I don't usually see the need to swap out a fridge for a CD model. If it sticks out and cuts into a walk way I'd do it if I could financially. I would allow extra inches around it (even if a filler is needed) in case a future fridge is wider. the corners - I agree with rhome on being consistent with whichever type you use. I do think the diagonal corners cut into your space - makes it much more difficult to reach into those corners! The upper diagonals put the cab door smack in your face and give too deep of storage- where things are lost in the back. alternate upper corner cabinet - the pantry - I think it's fine and space like that can always be used. you can use the different doors/shelf areas to separate types of items - like canned goods in one, breakfast and other dry goods in another, 1 for baking supplies, 1 for snack items/juice/soda and /or water bottles. Unless you have a definite need for a counter space closer to the dining area I'd keep it as is. I don't think it's too big. doorways - foyer - I don't see the need for a wider doorway there (am I missing something?). will there be a closet in the foyer? DR/LR doorway - that might be a good idea to check out. make sure your table will fit thru the doorway w/seating also. or you might just set up another table in the LR lined up with the doorway. We did that at my sister's for holidays - there was a large archway between her eating area and her LR so we put another table in her LR running up to the archway so both tables were close together. It was a 'T' arrangement. base cabinets - drawers, drawers and more drawers!! why so few drawers? it looks like it'll be a big, beautiful kitchen with lots of cabinets and counter space! I'd put in more lower drawers tho.

florantha - yes, I would want to protect the range from traffic more than in that last layout. The suggestions of opening up the long wall on the left are interesting, I don't think they are right for our family. We do want to keep a table in the kitchen and upon reflection, I don't really want the kitchen completely open to the family room since a little separation is nice when friends are over and the kids are watching a movie in there. I do think that the thoughts are ideas that could inspire other readers in their own planning. I am leaning toward option C (last) in the original post, but I am a little hesitant about the fridge location. I like it along the back wall because it leaves the sides of the room more open, giving more of a feeling of connection to the family room and to the outside through the window on the right wall. The room is long and my idea was to place the bulky fridge to shorten the room, not narrow it. Placing the fridge on the back wall in the corner also allows room for a bigger (deeper) fridge without interfering with traffic in the room - I'd like to maximize my fridge space without going to the expense of a large built in. But I also know that it's preferable to have the fridge on the perimeter of the kitchen. The proposed location would not drive traffice through the prep and cooking area, but perhaps it's still a bad plan? Feedback would be appreciated. For Layout C, the shallow pantry on the left side of the room is 12" cupboards, the space from there to the island is 41", the island is 41" wide, and the space from the island to the cleanup sink is 48". I've pulled the counters on the back wall so that the counters would be 30". Sorry not to have added these dimensions to the drawings.

I'm just talking out loud - maybe some stuff applies and maybe it doesn't. I'm looking at the 42" aisles - they are less than the recommended minimum of 48" for a multi-cook kitchen. Some people are sensitive to stuff like that and some aren't. But I think about what cooking with each other AND the swarm in the aisles would be like ... People take the shortest route all the time - its not necessarily the same as the route that would make you happiest. So, there is a certain pile-up of stuff that clogs the route to other stuff - again a little uncertain of "The Way of The Swarm". BUT the ref and the drinks ref create a pile-up on the dining room side, clogging that aisle. The same clog might explode through the work area if DW doors are open and get in the way of table setting operations. People setting the table would need to be under extreme duress (aka, parental intimidation) to walk the dishes around the outside edge of the island instead of cutting through the work zone to the informal dining. It makes for a challenge. I'd be tempted to go more like the below (just an idea). It sorta shows two island shapes, one dotted, one solid - and it certainly would need more thought. So - instead of butler's pantry, I'm thinking scullery. Dish storage can be in wall cabinets above the sink and in one section of the pantry if you've got a lot. The ref moves back out into the perimeter and becomes twins with a nice fat aisle in front - complete with micro for reheating leftovers or melting sandwiches. It has 3 decent work areas plus a 4th in the scullery. It does not solve the cut through traffic to the informal dining, but takes away some of the strain in the aisle. The scullery can be devoted to a bar without impacting the main kitchen. The pantry area can certainly be enclosed and either look like this or push the doorway back over almost to the dining room wall and have one wall of regular cabinets and one wall of 12" deep shelves. It might help start some other thoughts. I'd also try an "L" shape with the leg on the dining side (runs away)

My concern is aisle widths. The width between the island and the right hand side is 3'1" (37"). If this doesn't take into account counter you will be down to perhaps 34" aisle width when subtracting potential counter overhang from both sides. I'm assuming you have kids given the homework room and I can envision (may not happen - you know your routines better than me that's for sure) a traffic spot that may require traffic lights and that is the area that comes out of the homework room (and whatever other rooms are down the hall) and into the kitchen or through to the dining room, coming down the stairs and into the kitchen and also standing at the beverage center. The other area of concern is the seating at the top of the table. The aisle width is 4'5" but if someone is trying to sit down and then sitting down they need about 2-3' to do that. It will be tough to walk behind them and you won't beable to open the DW. There's just no breathing room or air in this space. The room can't take a deep breath. But not my space.