The plan shows a counter depth refrigerator but most refrigerators are much deeper. That will be a constriction point. If you get a full depth fridge you can move the island out a bit in both directions.

Currently the dishwasher door conflicts with the cooktop.A person standing at the cooktop will have to move if someone wants to open the DW. Some people also leave theirs open (? don't get this, but they insist this is a good thing) and that would be impossible in that location.

I consider switching the refrigerator and the ovens. Right now, the refrigerator is "outside" the kitchen proper.

You also have a lot of counter space next to the current refrigerator location and I am not sure how much that will be used. You need set down space, but that is a long run of counter in a not very useful location. If the ovens were there it could be used for baking and the in-kitchen pantry could also be made a bit larger in that direction.

I would consider putting the second microwave in the lower right hand corner of the drop zone. Actually more convenient to the breakfast area in that location.

On the dishwasher we will have dish drawers which we won't leave out, but yes that is a good point about location.

Hmm..moving the refrigerator and oven. The idea of the counterspace beside the refrigerator is a place to put together sandwiches and salads which we don't usually need to cook anything. We are not big bakers so the oven will be used more for the Advantium than anything else.

I will look at the depth of the refrigerator. I could possibly move the island another bit toward the breakfast room (but not where it would get in the way of the entry to the drop zone).

Can't put the microwave in the lower right hand of the drop zone as that is where we will have a bench and cubbies (although I like that location otherwise but the whole point of the drop zone is to have bench, hooks and cubbies there).

Your description of how you cook (or not) sounds like us.

I like the idea of a second micro in the pantry. Just get a small one to conserve space..... For us, our pantry micro is conveniently located near the fridge (for reheating. ;)) It's also convenient since we micro things that are stored in the pantry itself.

Overall, I think your kitchen layout looks good. RE: the cooktop butting up to the DW:

We have large aisles between our island and perimeter. Our DW side has 56" (53 from the counters) and there is plenty of space to have the DW door open and cabinets open on the other side. I think others would argue they enjoy narrower walkways, but I am throwing the idea out since your family & my family cook similarly. Our kitchen/island is also oriented the same as yours.... facing the living room/TV wall. I think you could move the island up to a foot towards the living room.

You didn't ask about the rest of the house, but I hope you are open to some thoughts/suggestions.... :)

* Our master is next to the great room area, like yours. It is fine for normal days, but it can be loud in our room when we have guests over. If anyone sleeping in the master bedroom in your home is a light sleeper, consider making it more sound proof. We put insulation in our interior master walls, which helped. I wish we had doubled-up the sheet rock, though. From what I've read, that would also absorb some sound. Last, if your bedroom door isn't solid, consider paying a bit extra to make it solid to also absorb sound.

* Along the same route, consider flipping the orientation of the second bathroom (as in ..... move the toilet/sink from the top wall to the bottom wall...... you would also have to move where the door opens, but no big deal.) I think this could help a bit with plumbing noises in your bedroom.

Lolauren has a good point about sound-proofing your MB especially with the TV along the joining wall. Our set-up is like this as well, I go to bed early to read and DH stays up to watch the sports news - I reeeally wish we had soundproofed the joining wall.

I'm just learning a new term here: "drop zone" but not sure if it's a walk-through closet or something else. We sure needed a designated spot for library books, items headed to cabin or camper or grandma's house &c and ended up putting them in new lobby closet and in a furniture piece next to outside door. But that's stuff that's dropped while heading OUT. What about stuff heading IN? In your drawing, if the route from garage to rest of house goes through drop zone then through kitchen to center of house, do mail & newspaper enter here? In our family, being non-compulsives, items often don't stop at any drop zone--the entropy migrates into the kitchen island unless there is another plunk space somewhere along route. Because that end of your island is also the sink area which can be wet or used for kitchen-related stuff, I would be wary of allowing plunk items from outside the kitchen to go there, so where will such things go?

Is there a "message center" somewhere in fam room-kitchen area?

Lolauren

I could move the island a bit closer to the family room...but I'm taking about 1 to 1 1/2 ft width from the fmaily room to move the master bedroom wall in a bit so that bedroom 3 opens to the hallway rather than to the family room. So doing that not sure I have room to move out the island although I do like that idea.

And, yes, we are going to do some soundproofing for our bedroom.

Florantha

Drop Zone --

The counter that is near the D in drop zone while be a counter with cabinet beneath it. Basically a place to drop keys/mail, that kind of thing.

The area to the right of the door from the garage is more a mud room type concept -- will be a bench with hooks and some cubbies to keep shoes, jackets, etc.

Just to update. Taking into account feedback here and on my building a home forum we are thinking of the following kitchen modifications:

1. Move the refrigerator to where the oven/Advantium currently is (it will be counter depth refrigerator.

2. Move the oven to the wall where the refrigerator is now but place it next to the pantry

3. Make the pantry larger by recessing it into the garage by a couple of feet.

4. Move the island about 10" close to the family room.

5. Add 1' depth to the kitchen to have better clearance from the pantry to the island.

I am opening to adding a bit more square footage to the kitchen if necessary but hope this will be enough.