Be sure to post your 1st floor plans on the kitchens forum for good layout feedback. For example: Most prep is done between the fridge and cooktop, and your counters near there are all short and broken up (unless that's a single under-counter oven on the cooktop wall - not sure.) Please don't build the lower wall next to your cooktop/range. It will limit your landing space and I don't see the purpose. The cooktop in that space without the lower wall will be much more practical. (Imagine taking a big pot off the stove... where can you put it? Not next to the stove - the walls are in the way.) Once that wall is gone I'd move the range a bit down the wall so it's farther from the upper wall. Your island is a barrier between the sink and the fridge (for washing fruit, veggies, etc.) It would be great to have a prep sink in the island for that. Also, if someone is sitting at the island, you won't have landing space for the fridge. Consider having the island overhang in an L shape: right side and part of bottom. Left of bottom is landing space for fridge and room for prep sink. Sitting at an L means people can speak to each other more easily than if they were all in a line. I'd offset the pantry door to one side or the other so it doesn't break up your cabinet / fridge run. That way you'll get landing space next to the fridge. I'd probably put it on the right (in the picture) so the fridge is closer to the range, but that depends on whether you access pantry items more frequently than fridge items while cooking. Not sure if your ovens are in the best spot. The ovens limit that space and right now open into the opening between the front hall and kitchen, which is likely more traveled than the opening between kitchen and DR. I think I'd prefer to have the ovens in the upper left corner and leave a nice long counter run by the cooktop. I hope you're planning on all or mostly drawers for your lower kitchen cabinets. Great for access and organization. (See thread below.) Here is a link that might be useful: Drawers vs pull out shelves

Thank you all for taking the time to ponder this along with me! OK... my countertops are actually very nice. Silestone, and replaced about 6 years ago. The appliance remodel I am planning involves an induction cooktop, wall oven that I plan to install under the counter, an new counter depth frig that I plan to get the side panels to make it look built in and I was planning on an Advantium to be placed in the alleged island. Since I was rearranging my existing cabs and purchasing through Home Depot the pieces I need to match my cheapo Millspride cabinets, I have to change the countertops. Hence... came the thought of getting soapstone which I love and thougth would tie in the floor. I was obviously going to change the backsplash to some kind of mini brick/subway tile in glass... something with color and irridescant? I have several thoughts on that but that's another thread I guess. I was even thinking that I could move that drawer unit on the half wall to the end of my cabinet run leading to the sliding door and take out the cabinent/door currently next to the DW. The other option was to use the drawer unit where my range currently is and have it house the induction cooktop. All this requires some rearranging of existing cabs. I have several more options. One more is to buy a 33" base that could replace where my range is and house the 30" induction cooktop and wall oven underneath. My problem is still... can I or do I take out the half wall. I think I can do my island in Ikea for under $1500. As I said prior, I wanted to take out that half wall that separates my kitchen and family room and build a bar with an extension for eating. I guess that would be one thing I could hold off on. Sorry for the long ramble... sometimes I find writing things out to be very cathartic!

FYI...our KD told us that no sink that you want to actually use as something other than a hand washing sink should be any less than 12" in each direction...and more is better. Our prep sink is 15-3/4" square (interior) and I would not want anything any smaller in either direction. That said, what about the: Ticor S815: Interior Dimensions: 15" x 14" x 8" or Ticor S3630: Interior Dimensions: 14" x 15-1/2" x 8" Both look like they would fit in an 18" deep cabinet as long as you oriented them appropriately in the cabinet.

If you don't want to move the appliances too much, I would keep what you have, but get rid of the peninsula. It seems nice in theory, but it blocks your main traffic pattern, through the room. The fridge looks too close to the dining room door. I would move it down as far as possible, towards the foyer entrance. Since you are so tight on workable counter space, I would rethink the pantry. I would replace it with base cabinets and an upper cabinet, which if perfect for cereal and canned foods. Large, bulky items can always be stored in the banquette...like big serving dishes, rarely used appliances, etc. The microwave, by the fridge, is a good idea. You might want to relocate the pull out trash bin, to this area, too. You could always have a smaller trash, under the sink. Have you seen the pull out drawers you can put under sinks, rather than a standard cabinet? That might work well, in your space. Since you only have one sink, I would make it a bigger one and use a bigger cabinet. You still have room for the dishwasher and now, your lazy susan, which will also store a lot. Here's a link to Sarah Richardson's farmhouse kitchen (HGTV). If you scroll down, you can see a few pictures of the cabinet under the sink. Hope this helps :) Here is a link that might be useful: Sarah's farmhouse kitchen