I'm sorry but I don't like this much. I'm known for being blunt but an architect plan like this really pushes my buttons..

The aisles between the islands (and just about everywhere else) are 3'6". You can't have gotten this far without reading that the minimum for a multi-cook kitchen is 48". Do you have to have that everywhere? Of course not, but neither should the recommendation be discarded everywhere.

Each island has a dishwasher that conveniently opens into the legs of whoever is using the opposing sink. When both dishwashers are open, no one get to the cooking surface. And I'm not seeing dish storage anywhere.

You have 5 feet behind the stool line of the island closer to the dining room and use a deeper island there (why?) and you only need 5 feet from the counter edge. You only have 42" between the other island's counter line and the table edge where you should have at least 5 feet between a counter edge containing stools and an opposite table edge containing chairs. This is because occupied chairs and stools need about 2 feet beyond the counter edge and its really nice to leave at least a small bit of space between them so that people can get into and out of their seat (chair or stool).

I don't understand the point of the two sets of stools. Custody fights, two sets of relatives that don't get along, you are both professional chefs who like to show off to your own groups of friends - but at the same time?

The refrigerator location is kinda poor. People will want to snag a drink from the dining room, the living room, the deck, both sets of stools and the kitchen table. It's also going to be kinda narrow there - the ref will stick out into the aisle 6-9" for its doors and handles and the aisle is 3'6" - only 3' or less to stand in front of the ref, open its doors and get stuff out and land it where that last person is seated .

The oven landing space is where the last person sits to the right of the other island .

You guys could be more chefly than most, but warming drawers generally go near the cooktop because they get used there. Most people do not turn their ovens on more than 3 times a week and find that what they are keeping warm is more like mashed potatoes than a roast. Running that down to the end and needing to land it in front of that same poor person in the right side stool while you open up and then put in your rapidly cooling stuff will get old.

There's a lot more unfortunately. Even the television positioning doesn't appeal. Only the occupants of one island could watch it, but only by craning their necks.

Personally, I would put a service area on the left side of the kitchen - a combo of cleanup/bar/coffee and big ref. I would rethink the right side and have pantry, cooking surface and however many ovens and introduce some station refrigeration by using ref drawers. I would evaluate running one long island up the middle with seating towards the clean up side, vs two islands also up the middle with one set of seating and one double sided prep functions vs. one horizontal double sided prep island and a bar with some seating on two sides to see which one made my life easiest.

Thank you for your comments. Of course, our needs may be slightly different than yours. For example, we don't drink coffee, but more significantly, let me explain some of the rationale for the other design decisions and respond to some of your comments:

1. Aisle width. The larger aisle on the side by the pantry is intended to be the major thoroughfare for guest traffic to and from the kitchen table and/or the deck/outside to the interior (especially the powder room). I felt it was more important to have the extra six inches there. The larger aisle on the side near the dining room is there because that's a major thoroughfare for traffic in and out of the house (we don't use our front door), and it's also the path to the powder room, and though we could probably shift the islands over somewhat it would affect the centering of the cooktop between them.

2. The seating was designed to support a sort of "kitchen theatre", where a large group of friends can interact with the chef (and pitch-in if they like or if the chef requires it ;-) ).

3. The refrigerator is convenient to someone sitting at the kitchen table, and at least moderately so to the cooking triangles. It's a french door refrigerator, so clearance is not an issue. It's typical in our family that when dinner is served, inevitably someone needs to retrieve something from the fridge. Right now we have a full depth fridge, but will likely be switching to a counter depth fridge at some point (yes, we'll live with the ugly gray sides protruding for a little while). It should be pretty easy to put stuff down on the counter next to the fridge or on the island top (not the raised shelf). There is also landing space for the ovens between the oven and cooktop, so I don't see that as being an issue.

4. The position of the warming drawers was a compromise to avoid having the oven too close to a major traffic path. There's a countertop right above it, so the landing position is also not an issue, nor do I consider it too difficult to place items on the island below the raised shelf, and the person there will have the joy of smelling the good stuff before anyone else :-)

5. Remember that the TV will be on a full tilt *telescoping arm* - it can be made to be visible from any vantage point in the kitchen. This will be primarily for the cook, or for family while eating at one specific place in the kitchen or someone sitting at the window seat. If we're entertaining for the specific purpose of watching something on TV, we have the family room or our downstairs media room and bar for that. The arm would be something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Sanus-Systems-PDRUB-Chief-Display/dp/B000COOC0I/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pdT1_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=24LNAXEH8SGPK&coliid=I2QIS4HVNKL1O7 - it can extend out 37" from the wall.

6. I really don't like the idea of having the fridge on the opposite side of an island from my cooktop/ovens. A friend did this and I find it cumbersome. I also don't want the fridge near the outside doors. Fridge drawers could work, but I'd have to give up storage space in the island. There will be cutlery and dish storage in drawers in the 30" island cabinets (one cutlery drawer and two dish drawers with peg organizers).

Even "kitchen theater" would work a lot better if your audience was all on the same side of the room. To me, this design works poorly for having large groups of friends over because the traffic paths to things guests would use are fairly confused. (and coffee to me means fluids - so I guess I could say beverage bar, but that feels like the slurpie area of a 7-11).

So, the dishwasher opens 28 inches into your 42" aisle and the counter overhangs take up another 3", giving you 9-11 inches to stand in front of the dishwasher or walk around the dishwasher. The drawers in the 30" deep side will stick out about 28" plus counter overhangs gives you another whopping 9-11" to stand in. So, when stuff is in the dining room island dishwasher and it needs to be put away in the 30" drawers on the same side, how exactly will you do that? Reach over the open dishwasher and drop the stuff in? Unload onto the counter first, close the dishwasher and then put stuff away?

Where would your prep stuff be? Knives, bowls, mandolin, peelers, mixer, stick blender, etc. I don't have lots of stuff, but mine take up an entire 36" cabinet.

And great, you'll have a telescoping TV mount. Problem is still that when its visible to one set of stools, it's not visible at all to the other. Plus realistically - it either sticks out into the aisle enough to impact traffic if its able to be seen at the dining room island stools OR it can be seen at the table and people at the other island stools could see it by craning necks.

I am not suggesting that a TV is necessary for a kitchen. I'm just envisioning conflicts about who gets to watch it and conflicts when entertaining while some sporting event is on the TV.

Clearance is always an issue with refrigerators. People just stand around in front of them and cruise their contents and block the aisle - usually right when you want to ferry food to the table. If you put the big ref on the other side of the room, it still "unloads" onto the island, but hopefully the cruisers are standing over there with those dishwashers, the dishes and with free range access to beer, wine, coffee, tea, soda or grapefruit juice and ice.

Actually, I look at your island layout and it looks like double sided bar, not a kitchen.

Wow! What a big project! This kitchen would be perfect for a Cooking Tv show. Is your goal to have 2 island and seating for 16 in the kitchen?

In a 22x32 space, you have alot of options. YOu say "We're pushing the dining room wall out 3' to enlarge the space." By this do you mean the space will become 22x35? Or did you mean you are increasing the size of the formal dining room?

I can't see the island measurements. How big will the countertop be on each island and can you give us the countertop size for the standard height area as well as the raised bar area?

You are going to be investing alot of money in this addition and I really think you need to consider resale. A kitchen theatre may not appeal to everyone and I think it will be hard to achieve a warm cozy feeling in this layout.

You have an enormous kitchen, but the two chefs are working in a tight space.

Does the original footprint of the house end at the living room wall? Why did you opt to extend out so far for the new kitchen space, but not expand behind the living room? How will this L shape effect your property? Is this the best possible design for your property and home overall? I almost built an extension like you have (for kitchen and family room) but then a neighbor / designer came over and said that it would be a shame to cut off the one side of my property like that. She also said that my plan built the new extension on my nicest outdoor space and I should instead build my extension on the not as nice side and put my deck / patio on the nicest outdoor space. Also, she suggested that I connect the living room to the deck for better flow. I am so glad I took her advice. What is your plan for the outdoor space where the architct has put the notes / legend? Seems like this is going to be the forgotten zone. That may be ok on a 5 acre property, but if you have a smaller property, it may have a huge impact.

Just something to think about.

Wow! What a big project! This kitchen would be perfect for a Cooking Tv show. Is your goal to have 2 island and seating for 16 in the kitchen?

In a 22x32 space, you have alot of options. YOu say "We're pushing the dining room wall out 3' to enlarge the space." By this do you mean the space will become 22x35? Or did you mean you are increasing the size of the formal dining room?

I can't see the island measurements. How big will the countertop be on each island and can you give us the countertop size for the standard height area as well as the raised bar area?

You are going to be investing alot of money in this addition and I really think you need to consider resale. A kitchen theatre may not appeal to everyone and I think it will be hard to achieve a warm cozy feeling in this layout.

You have an enormous kitchen, but the two chefs are working in a tight space.

Does the original footprint of the house end at the living room wall? Why did you opt to extend out so far for the new kitchen space, but not expand behind the living room? How will this L shape effect your property? Is this the best possible design for your property and home overall? I almost built an extension like you have (for kitchen and family room) but then a neighbor / designer came over and said that it would be a shame to cut off the one side of my property like that. She also said that my plan built the new extension on my nicest outdoor space and I should instead build my extension on the not as nice side and put my deck / patio on the nicest outdoor space. Also, she suggested that I connect the living room to the deck for better flow. I am so glad I took her advice. What is your plan for the outdoor space where the architct has put the notes / legend? Seems like this is going to be the forgotten zone. That may be ok on a 5 acre property, but if you have a smaller property, it may have a huge impact.

Just something to think about.

Wow! What a big project! This kitchen would be perfect for a Cooking Tv show. Is your goal to have 2 island and seating for 16 in the kitchen?

In a 22x32 space, you have alot of options. YOu say "We're pushing the dining room wall out 3' to enlarge the space." By this do you mean the space will become 22x35? Or did you mean you are increasing the size of the formal dining room?

I can't see the island measurements. How big will the countertop be on each island and can you give us the countertop size for the standard height area as well as the raised bar area?

You are going to be investing alot of money in this addition and I really think you need to consider resale. A kitchen theatre may not appeal to everyone and I think it will be hard to achieve a warm cozy feeling in this layout.

You have an enormous kitchen, but the two chefs are working in a tight space.

Does the original footprint of the house end at the living room wall? Why did you opt to extend out so far for the new kitchen space, but not expand behind the living room? How will this L shape effect your property? Is this the best possible design for your property and home overall? I almost built an extension like you have (for kitchen and family room) but then a neighbor / designer came over and said that it would be a shame to cut off the one side of my property like that. She also said that my plan built the new extension on my nicest outdoor space and I should instead build my extension on the not as nice side and put my deck / patio on the nicest outdoor space. Also, she suggested that I connect the living room to the deck for better flow. I am so glad I took her advice. What is your plan for the outdoor space where the architct has put the notes / legend? Seems like this is going to be the forgotten zone. That may be ok on a 5 acre property, but if you have a smaller property, it may have a huge impact.

Just something to think about.

If you are set on the L shape design for the back of the house, what if you put the range wall along the side where you currently have the deck and put the deck outside the living room? This way traffic from LR, FR and Kitchen would flow outside.

If it were me, I'd redesign the extension, but at least if you flipped it, the traffic flow and your entertaining space would be improved.

I don't get the 2 sinks opposite one another. With the aisle width, its really not a 2 person workspace.

Bmore:

There is an under-counter beverage fridge by the doors to the deck. The idea was to make it convenient to the kitchen table and for outdoor entertaining.

So I took some of your advice and made the aisle between the islands larger and re-arranged one side so the DW's no longer collide (we like the DW on the right of the sink). I don't see the aisle width by the cooktop and fridge as a big issue since there is the perpendicular aisle right behind the cooktop for plenty of movement where the cook is most active, and there is an alternate path for people to walk on the other side of the room, which will be the typical path for serving and cleanup. There's plenty of room for the fridge doors to open - they need a minimum of 26" beyond the countertop, leaving 16" of clearance. No one is gonna walk by while someone has the fridge open - they'll just have to use the other aisle.

