Where is the oven in Option 2? The microwave has a place, but not the best place. Things that go in the microwave will come from mostly from the fridge/freezer and sometimes the pantry, so it's often best to have it near the fridge. I had it situated as you show in our last house, and it was 'ok,' but it was a tiny kitchen and absolutely the only place to put it up off the work counter. Why the double basin sink in the island and the smaller sink by the window? It seems to me there will be lots of zone crossing with the fridge on the opposite side of the cleanup area from the stove and prep area in #1. I consider the fridge a crucial part of my prep and cooking area, and don't want to travel back and forth through traffic and other activity in the midst of preparing a meal. Other people wanting to access the fridge can do the walking, since the timing for them is not so crucial. My opinion and according to the way I like to do things. May not be the same for you. I have 2 dishwashers, but don't consider them to be dish storage, because I want to know where to find things. Obviously sometimes I have to check a dishwasher if it hasn't been unloaded yet, but I don't want to encourage leaving things in there on purpose. What happens when roughly 1/2 or 2/3 of the contents have been removed? Or even 1/3? At that point, it doesn't seem to be an efficient use of the appliance to leave it partially full. Do you wait until it's all been emptied, or do you hit a certain point when it actually needs to be cleared and someone will understand that? I'm not trying to be sarcastic or anything, I just don't really relate to the idea, I guess.

Okay so here is some background information. WHO WE ARE: My husband and I and two kids. Son 13 and daughter 8. We have two golden retrievers who are our furry children. They have beds and all. Our son plays hockey and anyone who has played or has a child who plays hockey knows how much room the hockey bag takes up. Our dogs have the run of the first floor but tend to lay in the laundry room area or kitchen. I think with the brick floor we have planned in the mudroom they will really like the mudroom more since it will be cool in the hot weather. Husband works. I am presently stay at home Mom although that will probably change soon as I will start back to work as in the next year or so. I am an avid gardener and get very messy in the garden. Thus the large mudroom for the hockey bag, two dogs, messy gardener. OUR HOUSE: Live in 122 year old shingle/victorian style three story home in historic district. We have to pass through architectural review board before we can make exterior changes to the house. Materials on exterior must match existing. I really like this idea because it makes houses look cohesive- no flat roof additions off the back of a turreted vicitorian but it does add cost to do stone exterior base, shingle siding, copper gutters, stone columns, matching windows....Given that, we do have some budget constraints on the interior. We want a great kitchen but reworking the whole first floor and relocating stairs or lots of plumbing are not feasible. We presently have a galley kitchen (the new eating area with table is our existing kitchen), laundry room, toilet in a closet and a butler's pantry. We are combining the three to get our new kitchen and then adding on in the corner to get a new laundry room/mudroom and powder room as well as continuing the existing porch around. I realize this configuration may not be ideal to the eye. I am looking for advice on the layout of the cabinets, appliances island etc... in the kitchen mostly. Advice on the mudroom is welcome but I am more concerned with kitchen. HOW WE USE A KITCHEN: My husband is the cook. He does almost all the dinners. So it will be a one cook kitchen with observers most of the time. I am the one who takes care of breakfast, lunch, snacks. I also do any baking that occurs but that is not an everyday event or a weekly event. Our kitchen is also the homework and project area of the house. I see us sitting down at the island or table to do homework or work on school projects/crafts. We entertain some but not a ton. I do all the laundry, cleaning and yard work and deal with the kids as far as homework, sports etc.. I also groom my own dogs. I groom them outside in the spring/summer and inside in the winter months. NOTE: The two windows in the dining area of the kitchen are almost full length. That eliminates the ability to put cabinetry along that wall except for the sliver between the windows which is only about 30" wide I believe. ZONES: As far as zones go I saw the counters on either side of the range as the cooking zones. After reading the zones information I see that my pantry location is not ideal in regard to my prep zone near the sink. I think that my prep and clean up areas are one in the same the way things are set-up. So now I see why you are all saying to add a prep sink at the island. Would you put it closer to the stove or down the end where the wine fridge is currently located? The refrigerator seems to be in the only spot it can go and it is out of the flow of traffic but far away from the cooking zone. I hope that this information helps you to help me. Please ask me to clarify is anything is still unclear.

Continue… PREPARATION: Most of us prep between the sink and the cook top (you may not). The refrigerator is a few steps away from this prep area, and so is the cook top. Your work triangle with the addition of the prep sink is small and very efficient. You won't do a lot of walking to get from the cook top to the fridge and from the fridge to the prep sink and from the prep sink to the cook top. Great work flow and very efficient. Your prep sink against the edge of the island limits its usefulness because you only have staging on one side of the sink. Your island is small so you may not have a choice. COOOKING/BAKING: You have counter space to the right and left of your cook top so you can stage items to add while cooking. There is very little counter to the right of your oven cabinet to place trays or bake ware going into and coming out of the ovens. You’ll have to use the island and with seating this can be tricky (don’t want to burn anyone). PROVIDE SERVICE: The fridge location is close to the island seating and close to the dining room. The counter top left of the fridge is small for taking ref/f items in and out of your ref/f. Serving meals from your cook top and /or ovens you’ll plate on the island or fill serving dishes to be delivered to the table for self service. You’ll get dishes and glasses from your main sink area to the island, breakfast booth, or dining room. CLEAN UP: After the meal all of the dishes, glasses, and serving pieces will be delivered to the main sink area staged to be washed or rinsed and put into the dishwasher, or staged on the opposite side of your sinks to be dried after they are washed and put away. You have plenty of counter to the right for this purpose but almost none to the left. This isn’t your exact scenario but this is how this kitchen and most kitchens work.

I have a similar layout. I would move the fridge to the left to the doorway. Then I would move the range to the left a foot or so. When I cook all my prep is between sink and range so when I remodeled last year I made that change and love the extra 12 inches between sink and range. Also, when in doubt go big on window!