First of all, I really love your choices! Are you aiming for a French country theme? ThatâÂÂs where I see it going. I really love Old World styles; if I could, IâÂÂd put them all in my kitchen at once. LOL.

Thoughts that occurred to me when looking at your drawings:

⢠ThatâÂÂs a smart design along the RF/sink wall -- the baskets next to the RF, and the trash pull-out next to the sink.
⢠Have you considered open shelving or glass doors on the uppers around the main sink area? Those are elements that would fit into your design style (I think).
⢠Will a farmhouse sink w/bump-out fit the way that it is drawn here?
⢠I have a couple of bump-outs, and because we couldnâÂÂt afford to have my under-counter wall oven sticking out so far, my cabinetmaker modified the 3â fluted filler. HereâÂÂs the best pic I have of his modification. If you look at the bottom left side of the bump-out, you can see that he angled it.
{{!gwi}}
⢠On roll-out shelves, thereâÂÂs been a lot of debate on this forum about whether they are as useful as drawers. I opted for drawers myself, but that boils down to what your personal preference is.
⢠Will you use the message center? Would you really want your child sitting there, doing homework, while youâÂÂre opening and closing the oven doors? I have 3 kids, and when we stored school stuff in our message center, it just looked cluttered and ugly. ThatâÂÂs partly why we took that out of our kitchen. My preference -- and again, IâÂÂm not you -- my preference would be to turn the message center into more kitchen storage, or perhaps a baking station.
⢠I kind of like the bookcase cabinet in the island, but I would definitely trade the trash pull-out with the MW -- you would want the trash cans next to your sink.

It will all be very beautiful when you are finished!

I am not good at decor, but will concentrate on your overall design and function:

How much of your layout is the same as you have now? I ask, because you know what works for you. This may sound harsh, but bear with me...This layout wouldn't work for me at all.

First of all, I don't see any place to store dishes in the cleanup area and toward what I assume (maybe incorrectly) to be the direction of your dining area.

Second, the zones are all mixed up and criss-crossing. If you have multiple workers in your kitchen they will all be trying to use the same traffic paths at once. The cook will be going from fridge to the prep sink and island and relatively far over to the stove. Anyone setting the table, clearing the dishwasher, or trying to prepare secondary parts of dinner will be competing for the same aisle.

You must be far neater than I am, because my desk is usually a pile of clutter that I wouldn't want next to the oven.

I would want the fridge over by the oven, and the prep sink oriented to become a more efficient work triangle with the fridge (in new location) and the stove....On the corner closest to the oven and fridge. It would also serve the baking tasks this way. If that is the new walk in pantry to the right of the stove, it would be great to keep your food storage together by having the fridge over there, too.

I would want some good dish storage where the fridge is shown.

Best wishes!

I have to be honest, I agree w/what RHome410 said. Additionally, I would not want seating backing to the ovens...especially with as narrow an aisle as yours looks like (I can't tell the aisle widths since your "bird's eye view" doesn't include those types of measurements...or even counters...unusual!)

Do you have a "2-D"/flat layout with all the cabinets, counters, aisle measurements, etc.? It would also be very helpful if you included a general layout of the entire first floor (or whatever floor the kitchen is on). It helps us understand and get a feel for the flow of the house and how it relates to the kitchen. You might check the "Read Me" thread for more information concerning layouts and storage.

Are you open to any reworking?

BTW...a Message Center does not have to be a desk or include school paper storage. It can be a place for a landline phone, keys, charging station, calendar, board, etc. But, to be useful, it needs to be in a "common area", preferably near your family's main entrance/exit to/from your home. Right now, I can't tell if that's the case with yours...what is that door to the left of your desk?

Something else...most people find that desks in kitchens are "junk collectors" and are taking them out of their kitchens when they remodel. YMMV, but if this is something "new" you've added, I suggest you at least think about it. If this is what you have, does it work next to the ovens and in the current location? It wouldn't work in my home, but, again, YMMV.

Oh, and consider changing most of those "rollouts" to drawers. Drawers are more functionally useful in the majority of cases. [See this thread and the threads linked inside it: Drawers versus sliding shelves in base cabinets]

Here is a link that might be useful: Read Me If You're New To GW Kitchens!

Oh my, those are some good points! (I am a newbie, arenâÂÂt Iâ¦)

⢠My old kitchen had a similar layout around the dishwasher, with only one narrow cabinet on the wall. You can see the edge of said cabinet in this pic:{{!gwi}} This meant that I had a small space to put plates OR glasses, but not both. However, with the island behind you, you could store plates in a drawer there.
⢠And thatâÂÂs a good point about the seating backing into the ovens. Imagine trying to prepare a Thanksgiving meal with a house full of guests, most of whom will be sitting right there.

YouâÂÂre going to get some good advice hereâ¦.

However, with the island behind you, you could store plates in a drawer there.

I looked for that possibility, but the island has the microwave and sink and is already otherwise occupied...

Just to give you an idea, this is my dish storage: I have 2 banks of drawers for dishes, plus the upper shelves above...and I could use more room. In there I keep silverware, cups, glasses, 2 sizes of plates, 2 sizes of bowls, serving bowls, pitchers, ramekins and custard cups, serving platters, and one of the drawers holds Tupperware. I wish there was more room for my mixing bowl sets that I also use for serving.

I thought maybe the oven lined up with the aisle and wasn't right behind those seated at the island...it's hard to tell without a full floor plan...But you are both right that it would still be a pinch point, and with hot hazards involved.

Thank you for your thoughts so far! The things that have stayed the same from my old design to this new one are:
the fridge
the dishwasher
the sink & windows.

The cooktop is currently on the island and the wall ovens directly behind the island. The cabinet pantry is currently right next to the wall ovens.

So, what that means is the wall ovens are shifting over to the old pantry spot, meaning I will be gaining some room between the island and the ovens. Although not ideal with guests, it will be better than it was.

The drawers that are in the island will be dish drawers, with the top one serving as the utensil drawer. I was thinking I will use the upper cab next to the fridge for cups, glasses (as I do now).

I have read a lot about the drawers vs. sliding shelves, and am convinced that I would like more drawers (the reason why I have them on the island). I just wasn't sure if it would look right to have them beneath the cook top AND right next to it. Would that look right? Also, should I change to drawers on the bev center, too?

I have also read a great deal about the message centers, here on GW. While I can see how I might allow it to become the dumping ground, I also have thought long and hard about how I already utilize the current counter! I have my laptop, calendar, phone, charging station, and piles of paper along one entire wall! What I'm hoping (and maybe praying, too!) is that if I have a specific place for these things, that ISN'T on the rest of the counter, that I'll keep it all a bit more tidy and each kid will have their "go to" place for home work, notes, permission slips, etc. Unfortunately, I don't have space at either entry for this. The door to the left of the message center is to the new pantry.

Again, thank you for your ideas this far. It's so interesting to be a lurker for this long and then finally open up for input on your own space! The expertise that is here is invaluable.

I will work on getting an entire floor plan posted, to give a bit more clarity of the entire space.

How did it turn out? Would love to see pics.