depends on how you use it. To get a drink? To wash your hair (head dunk), or to brush your teeth and wash your face. I love the look of the high arc faucet. Good in a kitchen for filling big pots if you don't have a pull out. We had one in a hotel bathroom...I bent over to wash my face and my forehead clanked into the top of the faucet. When I dunked my head in the bowl to wash my hair I clanged into the faucet on the back of my head on the way up. I like the regular (mid???) ones, as I can do whatever I like to do and not get headaches! So it all depends on how it will be used. -Babka

Julieckmo- wow, you have alot stored in that corner cabinet! Way better than a lazy susan or the black hole blind cabinet that I have now. Tracie.erin - since you showed me that recessed pantry, I've been obsessed with it. It seemed like the perfect solution. Unfortunately, DH is totally against for now. Something about having to relocate something important that's in that wall. Frankly, I have so much on my plate right now with my son, that I don't have the energy to fight with DH over it. But I'm still obsessed! Lysia - I am struggling with what to put in the butlers pantry area. One on hand, it should be something that is helpful to have near the dining area. Also, it can be something that is ok to be somewhat separate from the rest of the kitchen, which is why cleanup makes alot of sense. But most importantly, it shouldn't be something that would obstruct so ideally, the DW nor the fridge should be there. I think you have me convinced on two sinks though. Lavender Lass - you and Lysia make good points about not having enough room behind the island. But without those cabinets along that wall, I know I won't have enough storage. So the island probably won't work. I'm starting to think I should just give up! I'm going to fiddle with cabinet depths and aisle widths and see if I can come up with anything else. But I'm doubtful. Buehl or Williamsen or anyone else, if you have any other ideas please let me know. Thank you all so much for your help. I may have pulled the trigger on another poor layout if it wasn't for your insight.

In case anybody is still following, lol: I've been thinking of Sena's fridge placement concern. The fridge I ordered has a door that can be reversed and is actually 26" deep with door. So I think we'll try it for awhile where the current fridge has been, on the end of the short L. We can inset it into the wall with the door reversed so it swings left and, thus, won't crowd the person at the sink. I'm wondering if we do this if it will be back far enough to now crowd the line-of-vision to the window? We should be able to get an idea of that without actually before we tear out the wall to see if it will be worth it to inset it. Although i do hate to lose that long baking counter. But we can also take out the side wall to the broom closet and play with the fridge there. If we don't like that, I figure we can get cabinets to fill that spot. They could uppers and lowers with counter and a better landing spot/command center than I currently have. Or just a pantry. Might also make a good place to put a small microwave a bit closer to cooking area. Anyway, just mulling options. It will be fun to play with all this. Went to a big home show in the Big City a 90-minute drive away. Hoping to see some unique and interesting ideas. Well, that was a waste. Didn't really see anything any different or better than what I see at our HD. Bummer. But had a nice visit with my friend that came with me so that's good. Won't waste my time on home shows again if this is all they have. My next venture out-of-town will be to some of the bigger Habitat Re-Stores. I've been told that a couple have amazing selections due to being in areas more flush with cash and a lot of high-end remodels. After looking at photos online, I kinda wish I'd thought to check them out sooner for my fridge. Hoping to find some nice cabinet boxes in the sizes I need so I only have to order door/drawer fronts from Barker. I don't mind multiple trips for the right cabinets as this will save hundreds over buying new cabinet boxes. Wow, I can't imagine building a whole house. A kitchen is enough work for me!

Hi everyone, thanks for the helpful comments. I have a few responses / questions: 1. I live in a big, low-cost city. Prices are universally, and significantly, cheaper here than on the coasts. 2. Our city "no permit required" list includes cabinets and countertops, as well as new flooring. What else are we doing that would require a permit? I mentioned we may need an electrician to expand the electrical in the island, *if needed*. It's not clear that this is needed. And if it is needed, wouldn't our licensed electrician file the permit? Also, we do not require any additional outlet boxes. 3. I understand the point that contractors are giving different bids potentially for different things, but should not be the case here. We came with very explicit ideas about what we needed in a kitchen island (we are not replacing any other cabinets - only the island). The dimensions are the same as the existing island. Both of the cabinet makers we are considering will do a detailed CAD drawing before finalizing the bid and work order, so there should not be any major surprises. Also, both cabinet makers we met with turned in bids that were within $1,000 of each other. Some of the flooring contractors included a bid for pre-finished floors, and another for un-finished floors, but I have taken that cost discrepancy into account. 4. There is no change to the layout of the house. There is no real "design" work except the design of the kitchen island, which has been decided upon. We are primarily replacing a few things with better options of the same things. 5. When I'm comparing the $90,000 contractor bid to the individual bids I've received, the contractor bid includes a few things that we have not received a bid for: (a) plumber, (b) electrician, (c) backsplash tile and installation, (d) demo of kitchen island. So, it doesn't make sense to me that those items plus the overall management of the remodel should be an additional $50,000. I suppose the thing to do is to solicit yet another GC to see what the bid looks like, and to go back to our favorite flooring bid to get a exact bid using the precise materials we want, and then see where things stand. I really appreciate everyone's feedback and collective experience. Please keep the comments coming.