inch tall (with 2 inch trim) cabinets? The 42 inch cabs with trim will pretty much go to the top of our 8 ft 2 inch starting wall height for our gable ceiling.

Thanks for your help!

It looks very functional and lovely to me : ) My only question is do you really think you'll use the prep sink? And do you think you'll have 3 people sitting at the bar? I don't think 3 will fit well at the bar with the sink. And IMHO those tiny bar sinks are well, tiny. What will you use it for?

Looks good.
Just a reminder to address the spacing between the end of the peninsula and the fridge with your GC.
And someone mentioned more drawers rather than cupboards. Your cabinetry in the peninsula looks like it is cabinets instead of drawers - is there a specific reason?
If you were to take a poll everyone here would say drawers, drawers, drawers.
If the aisle is an issue width wise - you could make your 36" cabinet in the peninsula down to 33". You shouldn't notice the loss in the cabinet space but you will notice the gain in aisle space.
Just a couple of thoughts.

Sorry - about the height of your cabinets. For me personally - my own taste is that I would probably do 39" cabinets with a bigger molding - 4" - but still keep it really simple. Like I said, pure personal preference in aesthetics. Look at lots of pictures and look at the tops of the cabinets and see which ones you like. I wouldn't leave a space up there or it will become a dust catcher - take it to the ceiling.

I agree with Blfenton about the cabinet height...39" with 4" molding to the ceiling.

The deeper cabinets at the window wall look fine to me. If you have use for the counter in the corner, you don't want to bring the cabinets down and mess that up. I think you have a good compromise for function still with nice form. For me there is no need for glass.

To me it looks the peninsula is deep enough to have the prep sink and the seating without a problem. If you go round, I'd try to have it at least 15 or 16" in diameter...Make sure your largest pot and colander fit with room for your hands/fingers. Square gives you a little more room...but also make sure it's large enough. Prep sink, not bar sink size.