You've really got a very good layout, although I would make two minor comments: 1) move the prep sink to the end of the island closer to the refrigerator (you already have a water source at the "top" of the island - i.e. the cleanup sink - so put the other sink where its needed), and 2) I know your friend recommended a DW drawer for glasses - I used to have DW drawers, and while I believe they may have changed the interior layout, I found them to be awful for glasses. I'm just suggesting you take some glasses to the store and actually try the layout before making that decision.

Hard to tell without dimensions, but your trash cab looks wider than the DW (standard 24"). That's a lot of trash space! Even with recycle in the same pullout, do you need it so big? Since most trash cans aren't as tall as a base cabinet, you can either put a drawer above, or a shelf inside, for trash bags or paper bags.

I assume you're putting a super susan in the corner. It seems you have a lot of storage space, especially with the pantry. I suggest eliminating the corner susan, and putting drawers on both sides. If the trash cab shown is, in fact, more than 24" wide, you could cut it to 18", and have another 18" stack to the right. I find that a handy size for bags and wraps, dish towels, a knife drawer.

I don't know much about giant fridges, but make sure you can fully open the doors if it's against the wall.

I think a pocket door would be more convenient on the pantry than a swing door.

Thanks for the comments!

sjhockeyfan - We will definitely be moving the prep sink to the other end of the island...good call! And we will head to Friedman's with glasses in hand to check out the DW drawer.

annkh - We haven't talked to our cabinet maker yet...I was guessing about the size of the trash/recycle cab, so thanks for the info. I was so glad you suggested eliminating the super susan...I'm really not a fan of corner cabs and would much prefer drawers. I neglected to mention that we have included a 9" full height pullout between the fridge and the wall to allow the fridge door to open completely. Agreed on the pocket door for the pantry...thanks!

What will be in your pantry? Food for snacking, or food that will need prepping (food storage)?

I ask because, if it is food for snacking/already prepped, keeping the door as you have it can be fine. You grab what you need and go.

But, if it is bulk ingredients, canned goods, other food that will need prepping, I'd want the pantry door to open the other way--from the kitchen, rather than from the eating/living side) so I can grab what I need and close the door without walking "around" the door. (see what I mean?)

One suggestion is definitely plan to put trash by your prep sink. Actually depending on what kind of recycling pick-up you have or if you compost, put a compost trash bucket by or under your prep sink.

We don't compost but a year after we finished our kitchen our district instituted compost pick-up (food, peelings etc) and that wasn't planned for in my kitchen reno.

Your kitchen layout looks remarkably similar to mine, although mine is smaller. My pantry is in the angled corner.

Plan close-up

And when (almost) completed:

I had really wanted two DWs, but couldn't make both fit on the cleanup sink wall if I still wanted that dish hutch and sink centered on the window. The second DW lost. I also thought about a DW drawer for the island next to the prep sink, but knew the storage space there for prep items was much too valuable.

Without seeing a graphed or other drawing of your space with measurements, I suggest putting two DWs flanking the cleanup sink instead of the DW drawer for glasses at the prep sink. Glasses won't be dirtied at the prep sink anyway, right? You'll have plenty of prep utensils, prep bowls, etc that you'll dirty there. Personally, I wouldn't want someone invading my prep zone just to stick a dirty glass in a DW drawer. That's what the cleanup sink is for and why the zones are separated. Your DW also takes away very valuable prep zone storage.

I cook a lot and extensively from scratch. We compost most food scraps also, but I would not want to be without a trash pullout in the prep zone. I would hate to drag a blood meat package across the aisle from the prep zone to the trash by the cleanup sink. With the trash and recycling next in the prep zone, I just twist to my left, dump, and move on.

As for moving your prep sink south on your layout, I recommend leaving a good landing space on the end. Another part of my layout that makes cooking so easy and functional is the large landing space on the island end near my fridge and pantry. When I begin cooking, I pull out ingredients from fridge and pantry and park them on the end of the island there. Then I move to my prep zone with cutting board to start prep. When I need the garlic and onions, I reach or sometimes take one step right to grab them. The leftover garlic cloves go back in the garlic bowl and I set it back in the landing area while grabbing whatever else I need. I LOVE this system as it keeps the food items I'm not using out of my way, but close. And putting unused ingredients back into fridge or pantry is quick and easy.

