That's a gorgeous kitchen! ... love the sink, all the marble, the floors, hood, sink, sconces and pendants. The built-in between the kitchen and DR is stunning. The cabinets are lovely ... what color and wood species are they?

I agree that the layout isn't very functional ... don't these architects hire kitchen designers? I'm totally not getting the island next to the sliding doors ... doesn't that get in the way?

Is there any way to see a closer view of the kitchen layout with dimensions? I agree with you that you definitely need an island with a prep sink. There's a lot of wasted space between the sink and the island, and I don't like that it looks like a main traffic route right through your work area. Where do the doors on each side of the stove go to? Can one of those doors be eliminated? You could then center your stove on that wall, lengthen your island while adding a prep sink, and move your fridge to the left of your stove.

This is just a quick stab at what I'm talking about:

I agree with erikanh, but I would want some type of access from the kitchen to the grilling deck, if that use will stay the same. If you have access there, I would put a micro drawer in the new, larger island. I would also have more lighting, it could just be the effect of the large beams, but the room looks a little dark.

The decorative aspect of the kitchen is very nice. I love the cabinets and materials. But the kitchen plan is a mess.
I would start with a floorplan with everything inside blanked out except where the existing plumbing is. Try moving things around. Start with a classic work triangle and expand the ideas from there.

jberg, good catch. The microwave isn't at all convenient in that location, far from both the stove and fridge.

The doors to the grilling deck are still there, they're just hard to see because of that weird island thingie blocking them. It looked dark to me too but I noticed that the pendants, sconces, and recessed cans were all off when these photos were taken.

I would want to move the stove to the back wall, where it is less accessible (without being in a traffic path), with the sinks and cleanup area more accessible to an eating area. In Erika's plan, I'd put the fridge where the coffee cupboard (?) is, the sink where the stove is, and some beautiful dish storage where she has the fridge...and move the prep sink to the corner by the new fridge location...Which may negate any need for one by the door. This makes the fridge handy to the stove and the grill patio, as well as leaving it accessible to those outside the kitchen without disturbing the cook.
The other option, if you really want the main sink by windows (which I understand), would be to redesign the outside wall so that the sink/cleanup area can fit there, but still have the stove on the back wall.

I think the one large island plan makes too much of a barrier. I wouldn't want to be walking around and around it. Do you need the island for storage? Part of what makes the model so pretty is being able to see through the legs of the table and butcher block, and seeing the contrast between the dark floor and white legs.

If there were a way to fit the range near the grilling deck side you could use the same workflow for either. Don't know if it'll work. Just an idea.

which are you calling the 'back' wall? by the hallway?

maybe that doorway needs to be there for coming in from the garage? maybe the other door into the hallway can go away tho?
it wouldn't be many more steps to do away w/both doors into the hallway and make the doorway where she has the stove. depending on what can be changed easily enough.

i'm not sure what's the fridge in the first LO (on the wall by the hall?) if so, I'd keep it there and put stove on wall to exterior (wall where deck door is). there's room there for more counter space going toward the deck door.

there's probably enough room there for the wall ovens also w/ counter for landing.

I'd leave the right end of the kitchen open for movement to deck, dining, hallway.

Hopefully, this size will be better. It's hard to read, but it's 19'2" by 14'6".

Across the hall is the laundry area, and bordering it is the dining space.

I'm sketching out the many ideas right now, so I'll get back to you on those. Thanks for the feedback!

"Back wall" in my post (where I want to move the range) is the one where the sink is now shown...So if you're facing the kitchen from the dining area, it is in the 'back'...Protected, a nice workspace for the cook without any need for others to walk through it. Also, in my alternative option, I referred to 'outside wall', which I understand is also unclear, and that meant the one toward the barbecue patio.

In the LO, the fridge is the one on the interior wall. (easily confused since they have the little mini bar thing on the exterior wall.)

Believe it or not, they call this the "chef's dream kitchen." Pretty, but a nightmare.

I hadn't thought of closing off one of the interior doorways. Now that I do, I'm worried about closing the one on the left of the LO only because it would give me fast access between the kitchen and laundry. (I work so I tend to do both things at the same time in the evenings.)

Do you think the deck would be hard to access if we closed off part of that area and did a single french door somewhere on that wall? Would that be awkward while carrying things in and out. (The dining and family rooms have full walls of doors for other traffic, but...)

I, too, love the look of the open island, but I'm really worried about the lack of cabinet space. They had two DWs (sides of sink), which really hurt their cabinet space. We'd just have one, but for the size of the room...that's not a lot of space.

If we were to shift most of the triangle to the Left of the LO, would you leave the right open or use if for secondary dining? I hate to have total dead space.

I think if we moved the stove to the left exterior wall, I'd want to rework something so we still had windows on that wall. It was really nice to walk in from any doorway and see out. But, perhaps 2 on the sides of the hood would be better?

One thing I've sketched (not to scale, so it's hard to tell): If I put the stove where the minibar is (exterior wall) and lengthen that wall by dropping it down to one singe door, I could move the island up so it's closer to everything and put a hutch type cabinet where the stove is. But, then, I'm not sure where the prep sink would go/if I'd need one. If we did a half open/half closed island, the MW could go there.

The biggest thing I can see is I'd change the island to more of a closed cabinet type (for better storage) and I'd move the prep sink there where it would be more convenient to the range. I don't see a need for a sink near an oven though, so that is not a problem. I would get rid of that odd cabinet in front of the doors to the outside! that is just really in such a strange place. The large opening is so pretty, but that cabinet is stuck right in the middle. Very odd.

I wanted to add one more thing. I like what erikanh did with eliminating one of those doors on either side of the range. If you can also move the appliances like she suggests it would be very good, but I know moving the hood may be very expensive because of the vent pipe. But even closing off one door and leaving the range where it is would add much more landing space next to the range. Currrently there is just not much space on either side of the range for food prep or to set hot pans.

There have been quite a few kitchens posted here with windows flanking the range hood. It's a very cool look and nice to look past the stove to the outside, and nice for working at those side counters.

thx rhome - yes, that is what i was asking. I thought you might mean where the sink is but wasn't sure.

i think a window on either side of the stove would be great!

if you're working in the kitchen and going back and forth to laundry - you'd be at the working end of kitchen - right? then just run out that door, make a jog and presto! laundry room. the opening to kit across from laundry is to the right end/open end.

I think you could still get that island up closer to sink etc. maybe with a round area on the right end of it for sitting. someone posted pics of theirs island like that on here - it's on p1. you could have drawers on either side of the island.

and put a prep sink on the far side (closer to exterior wall) so someone could prep there - or put the prep sink to the right of the stove (depending on space).

is there enough space on ext wall for that w/o changing to single door? I think the double doors are a good thing there.

put wall oven where stove is now with some counter/cabs next to it. with that door closed off you'd have the space.

for myself, I'd put the wall oven to the right of the stove.
the prep sink on the stove side of the island and the bar where the stove is now.