I think your drawings are beautiful!

While I really like the overall feel of the kitchen, I'm just not sure about the appliance placement. The cooktop is feeling marooned, far away from the rest of the main kitchen.

Any chance we could flip a few things? Maybe swap the fridge and double oven locations? That would give you a baking area (with windows) and the fridge would be closer to the long side of the island...with message board. Glad you like that idea :)

Then, I'd move the induction cooktop and microwave, to the island, across from the fridge. The prep sink could go to the end, nearest the living room. This makes a nice work area for cooking and prep. You would need an island hood, but you'd also have a better view of the breakfast table and talk to people at the stools.

The clean up area would be where the cooktop used to be...with maybe a plate rack above the sink? You probably won't be standing there that much, since you have a dishwasher and the prep sink will be seeing most of the action. However, it is close to any dirty dishes on the island, the breakfast table and even the baking area!

You could have dish storage on each side of the clean up sink, and more storage on that side of the island. Maybe open shelves? With the stools, still on the end, by the prep sink.

This is just another idea...but I wanted to get your main work area (fridge, sink, cooktop) all together...with minimum walking around. The baking area is still close by...and the clean up area can be a few steps further away, in fact that might be better, when you have 'helpers' in the kitchen :) {{gwi:1937466}}From Cottage house plans

Kitchen sink with plate rack above...just in case you like this idea... {{gwi:1447238}}From Kitchen plans

Ha! Lavender lass, you zeroed in on the aspect that just keeps causing us trouble - a cohesive appliance arrangement. And you came up w/ a set of placements that we hadn't considered yet, for all the hours we've spent! Many thanks, and we'll give your ideas a whole lot of serious thought - fridge closer to cooktop has major appeal.

All other inputs welcome!

Any idea what you plan to use for countertops? I know you're thinking Arts and Crafts...so maybe soapstone or granite? Although marble would look pretty with the orchids! Maybe just in the baking area?

I really like the beadboard on the 'brick' wall. Are you thinking of using tile for the other backsplash?

Just trying to get an idea of your choices...now I'm really curious, with these lovely drawings. They're all drawn by hand, right? Very nice :)

Thanks for the kind words on my drawings, lavender lass - definitely by hand, complete w/ erasures & white-out tape...

And yes, indeed, we are thinking of soapstone - I keep monitoring the various threads of love & angst on this forum; haven't gotten samples yet. I'm more of a "mixer" than a "roller" when it comes to baking (but not a user of mixes!), so iffy on marble. Thinking of tile for the other backsplash, & for the fireplace wall - maybe something Motawi- or Pewabic-esque (real things probably not in budget :^( ) - or some of that customizable cement tile I posted about a while ago (e.g. Villa Laguna) - in any event, there WILL be color & pattern in more abundance than seems to be the norm these days, but I can't help myself - & don't want to!

I'll have to post some idea photos as well as pix of our existing kitchen (it's really dismaying) - I'm only just learning how to do this stuff, so each step takes forever & when successful seems to be a miracle (& non-replicable).

In my ideal world, we would have a fabulous old Craftsman cottage (circuspeanut & donna2973 come to mind) with natural wood moulding and Stickley & Roycroft galore - in reality, we have a 1930's-begun-&-since-added-onto, very modestly-built "amended" Cape with natural cedar siding (was mint green vinyl when we bought it!) and a seaside-cottage feel (very plain white trim throughout most of the interior). But we don't want a white kitchen! I'm really in sync with the concerns expressed on GW to integrate our new kitchen so that it doesn't feel like one has entered another home when one enters the kitchen; OTOH, this house has had so many odd little things done to it that (to me) it doesn't have a specific-period feel - it's just homey! And, happily, we don't have to worry about resale; first of all, we have no intentions of moving, & also, we're sure that this house on this property (waterfront) would be an IMMEDIATE tear-down, sad to say. "Heavens - NO GARAGE?!" So we feel like we can do anything we want - e.g., I've completely decoupaged the walls of my craft room w/ old maps & nautical charts - years before Pottery Barn started selling their map wall decals! And it makes me smile whenever I walk in...(I'm a mapaholic).

Anyway, I'll attempt to post some "inspiration"-type stuff & be glad for any more ideas/cautions/magic wands.

Went back to the drawing board, inspired by lavender lass's markup (SO helpful!), and came up with this:

I hadn't seriously considered having the cooktop on the island, but this arrangement seems to help with several problems: gets cooktop, fridge, prep sink, & one oven in close proximity; moves fridge closer to eating/fireplace area/living room (in fact fridge would be back @ location from our first layout plan attempt from February, but w/ lots more changes that keep it from being marooned across a barrier island); puts a second oven (& maybe a warming oven) adjacent to "baking area"/dining rm staging area; and allows more upper cabs because vent hood is over island rather than on wall. I did move the MW drawer to the other side of the island from where lavender lass suggested, because of my (sheepish look here) tendency to repeatedly re-nuke my coffee - want easy access from the table (coffee purists, forgive me). Anyway, here are revised sketches showing wall elevations - first, Wall "A" (brick chimney wall):

Next, Wall "B" (wall w/ window):

Wall "C" (clean-up sink/DW wall):

And, finally the island (we added a curved overhang to the end to try for a bit more seating):

I would truly appreciate any & all comments - Thanks much!

