Obviously if you were planning a primary sink in the island you'd be able to use a good sized prep sink there. I would definately move the DW and sink to the other side and put a prep sink in the island. Would be a great setup for multiple workers. Also... unload right into the drawers and easy to set the table.

The working area of the kitchen in the plan looks a lot like our little galley kitchen, which works very well with two cooks. The only change I would make would be to juggle things just a bit so the range and the sink are offset from each other. Our dishwasher is directly opposite our range and I can't remember that ever being a problem.

I think you're on the right track switching the cleanup sink and dishwasher with the prep sink. Along with making more sense as far as putting away dishes, it frees up both counter and cabinet space in the island w/ a smaller prep sink and dw on other side of room. My current kitchen reno is a mini dream kitchen for now w/out raiding the kids college funds. Fifteen years from now my future forever dream kitchen will have a separate scullery row for cleanup. Your DH or kids may not normally open the dw when you're at the cooktop, but the one time they do, you'll be knocked in the back of the legs while transferring a hot pan from the stovetop to the oven. HTH

Quick look & comments....

I like the idea of the main/cleanup sink & DW on the opposite wall as long as there's a prep sink on the cooktop side, whether in the island or the cooktop wall...preferably the island for more flexible work space.

With the Prep Sink on the same side as the cooktop/refrigerator, the island is not a "barrier island," rather it helps to define and separate the zones so more people can work at the same time doing various tasks.

However, I have one big concern....aisle space. You have island seating on the window side and only 42" of aisle. 42" is the recommended work aisle width with no seating; it's 44" if you have traffic behind the seaters and my recommendation is at 48".

If you plan to use your island for seating, then if it were me, I think I would move the island 4"-6" toward the cooktop so there's a 37"-39" aisle b/w the island & cooktop and 46"-48" b/w the island and main/cleanup sink.

HTH!

Here is a link that might be useful: NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines

Thank you all,glad my instinct was correct on this one to move the sink across the kitchen- still getting major push back though. Would still love to hear from anyone who has this configuration.

Beuhl: sorry that I forgot to mention that we felt the stools along the island were cramped. We also felt as though it was a bit of seating overload wihtt eh kitchen table right there and the dinning room open onto the kitchen. We are going to move 2 stools to the end of the island. Anything else strike you as odd?

Who's pushing back? If your DH wants "his" space when he cooks I would think he would welcome the idea. If it's the KD, you may have to remind him/her whose kitchen this is!

I'm actually surprised at the push back, I think this a great layout....having the sink on the other side. If we had had room for an island, that's pretty much the layout we would have had.

One thing, I don't know about you, but I use my MW mostly to cook frozen veggies or to reheat food...so for me, the ideal location for the MW is next to or at least very near the refrigerator...and also near a water source, if possible. Yours are on opposite ends of the kitchen...although it is convenient for MW popcorn....if it's stored in the pantry! But it looks like yours is in an oven stack...so unless there's another place for that stack, this may be one of your compromises...having the MW far away from the refrigerator.

Do you bake a lot? That long stretch of counter looks ideal for a baking center and the location of the oven stack adds to it's convenience.

The refrigerator is in a nice position in relationship to the cooktop but is a long walk if someone just wants to get a drink from the family room. Would there be any way to move it to the other side of the cooktop without wrecking your other plans? In that way, it would be easily accessible to others without walking behind the cooktop or around the island.

Refrigerator position...

This one will have to be a personal preference choice...

The refrigerator currently is in an ideal location for DR access...more milk, condiments, etc....as well as close by for putting away leftovers, those condiments, etc. It's also not a bad location for the island or Breakfast Nook seating. Yes, it's a longer walk from the FR for someone who wants a snack. If you switch w/the Ovens, it will mean a long walk from the DR...it will also be a longer walk from the cooktop & sink (for putting away those leftovers, etc.) A switch will also mean eliminating the "baking center" concept...unless you move the cooktop down to compensate.

You might consider putting in a Beverage Cooler (undercounter refrigerator) in the upper right corner of the Breakfast Nook...it would solve both problems!

If the uncercounter refrigerator doesn't appeal to you or won't work for whatever reason, then ask yourself...

• When do you use the refrigerator more...at meal & cleanup time or for snacks?

• Do you want a "baking center"?

Your answers to these questions will show you where the refrigerator is best placed for you!

Good luck!

I think I'd be tempted to put a food prep sink on the same counter as the cooktop. Otherwise you will be carrying water back and forth across the walk way. This could be dangerous if you want to drain spagetti or something.

I'd probably make the island a bit narrower and center it up (based on the new width) and include seating on the ends so both of your walkways could be wider.