I realized I should have given a little info on myself and my family. We are a family of 2 adults and 3 children with 1 on the way. I am the main cook in the family but hope to have a bit more help as my kids get older. I do cook quite a bit so I am definitely interested in functionality.

Thanks again!

This is pretty good, it seems to me. I was going to suggest moving the fridge to the dinette end, but that would foul up your dish storage, which should be across from the dishwasher...as it looks like it probably is.

Thinking down the line, you might want a 2nd dishwasher, and a prep sink when all those helpers are old enough to get in on the action. You've got pretty good task zone separation so that multiple workers can work without interfering with each other, except for the sink issue, when the baker, the cook, salad maker, and the cleanup person all need it at once. That does happen at my house, so it's so much nicer to have 2, and not have to wash veggies over dirty dishes. I just wish I had a great suggestion of where it should go!

Love your mud room and great big closet in there.

Congratulations on #4! 4 more and you'll catch us. ;-)

Two things. I would definately flop the ref and ?ovens? and then I might move the ovens to the other side of the range.

Above is because you might be better off with an all ref and an all frz instead of a regular unit (family of 6 outstrips the capacity of one to me). It makes it a bit more accessible to graizers without blocking the pantry door. If you aren't big frzr users, you could tuck that in the pantry instead.

So, well, the bad thing... is I think its completely a one-butt kitchen and cooking with your kids will be a pain.

Moving the oven kicks the cooktop over a bit more so its not directly in line with the sink - freeing up some access to the water for another user while the first is cooking. I'd think about adding a wave in the island facing the ref in its new location.

I think you need the 48" aisles and not the 42" ones in your plan. Someone will say they have less between the cooktop and island, but almost every time, their dw doesn't open into and block that aisle, so its not really equivalent to your situation. If you get two dw's, you will completely block access to the cooktop.

You seem to be intending on seating 6 at the island when you have another seating area in the kitchen. Consider planning on less seats - a few quick snack chairs or helper spots? and a bit more prep space(s). You could move the entire cleanup area to the side facing the table and the add a prep sink near the opposite corner.

In your house, the table space will be a much nicer place for seated diners (no natural light or window views for the people seated at the island).

As always, all of the above do not necessarily go together!

I like the fridge oven swap suggestion, but it might need a French door to work for cook and grazers. I like the counter beside the oven for using the mixer, so I'm a little torn. I suppose moving the oven doesn't mean the mixer can't be there.

Not sure what a wave is. I'm hoping it's not one of those little, squiggly sinks that I would find fairly useless. ;-) (You know I love you Bmore) I'm seeing the mixer on the counter next to where the ovens currently are and the island right across for rolling dough, filling and cooling cookie sheets, etc. If there was a sink there, especially a wide one like the squiggle, the workspace would be compromised too much. ??

From the context of what Bmore wrote, I'm interpretting "wave" as a microwave (in the island across from the fridge). Is that right?

Ha! "Duh" for me. I told Bmore in another thread that my mind wasn't all here! That makes more sense. I just couldn't figure that one out! A microwave would certainly be placed well there.

Plus, no offense to anyone who likes the squiggle sinks. I know someone who has one and, as far as I know, likes it for their purposes. I just can imagine how it would not work for us...But back to the topic at hand, which doesn't have anything to do with the sink. I was hoping, though, that someone might figure out how to get a prep sink in. I guess my mind was just on that one track.

Thanks for the feedback so far! I'll try and address all the comments.

I agree that a 2nd dishwasher and prep sink would be great--I just don't know where they'd go. Hmmm... I wash all my pots and pans by hand and feel fine right now with 1 dishwasher but I can see how more dishes will be used as the kids get older.

I'm definitely open to moving the refrigerator. I could put it on the dinette side and just swap the dishwasher and have dish storage still across from it. Or is switching it with the ovens a better spot?

I was kind of hoping to hide the microwave in a cupboard maybe but it might depend where the fridge ends up as to how that would work.

I, too, envisioned my mixer counter to be next to the ovens but if I switch with the fridge will that shrink that counter space too much? I am really spatially challenged so this kind of stuff is hard for me.

I agree, bmore, that a 48" aisle would be better. I'll see if that can be done. For seating around the island we were thinking of having 3 chairs on the long end and 1 on the side toward the dinette. But we could probably get rid of the 1 if need be.

We were also planning on having another fridge/freezer in the pantry. I thought about doing all fridge in the kitchen and a freezer in the pantry but I'm worried that we use the freezer a bit too much for that.

I really appreciate the help!

Oh, and rhome, I really don't see us catching up to you! You are a superhero in my eyes!

I would want the dishes to stay near the dining area...definitely not on the other side of the cook. When your kids are setting the table, you don't want them shoving past you at the stove to find dishes. Your zones are set up well that way.

Is that a double oven or a single under the counter? I just noticed the upper cabinets drawn over it.

If it's under the counter, and you swap it with the fridge, you could do your baking on that counter, and put the fridge and microwave in the other spot. I think it's a minor difference and leaving it how it is wouldn't be terrible if you think you'll prefer it. I could see saving a nice baking space, since we do a lot of baking.

I might actually consider leaving the door off the pantry, since you'd mostly see a wall when you look in. Then it'd be a snap to access the extra fridge or freezer. You'd really see nothing unless the light was on. Another option would be to have a pocket door, so it could stay open or be closed, without ever being in the way.

OT: No heroics here. Having more than 4 doesn't change things much (except during a family bout of the stomach flu or something, which, thankfully, happens rarely)...The older kids get older and more helpful, so the stress on mom isn't that much more as the babies come along. :-) And babies bring out the best in everyone! Our youngest is 4 and I'm sad to be past the baby stage...the baby smell, those cuddly stretch terry jammies, the way they cuddle into your neck...Now I'll just have to wait for grandchildren! (That's why I designed our house so that the dining table can span 3 rooms when necessary...8 kids with spouses and kids could be a lot!)

Thanks for the good suggestions, rhome. You are right about leaving the dishes on the dinette side. Now I am worried about the aisle size and whether the dishwasher and drawers straight across could even be open at the same time. I like the idea of doing a pocket door on the pantry.

As for the oven question, I think I want double ovens but didn't specify that to the plan designer so that's why it's drawn that way.

When we revamped our plans we shrunk down the kitchen and I ended up with a nice sized pantry which I love but less cabinet and counter space in the kitchen which is now proving to be a bit tricky.

OT: That was good foresight and planning on your part to have a dining space that will fit everyone as your family grows with spouses and grandkids. I still say mothers of large families are amazing! And since I come from a family of 9 kids I don't consider a family "big" until at least 5 or more kids! ;)

"the squiggle sinks" - I love that phrase. It may be a family thing - we all call them waves and not micros.

Can we see a bigger section of the first floor? This is all still on paper?

Here is some more of the first floor. Yes, it's still just on paper. We're hoping to get things finalized soon so we can dig a hole before it gets too cold.

Here is a link that might be useful: