Having your trash where you currently have it placed doesn't make sense because I don't see you doing your prep there as that is far from the range. Your trash should be right beside where you plan on prepping (the island?) I have two trash areas - one underneath my clean up sink for cleaning things before they go in the DW and another one right beside my prep area.

Without a prep sink, you'll be prepping in that tight corner between the sink (and, hence, over a DW) and the range.

Your best location for trash isn't near the range, it's where you do your prep. Even though I compost almost every scrap from cooking (including bones, meat, fish, etc), I find the trash/recycle cab on the far left end of my island prep zone indispensable for recycling any cans/bottles and for non-recyclable, non-compost trash. Many people like the trash also near their cleanup zone, even if that means two trash cabs. I find I don't use the trash during cleanup even though I took the advice so my trash pullout is near my cleanup zone. 99 percent of anything left on a plate after a meal goes in the DW or my compost bucket.

Without a closer look, I'd also want to closely examine the island seating with that inside corner. You won't be able to fit as many stools as you think.

have to place my vote for a change to the concave area used for seating at the island. Chair jam. Dining tables that come to mind with concave section...I can't think of any.

What you want to do, Flevy, is mock the whole thing up with boxes and sheets of cardboard. We used some of the base cabinets with plywood over because we were installing ourselves and had them. In any case, it's wonderful for adjusting your layout as needed and for practicing cooking and seeing how various layouts would work for you. I had no problems when our kitchen was finished and everything worked just as I knew it would.

Regarding island seating, I'm thinking you might want to shave off the left end of the counter a bit (you won't need it), maybe curving the outer corner a bit, and slide one of the stools over on the end.

So where ARE are you going to prepare meals? The biggest clue to me that you might end up doing all your cooking in that little corner with your back to the room is your planned storage. Mixing bowls overhead in that corner? Knives way the heck and gone off to the right of the stove, far from the sink and handy only for slicing grooves in the frying pan?

Nothing behind you under that nice 5' stretch of work counter facing the stove but a little shallow storage?

You obviously don't intend to work on the long dimension of the island, where you have a 36" cabinet and no solid plans for what to put in it. Not that I think your main meal prep area should end up way down there, but...? Since you mention baking supplies, if you bake enough to designate an area, how about doing that down there?

If it were mine and the appliances were where they are, because I cook dinner from scratch almost every day, and because I like to cook facing out into the room, I'd cook between the end of the island and the stove, chopping and mixing on the end of the island. I'd have drawers on that end with my mixing bowls, cups, knives, graters, on and on. I know that because that's what I do now.

But you're you. If cooking in the area between the sink and the stove is right for you, you need to plan for that. For instance, the knives need to come over to the sink side of the stove, where they'll be used. Think POINT OF USE storage.

Now, if I had no island, I could be quite happy working in that corner between sink and stove, with a nice big window, BUT I'd definitely slide the sink and DW left a slot to use some some of the area in front of the window. This'd transform a dark, cramped, crowded prep area into a rather lovely spacious one. I spend lots of time at that, so it'd be a nice thing I'd do for myself.

Cleaning up goes quickly; I don't sip wine and chat while I do THAT, so it doesn't need to hog the best spot in the kitchen. As for sacrificing major function to center a faucet in front of some glass--good grief no. If you haven't already read some of the threads on this and given this some thought, please do so before making your final decision about sink placement. It can be a real spoiler.

Since the end of the island is very close to the stove, regardless of where I worked, I'd at least try out placing more drawers facing the stove just in case I liked having frequently used pots, extra lids, etc., that much handier. Tradeoffs.

An advantage of working in the corner is that your refrigerator is a quick turn and straight walk there and back. I was thinking it was out of the way, but it's not, and with the prep area on both sides of the corner and the sink closer to it, it'd be well placed for an efficient and pleasant L-shape kitchen (with table or island behind).

OTOH, should you decide you want to work facing your family and using the island routinely, well, you could try rearranging your boxes and maybe even trying out a prep sink to entice you over there. That's what the boxes are for. :)

rosie--thank you so much for your comments. It gives me a lot to ponder. You're absolutely correct. I have no idea where I'm going to actually prepare meals. I tried pretending to take the chicken out of the fridge yesterday and make a roast chicken dinner and I got all confused. I know that's not the right solution to planning a kitchen. I should have better space planning in mind. I'll try again today.

I do like your idea of moving the knife storage. And you're right about watching the family while I prepare meals. The logical place to prepare food is going to be on either end of the island. Most likely the kids will be in the family room and I'll be able to see them from either location on the island.

What a great image of you standing there confused with a chicken, Flevy. :) I actually think that's a very good start to some serious planning. See you on your new thread.