My island is 2" shorter than yours. I highly recommend my island setup for your kitchen. From top to bottom on your drawing, I'd do

--16" trash pullout (trash in front and recycling behind)
--wide drawers for prep tools, bowls, etc
--prep sink (I store my compost bucket under the sink.)
--24" MW drawer at the bottom (This keeps MW handy for re-heating leftovers or melting butter from the fridge, and it gives you a 24" landing counters referenced earlier.)

Here's how it looks in my space.

Two additional recommendations. 1.) Drawers. Drawers. Drawers. Use them everywhere. 2.). Make an inventory of everything you plan to store in your new kitchen. Everything. Then assign each item to a zone, i.e. cooking, prep, baking, cleanup, storage (storage containers, zip baggies, etc) and, if applicable, snack zone. Once that is done, map each item into a drawer or cab. You'll find out quickly if you've got enough space in your island prep zone with the DW drawer idea.

I envy your huge range, giant fridge and walk-in pantry! I hope you post photos of the room when it's all done. Apologies for the book I just wrote. :)

This post was edited by breezygirl on Wed, Aug 20, 14 at 2:14

I agree with others that you have a great start on your plan. Nice planning.

Breezygirl made most of the points I had in mind, especially about the DW for glasses in the prep area. I have three thoughts for your consideration, though.

1. I would definitely keep the corner susan. Make it a super susan and you have a great area for storing small appliances. Mine holds a SousVide Supreme, a food processor and all accessories, a blender with two containers, knife sharpener, nesco roaster oven, and more. I just spin the susan and everything is immediately accessible and easy to set up on the cabinet. Stuff that would eat up space in a pantry and won't easily fit in a drawer.

2. Consider 15" deep upper cabinets. You are not going to do much prepping on the range wall and the clean up work area is mostly in front of windows. You will be astonished at how efficient the deeper upper cabs are and how much more you can store there, right where you need dishes, bowls, cups, and glasses.

3. Be sure to have extra shelves made for all upper cabinets. You can eliminate vertical waste space and store much more without stacking with additional shelves.

4. A final thought just occurred to me. I would have loved to be able to use a range top and one or two wall oven. I am ten years into retirement and bending down to peer into a range oven is becoming more inconvenient. It would have been GREAT to have a wall oven and drawers under the range top. I love the thought of being able to inspect the contents of the oven at eye level. I simply did not have room for even one wall oven.

In your plan it is POSSIBLE, though perhaps not desirable?, to have a range top (not a cooktop, but a range top) where you currently show the range and double ovens to the far right of the cleanup sink.

I would consider switching the trash and the DW. If you are at the sink, people will be entering into the work area to discard trash.

Pocket doors are favored on GW, but as someone who has a few they are a PITA! hard to open and close with full arms, noisier than a traditional door. If the pantry door were hinged from the other side it would not infringe on the prep area as much and could be closed with a bump of the hip or foot.

The only issue I have with glasses in my dd's are when washing light weight plastic ones. If they are not at the sides under the shelves, they flip upside down.

My last comment would just be to make sure as we age that you do not need to stoop or bend to get to everyday items. I believe this was previously mentioned as well.

Thanks for the great comments!

kirkhall - Our pantry will be a mix of canned goods, snack food and large serving pieces. As shown on our revised plan below, we will change the swing of the door...good idea!

blfenton - Thanks for the suggestion to move the trash to the island. We've swapped it with the dishwasher drawer...makes so much sense!

breezy - I can't thank you enough for the extensive notes and photos you provided. I've drooled over your kitchen for quite some time! As you can see from the revised layout below, I've adopted your suggestions for the island. We are also planning on a wood countertop for our island, but have questions about prepping on wood. Certainly you use cutting boards but chicken and beef are very drippy, and cutting lots of veggies gets very wet. How do you protect/clean the wood surface?

You'll see we have switched from a range to a 48" rangetop and double ovens. Also, I have photographed everything in our current kitchen and allocated everything to a new home in the new kitchen...thanks for reinforcing that suggestion.

Bellsmom - Thanks for detailing the items you keep in your super susan - it helped reinforce why it's a good idea to keep it. Will consider the 15" deep uppers and the extra shelves. HUGE thanks, however, for bringing the wall ovens back into our discussion! We tried to include these in an earlier iteration of the plan and just couldn't make it happen...because we weren't looking in the right place. See revised plan below...not perfect, but it works for us. Thanks again!

rnmomof2 - As you can see in our revised plan, we've changed the swing of the pantry door...thanks! And good reminder about keeping everyday items up high. It's no fun to bend down all the time!

Thanks again to you all for taking the time and effort to help us make our new kitchen a reality!