Have you seen TSDiver's kitchen layout? If not, that's the first place to go. Basically, the wall where you have your sink would be the cooking wall -- range goes there. Prep sink opposite in the island, for a nice, tight, no-traffic prep zone. Fridge on the left wall where your range is now, and clean-up zone on the right wall.

I think it's everybody's absolutely favorite kitchen layout -- I know it's mine.

Sweeby and I think a like! I clicked on your layout came up with the same idea.

My kitchen is similar in size (21x16) and I'll attach my layout below in case you want a peak. I have said over and over again, my kitchen's layout is its best feature by far. I love that I can have someone rolling dough, someone doing dishes, someone getting a snack, someone cooking and people having a glass of wine ALL at the same time without any traffic jams. And its layout is pretty much the same as sweeby suggested for your kitchen.

BTW, sweeby was one of the people who helped design my layout 2 yrs ago. She's on of this board's true experts.

Here is a link that might be useful:

hmmm... can't really move the range to the sink wall. there is a bank of three windows there and i need a hood... i don't love the idea of the main sink against a solid wall w/out windows... i think i probably have to have it drawn out to illustrate.

You can put the range or rangetop there - you put one to three windows to each side of the range instead of clustering 3 or 5 in the center. It's just as dramatic and you get a bit better light distribution.

Somehow I feel like I'm about to lecture a puppy. Your enthusiasm for the plan comes through clearly. But...

YOU face the prep area or the cooking area most of the time. You will be looking at blank walls. I think we all carry this cherised inner view of spending hours at the sink (is it advertising or what?), but with the exception of some farm families, we just don't. With two dishwashers, doing the dishes should take ten-fifteen minutes? Your design priorities the view OF THE KITCHEN for passersby instead of the use of the room or making you or your family more comfortable. I have no problem with people doing just that if that's your goal, but it doesn't seem to be.

If you scrape plates into the trash (not using a garbage disposal), you might consider having a second smaller trash can with a lid near the dishwashers and on the same side as the dishwashers. This is so you don't block access by having the dishwashers and an opposing trash pullout open at the same time.

The prep, cooking and food storage might be better clustered closer together. This is what Sweeby and Alku are hinting at. I wouldn't care for the 18 foot walk if I forgot the mustard. (Of course, that's partly because I know I forget that kinda stuff all the time. As somebody else said, my ref is a shrine to condiments.)

You have some lovely space going. Maybe consider cleanup on the right with a passthru/window into the porch? It can terminate in a nice hutch-like area for dish storage. Food and stuff storage on the left, cooking and prep straight ahead (island plus back wall). Cleanup can function as add'l prep space if needed.

Can anyone link to TSDiver's layout? I can't find it on FKB.

Scroll down about half way and you'll see a full view of her beautiful kitchen. It isn't in the FKB. When you can't find a kitchen there; just do a search at the bottom of the front page and look through the links. Usually, you'll find what you need. HTH

Here is a link that might be useful: TSDiver's awesome kitchen

Thanks, remodelfla!

Here's a photo of TSDiver's kitchen in progress. You can see the range straight back (under the cardboard) with a gorgeous focal point hood and windows on either side. Fridges and pantry on the left, clean-up area on the right. I wish I could find the floorplan, which shows the fabulous functionality so clearly -- Hope the photo will do. Picture yourself cooking in this fabulous kitchen! Trace your imaginary steps. See how nice and cozy the work triangle is? Yet still so spacious and open? Now do the same steps in your proposed kitchen. It makes me tired just imagining those hikes ;-)

I was kind of in a hurry last night, so didn't explain myself well -- But BMore said exactly what I was thinking. You've put the aesthetic pleasure of people walking past the kitchen ("Oh look at the pretty windows!") over the pleasure you as the cook will get working in the space.

The cook spends the majority of his/her time in the prep and cooking zone(s), so IMO, those places should be fabulous -- airy, open, nice views, highly functional, protected from foot traffic, yet not isolated from the family. That's what makes an island facing out into the family room or seating area a fabulous place to work. And you've got one of those.