JBGB, I think it looks extremely nice and would be a pleasure to work in. Actually, I love it. You've done such a wonderful job of fitting in what you want. Your elevations...extremely nice! :)

I'd still shorten the island and get it out of the traffic (and view) line through the house, even if it meant moving the prep sink across from the stove. I believe you passed on that one, though, and the sink is really good where you have it.

The only other issue I'm remembering probably is either fulfilled or acceptable as it: You really wanted a view of the river while you were working. (I suggested something like that you can overdo exposure to anything and that being able to see it out there now and then as you walked around the kitchen would be as satisfying as always working facing it.) Are you happy with the main work area off the view line? Or can you see the river as you glance out off the deck side of the house?

BTW, it's so nice that your house is safe with you. I almost always like evolving, folksy old houses a lot more than the predictable unbroken-in new shoes they're replaced with.

Are you sure> about that location for the micro? Do you use it to cook with? I do occasionally, so I'd put it under the window. Close to the ref and close enough to the dishes.

Here is a layout option you might want to consider. I am sure there are pros and cons.

JBGB- Well, I think your new layout is just wonderful (of course) LOL.

Seriously, the microwave makes a lot of sense where you placed it on the island. It's close to the main sink and the table. I don't drink coffee anymore (mostly tea) but my mom reheats her coffee in the microwave, all the time :)

I'm so pleased to have this feedback.

Hi again, Rosie - such encouraging comments, and I really appreciate your remembering & being sensitive to our goals w/ respect to views. Actually, if I removed or narrowed that "spice pullout" to the right of the cooktop, we could shorten the island back from the traffic line - I'll definitely try that. And while the prep area no longer faces squarely through the living rm to the water, I think that it would be more-than-OK, given the glass expanse in doors to deck & your notion of the repeated happy encounters w/ the view as one moves w/in the work space. I did have a question for you from previous thread: you had mentioned a scary "close call" w/ a basement stairway - may I ask which side of the basement doorway (as one is standing in front of the door) would be best for the hinges to be on, in your experience/opinion? Thanks in advance for that and for all the times you've responded - you've been so helpful & supportive.

And hello again to you, bmorepanic! Good questions about the microwave - it's been a pesky issue. Yes, I do frequently use our MW (22 yrs old & counting - guess we'll never bet on that lifespan again, from what I hear) to steam veggies, as well as to serve my coffee-reheating habit. One of the few efficient things about the layout of our existing kitchen is that the MW is on the counter right behind my chair at the table - I can reach back w/ my coffee mug, nuke, & retrieve w/out even standing up! Not that a little more excercise would be a bad thing - I will indeed consider your suggestion & would love to hear any others you have.

JeannieMer, hello & again I'm SO thankful to you and others who take the time to read, consider, & then actually propose layout changes. In many homes, having the cleanup sink & DW where you've placed them would make lots of sense; our planning is self-complicated by the fact that we're trying to move the cleanup area away from that wall! Given that, I'd be grateful to see what else your obviously-logical approach to things could come up with - please post more ideas!

Hi, lavender lass! You posted while I was responding to Rosie, bmorepanic, & JeannieMer - I should've checked back before hitting "Submit" button - not enough of that coffee yet, I guess! As I said above, I'm going to try out those ideas; but it's kind of scary to think that we might actually be getting close to a real plan. Many, many thanks for helping all through these months. If we go with the island cooktop, we'll need an island vent hood - and I seem to recall that you mentioned some neat ideas for that a while back?! Always love to see your photos!

Here are a few :)
{{gwi:1910267}}From Kitchen plans
{{gwi:1937472}}From Kitchen plans
{{gwi:1923439}}From Kitchen plans

If you do an image search (google, yahoo or other) for 'kitchen island cooktop' you'll get a lot more photos!

JBGB, I suspect the way you show that door hinged now would be better specifically because it's less convenient. The handle is farther from guests in the central hall area, and the counter blocks access to it on the handle side so that you have to step back farther when opening the door, giving people more time to realize it's not to a closet.

I'm actually thinking about putting a 'french door' style door to the basement. It will allow more natural light on the stairs...and avoid the door opening into someone at the top. Maybe that would be an idea?

Wow - those are some sleek hoods, lavender lass! I'd been drawing a blank (literally) all along when we were planning a wall-mounted one, so it wouldn't mean changing from some cherished ideal of a vent hood (certain there are those who have them) - but I will dive into the searching. Thanks for the suggestions and the basement door idea - not sure if it would work here, but made me think of the couple of times during parties that I've been locked into our cellar because the existing door doesn't stay closed unless locked, & someone walked by & just automatically locked it not knowing that I had run down to retrieve something w/out turning the lights on! With a French door, I could wave someone down without yelling over the music & merriment :) Looking forward to seeing more of your plans also!

Rosie, thank you for posting back on the door issue - glad to think that at least one of our existing inconveniences (basement door swing) could become a helpful safety feature!

Any other thoughts from the layout gurus here?

Sleek hoods are very popular...which is why I kept a few pictures in my file. But if it were me, I'd rather have copper. Here's one I just found that I really like :)
{{gwi:1937473}}From Kitchen plans

Ahhhh - That copper hood would live much more happily with our ideas than those nifty stainless (?) ones would! In fact, attached right now to our immovable brick chimney is a to-be-demolished charcoal-burning brick grill structure (SO not code-compliant), with a copper hood over it (no blower) that looks like the one you posted, ll, if it was cut into quarters & one quarter was stuck onto the side of a chimney. It probably wouldn't make sense to try to take it & add onto it, but worth a thought, maybe...