I would put the oven by the refrigerator (you can easily use either counter behind for glasses for ice filling--I don't see why you need a counter there. You could even move the opening to the dining room to give yourself more room there), keep the sink wall cabinet run straight (rather than turning--it is way too close to the end of that island and boxes in the dw, to boot), build a hutch rather than the oddly-shaped cabinet in the bottom right corner, and definitely put a fairly large sink in the bottom of the island towards the fridge. I would not move one of the dishwashers over there, however. I think it's more flexible to have them both at the clean-up sink. It will make loading both of them easier when entertaining if you're shuffling things to fit.

With this layout, I'd consider an island prep sink an absolute necessity. It is too far and too complicated to get veggies from the fridge to the sink for prep, and not too convenient for filling and draining pots, either. I would, however, keep your cleanup area with both dishwashers as they are.

I'm confused about the oven in the cleanup run, as it seems out of place and doesn't take advantage of the island workspace as well as if it was on the cooktop wall. You said you'd have a dbl oven, so is that supposed to represent a full ht cabinet? With another full ht cab to it's left or a counter?

I think your clearances are good, but the NE corner (looking at the plan as if it were a map, not how it actually lays out on your property) of the island has a pinch point between it and the cabinets that make the turn on the right hand end of the cleanup run. If you move the oven, could you do without turning that corner and just have the cleanup run be straight?

I wouldn't do the corner cabinet across the doorway from the fridge...Maybe that could be a good place for a baking ctr, but the island would have to be shortened, I think. I will look more at the plan in that regard.

I'm not here to help but I have to say I love it when people come here having done their homework!!! :)

A++ for Presentation!

Agree with Rhome410 on both of her points (and if I can see it, it must be pretty obvious). That refrigerator IS rather far from the sink and vegetable washing. And the oven is a little out of the action too. With a prep sink down there you will work mostly in the area between the fridge and range.

I have a very similar if not identical island. I think I would put a bev type refrig in the island. I would also consider putting the main refrig where the oven is. I would rethink, in a kitchen this size of using a 48 inch range with the ovens included.

That island, like mine may be cumbersome to walk around. I put a prep sink in mine and also a fridge opposite my range so that I don't have to walk as far to the main fride. I can simply turn around and get stuff for cooking from there. (eggs,bacon,etc.) .
Good luck!

What a great space! I like the prep and cooking areas and the sightline featuring the range. Cleanup area up at the windows will work well. But the storage needs work and you deserve a wonderful baking zone.

I would rework the perimeter runs. I am not at all liking the distance from fridge to sink during prep and agree with the others on that. Yeah, a prep sink would solve it some, BUT you could do better. I am also not liking the two stray corner runs with the angled cabinets. You already know the top one drops way too long for your clearance specifications and once you shorten that it will be a little dumb nub like the one at the bottom right.

Corners are just not as useful as straight runs - either for work or for storage. Most design theorists "count" corner cabinets and counter space as worth half of straight run space. If you devote 3 feet to a corner base cabinet to add a 2' nub, you are not really gaining much. You are just buying more cabinets and counter material and complicating your design and your install. So eliminate those angled cabinets and those 2' nubs and run the cabinetry straight across the top and the bottom. Whew. Much better. And now you can even fit in that island seating overhang you described that isn't drawn in on the plan!

Now to consider the fridge-oven-prepsink placement issues. Thinking in zones is helpful - consider not just the activity but the storage that needs to support the activity. You have cooking and cleanup zones well covered re both workspace and storage. For prep, you have fabulous counter space but the access to water is not so good. Prep sink solves that so I vote a strong yes on a prep sink. Bit of a hike from prep to that pantry also - would you consider an alternate pantry doorway location off the MBR hallway?

Now for the ovens. If you are a baker and this is your dream kitchen, you simply MUST incorporate a fabulous baking zone. Two placement choices: either up by the cleanup zone, or down where you have the fridge. I'm voting strongly for down anong the bottom wall. Bump that dining room doorway way to the right and treat yourself to a wonderful long run dedicated to baking. Lowered marble counter, the works!

And since one can't have too much storage, maybe plan for tall shallow (12-15 inches max) storage on the now empty lone short wall backing up to the family room. Or shallow message area/ standing desk/ cookbook unit.

That leaves the fridge having to go on the top run. Slide the window and cleanup a bit to fit the fridge. I would place the fridge at the top of the cooking aisle and the cleanup at its right. Tall utility closet could go left of the fridge.