Similarly, the most functionally-natural place to prep is on the run of countertops between the sink and the range. Picture yourself making veggies -- Fridge to sink, wash, chop/peel/trim, rinse, then to range for cooking. In your plan, that run of countertop is a huge U that puts you facing the wall (or sometimes the window -- great view?) but with your back to your family. The island could be a good prep space, but with no prep sink, it's not that useful. (You said it yourself - barrier?)

If you've got the flexibility in your build, try splitting up the windows and putting your range there. Or enlarge the windows, raising the center window to a clerestory and put a hood with a narrow top right in front of the window.

Seriously, the functional benefits of this layout will amaze you, and it'll still be gorgeous for those passersby.

thank you so much sweeby, alku and bmorepanic! i know you're right... i'm going to include a prep sink in the island. it needs it. i've always prepped on my island in our old house. i can't split the windows now, unfortunately. dh, architect, builder will KILL me. plus i know it sounds ridiculous but i have to be honest: i WANT the sink under the bank of three windows facing the back. we have a really nice yard.
so now i'm thinking prep sink goes opposite range in the island next to wall oven. now i have a clear path and shorter distance between range, sink and fridge. how big is prep sink? do i get another shaw's or can i use a stainless undermount? is the turbo chef oven ok next to sink?? i'm loving this...

Does anyone know if there is a link that shows the floor plan for TSDivers kitchen? I'm working up the nerve to post my ideas here and have been learning so much but that kitchen looks great and somewhat similar to what I am planning.
Kateskouros- we are just starting new construction too with a 171/2 x 28 kitchen. Very exciting but overwhelming too- this forum is great for getting ideas.
Good Luck to you.

Slide the range down towards the windows a bit and move the ref to the end of the range run. Turbo would be good in the island then - its what you're using as a micro, right?

Perhaps also consider changing the orientation of island and the seating....

fridge and freezer are separate units. i want the 12' run of space to function as a breakfast prep/fast food area. fridge and freezer have a counter between them with top and bottom cabs. microwave is there with toaster oven, coffee maker, toaster (small appliances). the turbo chef can't really be used as a microwave. i'll have to post layout once cabinet maker begins drawing. i'm trying to remain patient but it's hard to really get everything down without them. sorry... i'll post them as soon as i see something!

Kate, is there any way for you to sketch out the idea you have for your kitchen, because everyone else must be getting it, but I got lost at "the range will sit center between two windows" in your description...The range isn't on the window wall, as you've clearly said you don't want, so I don't know how it's centered between 2. Sorry to be so dense this morning.

As I get older I get more visual and would really like to see what you have in mind. I'm certainly in agreement that a kitchen this size will almost surely benefit from a prep sink...so that's a good addition.

oh rhome, you're not dense at all... the layout i posted is old and doesn't show the two windows situated on the wall right of the sink, looking out onto the outside patio. i'm going to start leaning on the cabinet guy, but in the meantime i'll try and put a sketch together myself. my kids are home with me now but are off to camp on monday so hopefully i can do it then... if not sooner! i know what you mean though. i'm very visual and can't even bother to read a post like mine without an illustration! ...and someone please tell me how i can post responses without changing the title?

My kitchen is not as large as yours, but is essentially a U shaped kitchen with an island. With a larger kitchen you can certainly incorporate your island seating instead of the breakfast Bar that I have. I have 2 trash/recycling cabinets, one next to each sink. My actual island is a bit bigger than the one in the layout.

I had help with this plan from Sweeby and others last year when I was planning my new construction kitchen. One of these days i'll get around to posting the finished kitchen!

Here's my layout:

No other way to post closely together but to change post titles...Just put anything and we'll know why! ;-) Sometimes I get belligerent and write things like "stupid title just so I can post again."

As a complement to the beauty-in-function idea ... there is also a lot to be said for function-in-beauty: smiling every time you enter your kitchen. I know, Cameron's (wonbyherwits) sink wall is magnificent, with those two hutches resting on the countertop. There is just something so visually appealing about it ....

mnhockeymom wrote that now, months after her reno was completed, she still pauses every morning when she enters the kitchen; she still caresses her marble countertops; she still smiles. She has three children, so like you, like me, and like a lot of us here, we spend a disproportionate amount of our day in the kitchen!