Where we keep prep stuff is definitely an issue - and this is a kosher kitchen, so where to keep anything is a challenge. We have two islands/dishwashers/cutlery storage to separate meat and dairy utensils. The sinks and dishwashers will not typically be used at the same time, though some prep may take place on the countertops, which are quartz. Some prep stuff will be stored in the pantry (there are cabinets on the bottom), some will be in the lower drawer of the cutlery cabinet, and some will be on either side of the cooktop. It's not ideal, but will be a whole lot better than what we currently have.

dilly_ny:

Thanks for the comments! We like to entertain. In our current kitchen (which ends where the ovens end in the new layout), it's not unusual for 8 people to be seated around our table and another six crowded in the area by our current sink, cooktop and fridge. The drawing shows the boundaries of the existing space - just look for the dashed lines through the island and in the dining room. The wall of the formal dining room is being moved to expand the space, which is very tight on holidays. The nook there now contains the fridge and ovens (right in the path of traffic!). I'm attaching a slightly higher resolution picture to this message which will hopefully be easier to read. The dimensions are 9' wide for the islands. The larger island will have a lower counter area about 39" deep (a little less actually after accounting for the overhang of the raised counter and the backsplash) - that's about the maximum I'm comfortable being able to reach (I'm 5'-10"). The raised counters will be about 28-30" deep. On the smaller island the raised counter will be over a knee wall and on the larger island it will be over some tall 15" cabinets.

The resale value isn't the only consideration here. We have to meet our lifestyle needs (kosher kitchen, entertaining) and consider the existing house and property layout. We didn't expand the den/living room since there was already enough space there - it's just that the formal living room went mostly unused all year, so we are opening up the wall between the living room and the den to make one larger family room and better utilize the existing space. We were already adding more square footage than we expected, and more would have bumped up the costs, and our taxes.

The current den has a picture window out to our backyard. It will still have a beautiful view into our wooded lot when the new addition is in. I agree that it would be nice to have direct access from the family room to the deck. That side of our property is otherwise not used for anything now, will be mostly shaded by the addition and trees, and backs up to our neighbors pool. The side where the deck is going is much more private, gets sun through part of the day and is accessible from our driveway, so guests can also come and go directly from the deck. We could still change it though, so I will consider it. I'm assuming you were thinking of putting a standard 30" door from the family room out to the deck?

Because you have the original pdf, you may not realize that what you're posting is very difficult to read. I can read the bold type in the credits, few words here and there and some of the measurements after blowing it up.

Unlike a pdf, when I blow it up, it doesn't retain clarity.

I sort of agree that you might want to look at the other side for deck space because it can connect to both the kitchen and the living room. Also, I just don't like the views into the powder room from the raised spa deck.

A kosher kitchen is making sense out of what you're trying to plan. I might need to tour some kosher layouts before suggesting anything else, not that it would make me an instant master of kosher or anything but there has got to be a better layout for you.

I'm a fan of sliding doors (since I just got 2 french style), but I guess a deck overlooking a neighbor's pool is less than ideal.

I am not great with layout, but I just think this layout and design of the addition can be improved.

I thought alot of Kosher kitchens actually entail 2 separate kitchens? Does a scullery appeal to you?

In a kosher kitchen, it's important to have separate meat and dairy preparation areas. Some also have a separate prep area for items that are neither meat nor dairy or "pareve" like vegetables. Ideally there are separate appliances for cooking meat and dairy as well as dishwashers, but that's not always practical from either a cost or layout issue. In those cases, it may be possible to use a stove or oven for meat and dairy with a proper cleaning in between, but it all depends on local custom.

I'm afraid I'm stuck with the french doors where they are. They are outswing doors, so they don't impede on interior space. We have a retractable insect screen for it that works fairly well. So, I tweaked the aisles a little - just wondering if anyone else can suggest ways to improve this.