With the fridge at the top, do consider relocating the pantry door. I think it would get old getting some items from the fridge then walking all the way down around through the front hallway to the pantry. Unless the pantry in the hall became utility + long term bulk storage and the tall unit left of the fridge was dedicated to everyday items... that would function well.

There's 2 cents from this amateur. You have worked so hard to get so much right, tweak it a little and it will work wonderfully as well as look great.

Oops. I see the stairway makes moving the pantry door to the MBR hall impossible. And I see you have a broom closet in the hall already.

OK, then definitely I'd put a pantry unit in the kitchen nearest the MBR hallway, then the fridge, then cleanup under the windows. Use that kitchen pantry for everyday items and the one under the stairs to store bulk food purchases and other items (folding chairs, luggage...things that live happily under stairs.)

I agree with Rhome that a sink in the island is a must in this kitchen. I think a DW there too could be a good idea for your cooking and baking clean up.

I like your refrigerator placement except that it's so far from the DW's at the sink. It's a long walk to either get a glass from the sink area or, if the glasses are stored next to the fridge, a long walk from the sink to put them away. The fridge is 6 steps from the sink at our beach house and it's a PITA (especially annoying because it could have easily been designed better).

I think your ovens are fine where they are. Yes, they'd be better on the cooktop wall, but I can see why you're trying to avoid them there if you're considering the view from the family room with the cooktop and hood the focal point.

I'm with Celticmoon on most suggestions, except I still want the fridge at the dining end, near the cooking and baking areas. Grabbing butter or eggs for baking would mean a long trek through the other zones, and I'd like to avoid that. It would also be less handy to dining and to snackers/beverage grabbers that will be at the island or family room.

I don't have a problem at all with the location of the pantry, but I wonder about its configuration. You have to go through a narrow walkway into it, and I'm afraid that if the stairs wind, creating a landing over the main part of the pantry, that you won't be able to stand up all the way in there. We have similarly styled stairs and the area under the landing is only about 5 ft tall.

Will you have a freezer somewhere nearby? And is one fridge going to meet your needs?

If I'm reading the above correctly, the island will be 24" deep cabinets back to back along the length with a curved overhang and seating for 4-5 people. Sorry to say but I don't see how this will happen. You don't have sufficient knee room for people to sit at the counter. NKBA recommends that you plan for 15" overhang (for 36" high counter) and 24" width for each person (more if you want to meet access standards).

An alternative is to have 24" deep cabinets facing the range, and then a 24" deep cabinet 15" wide at each end perpendicular to the cooktop wall. There will be knee room between these two along the length for stools and people although you'll only have enough room to seat 3 people (with curved bar, without curve it's a pinch) not 4-5, which, as I pointed out above, you don't have now anyway. If you want room for 4-5, you need to eliminate the end cabinets - unless someone else comes up with a creative solution that isn't apparent to me.

The above suggestion eliminates crawling under counter overhang to access storage, made more complicated when people are sitting at the counter. This is what we have at my in-laws and it's a PITA when the kitchen is full of people. They thought it a smart move since they were storing items used only during big gatherings but that happens to be when the stools are filled and then some. Oops.

This also reduces your island's width by 9", giving you more room between island and perimeter counters.

I don't like the ovens in their current location. Sorry, that's harsh but I don't. It makes for a long schlep carrying hot dishes from oven to DR, crossing through work zones in the process. I think placing them along the lower wall, either against the DR or against the FR (depending on changes to DR door opening) would eliminate that. Plus it moves them closer to where you'll likely do your cooking and baking prep and closer to the fridge and pantry for easy access to supplies.

Where are you putting the microwave?

I vote for prep sink and eliminating the corner counters, too. I also vote for adding a beverage fridge. You've got the space and it will come in handy during family gatherings, especially if it's placed close the FR or DR and not smack in the work zones.

So there you have my amateurish opinion. HTH!

Here is a link that might be useful: seating clearance

I like many things about your layout, but it is VERY similiar to what I have planned! I have the same focal point range from the family room, a large, double-sided island as well, and the general layout is similiar. Several things are different though, and I'll tell you my thinking (my scan of a giant blueprint -- trying to capture the kitchen is not very good, but it is the best I could do quickly --- hope it is legible....).

