Well, the first thing I was going to say was to flip the fridge and oven. :-) I would agree with Palimpsest and urge you to consider whether or not you can do with less in that corner to gain what you need for the switch. It would work better in the flow of kitchen work (things often go from fridge to sink then to stove), and be handier to the dining area. I think that a 4 burner rangetop could fit 3 large pans because of 12" grates and some breathing room for handles in the center...Is there a cooktop that will do the same? (Or how about using a rangetop and getting a dbl oven and putting the micro undercounter somewhere?) I would certainly take some pans to an appliance store and see what will work for you. I hate to see you give up on something like the 6 burner you've really wanted. I'm not sure a comparison to a chef or restaurant will be fair, because don't they often cook a LOT, but in smaller quantities, while some of us at home, cook fewer dishes but in large amounts and in much larger pans? Not sure, but wondering if that may be the difference. I often use 3 large pans at once, and especially when one is my wok, or one is my 15+" skillet, I might have trouble on a 30". Will your island be 4'6" plus overhang for the counter, or will the counter itself be 4'6"? Our island has 4 ft of cabinet plus an inch and half of overhang on each side, for a total of 4'3". I'm under 5'4" and don't have any trouble cleaning past the center, and don't think I would if it was 3" larger, so I think you're fine there...as long as you know you'll have to clean from both sides to do the whole thing. It will be large and make a big 'statement,' which could be cool. I wouldn't want the aisle larger than 4 ft.

Just another thought. How will you be venting the stove? Having the stove right next to the bedroom wall makes me nervous. If the focal point for your kitchen from your great room is the vent, then I understand. But make sure that wall is insulated well! We have a bedrooom off of our kitchen and it is very noisy due to poor insulation. You hear the vent fan, the water running, the coffee being ground.... My second question, if you are going to move the sink to an outside wall, maybe make the sink on the island a prep sink off to one side? I am sure there is an equally lovely prep sink faucet that you could use. And I agree with your husband, I like the ante room leading into your bedroom better than walking into the bedroom directly from the kitchen. It will also give you better space in your bedroom for furniture arranging.

Blfenton, good point about building in extra shelving or storage under the overhang. I will look into it. Technicolor, I am going back and forth on closing up the kitchen entry wall. I am waiting to hear whether a pillar hidden in that wall will be enough support to replace the rest of the wall. If that saves $$, then it will be the way to go. Then I would have space for the appliances too. Sena, good idea about the shallow cabinet. Will try it in the planner. The door swing can be changed but it could clash with the outside door. In the summer we use that door a lot and I can already envision a crash, bang sequence! Somebody had once suggested to take down the entire wall till the shoe closet and replace it with a railing. We liked that idea but it might not be a smart thing to do with regards to heating and cooling zones. Will investigate that angle further.. Thanks for all the suggestions! Please feel free to add more-I am still in the tweaking stage.

what I would do is create a galley with a new wall added to your space. The two walls containing your runs would be long wall.....use about 11 feet.... the second wall would be newly built, opposite this, at a few feet less-maybe 9 feet or so The issues with your pantry/bulkhead/etc will not be issues in the work area of your kitchen.....evaluate a redo for pantry area that meets your needs but will not have to be in the footprint of kitchen proper.....maybe enclose a little storage closet with pocket door up by hallway...or something else might appear as a solution not too different from what you have there now. You have a traffic pattern you cannot avoid between hallway and living room that cuts by your dining zone......pulling back to 11 feet or so on your long wall will clear some space and help your dining area have a bit more presence.. Closing up the kitchen in a way by using floorspace for a compact galley is wise because the gain for the small cart is not very great.