You were part of that (kind) thread when I finally found my marble and then had apoplexy at the cost. That's where mnhockeymom told about how much she loves her countertop. So I went for it and you know what? I am so grateful I spent the extra because it's true -- walking into that kitchen, working in that kitchen every single day (what feels like) all day long makes me so happy, kateskourous!

When you wrote that you want your clean-up sink under the bank of windows, facing your backyard, that may be your version of my marble (substitute "impractical" for "expensive"). Maybe it'll be a little impractical but every time you walk into your kitchen, you'll smile. Every time you're rinsing sippy cups (or whatever), watching your children play in the yard, you'll smile.

From reading other posts of yours about the material(s) you're planning on using, your kitchen is going to be v. pretty. And since you're planning on using marble on your island, I think I'm inclined to suggest you go with another Shaw's -- I think it won't interrupt the eye as much as a stainless bowl. (but not as large as your clean-up sink -- how big is the prep sink in your current kitchen?)

I don't know if you've seen our kitchen, but we also have separate 30" fridge and freezer units (we have the Thermador columns) and I love what you have planned for them! That is so brilliant to put all your small appliances over with them and it'll look great, the symmetry. However, are you sure you can't achieve the same function by having refrigerator drawers there and your main fridge in the u portion of the kitchen? I don't know how you cook (for example, we're strict vegetarians), but because we eat so much produce it's nice (for us) having the fridge part of our u. (Our freezer is with the pantry, but our kitchen isn't so large so it's really all part of a whole.) We also have refrigerator drawers in another part of the kitchen and find it really handy to keep children's things there. (Our four year-old can open the drawers himself, which is turning out to be a real boon!)

Anyway, that may not be an issue for you for myriad reasons, but I did want to bring it up.

It'll be fun to see what you come up with. Based on everything I've read, it's going to be lovely.

Here's what I would do: leave the sink facing the backyard. Put the ovens, MW and refrigerator on that short wall; put the cooktop on the back wall; eliminate the leg of the U that backs to the family room and open that wall so that you have a combined family room/kitchen. Re-orient the island to face into the family room and give it a nice large, curved overhang for island seating and a prep sink.

thanks so much rmkitchen; but have we seen your finished kitchen yet? i hope i haven't missed it. and i've selected the thermador towers as well. for now i'm thinking i can make due without a set of refrigerator drawers since we'll have a bar fridge in addition to another small sink. we're not big drinkers so it would mostly be used for kid snacks and beverages. subtle hint: still waiting to see your finished kitchen in all it's creamy white glory!

sarschlos: i have a baking center, desk and wet bar on the wall to the great room... plus, it's a very formal space. we don't want to see it from the kitchen. thanks for the ideas anyway.

Hey, I found a copy of tsdiver's proposed kitchen plan. Let's see if this works.

Here is a link that might be useful: tsdiver

better yet, tsdiver just posted the layout herself as:
Tsdiver's layout

I have two comments.

One, regarding TSdiver's kitchen - I wonder if she encountered the same problem I did with a lofted ceiling and upper cabinets that did not reach the ceiling. My cabinets arrived with unfinished tops. I am paying another $950 to have tops put on the uppers that have exposed tops so that they can be wiped clean easily and things can be nicely placed on top for display if I want. Something my KD had NO CLUE to offer me as an option! I was shocked and furious to see basically a bowl of unfinished wood and exposed wall shims, etc. when I happened to climb on my counters for another reason. Buyer be informed!

Comment two is to show the OP another option for possibly having her sink on the blank wall and her range on the wall with windows. Just something to think about.

Here is one of my sinks, with a pretty mosaic backsplash instead of a window.

Here is my 48" rangetop with windows on each side (my second sink is under one of the windows, but I will be using the Sunflower sink as my primary cleanup sink.)

Good luck with your planning and especially with construction!