I tried to think of my space in zones ---cooking zone..... I put the range (actually it is a 36" rangetop with drawers below) in the middle of that focal point wall as well, but I did put a 27" all fridge capping the end of the range run on the left, and a 27" all freezer capping the right of the range run. I did leave landing space in between the fridge and the cooktop (only about 21" on either side, which is a bit smaller than I wanted, but I think it will work. That wall will have a pot filler (I think) and directly opposite it is the island (exactly like yours in the space). I put my main sink here --- I thought my island would be a great prep space --- tight little zone from fridge, sink to range. There is a dishwasher here next to the sink, as well as a trash pull-out.
My second zone is a clean-up zone --- it is right off the eat-in area (this is a bit cut off on the scan), but it is a smaller room with a sink, dishwasher and then several dish cupboards. It has "barn doors" that will close it off, and a little pass through to the little eat-in area. It also has a side with the double ovens and some counter space, which I am calling my baking area. Right behind all of this is a large pantry on one side and a little space that really happened because of rooflines that will become a "broom closet", and other cleaning supplies.
The island is double sided, much like yours, but I am making the overhand 18", which is comfortable for us. I think that is something you need to make sure fits you well.
Anyway, I haven't posted my plans yet for review, but since they are so similar so far, I thought I'd try to show you and maybe we'll each see something a different way!
I did have a big island in my previous home, but it had a prep sink and I really loved that. I would recommend it.

One other thing I think could be great (not kitchen related) is swapping around the laundry, mudroom and powder room. You might be very neat, so this could be a non-issue for you, but my mudroom will be MESSY --- I won't want people to go through it to go to the powder room..... So.... move the entrance from the garage into the house to the wall where the laundry currently is. Make the laundry room your mudroom, then put the laundry room on the wall where the powder room is. The powder room could be an interior room in that space across from the stairs. Might not work, but if you are messy, it might be worth considering.

Hopefully my scan is legible. I was going to post it soon anyway to see about feedback.....

Good luck! Rachel

Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I'm sorry I didn't get to read them earlier...spent the afternoon building a snowman with my little guy in this lovely winter wonderland we are experiencing in NC right now, followed by hot cocoa with 'Mickey' marshmallows (because "Mommy, boys don't drink hot chocolate with 'Minnie' marshmallows!"), followed by a sugar cookie making party!

So down to business...

-As many of you have pointed out, this design has some issues. The background on this is that we hired a designer to draw the house plans. After nearly a year (when it should've taken about 3 months seeing as how I drew the floorplans for her and actual pics were provided for the entire exterior from every angle imaginable) we had spent a small fortune and we figured out we were being strung along to increase the designer's bottom line. So we finally said this is it, print the final set and we will take it from here. So here we are with pretty much the whole house nailed down except for the kitchen and construction scheduled to start in about 3-4 weeks. The solution: call on your Gardenweb friends to help make this kitchen an open yet cozy example of both form and function. And I thank you again for all your help!

-To answer a couple posts, a counter and cabinet are needed next to the refrigerator for storage of glassware and a place to set the glasses as they're being filled from the dispensers.

Celticmoon-
I hate those corner cabinets too! They are stumpy and they do impede walkways around the island.

Rhome-
Yes, there will be a fridge/freezer in the garage just outside the entry door in addition to the 48" fridge/freezer in the kitchen. With a 15 year old the size of a linebacker and a 5 year old with 2 hollow legs who can out eat his older brother, I might need a third!
On the pantry-you walk in under the upper portion of the stairs and there will be a set of tall shelves that will line the left hand wall for dry goods. These will go to 2 shelves under the landing and around the corner for large pots and bulk items (yes, I love Costco!). This setup has worked really well for Mom & Dad and my DH & I really like it.

Lisa_a-
I don't like the oven placement either, but I had to put them somewhere just to get the final prints done. I like the idea of placing them on the DR or FR wall. Thanks!

Mythreesons-
You are in the Charlotte area, right? I think we exchanged window info a while back. What did you ever decide to go with? Did you ever get to talk with the owner of the Abberley Lane house in your neighborhood? Thanks for the input and posting of your plan. I really like your island setup-it's just what I had in mind!
As far as the mudroom/laundry/powder room area: the cubbies will be hidden inside a cabinet. My DH & I went round & round on that part of the layout (in fact the powder room was an addition to the original plan)& what you see is the compromise we could both live with-hence the disguised cubbies. Our bigger issue is laundry. Our mudroom and laundry room were combined in our last house & it was an absolute nightmare! And of course the entry door that was used the most by EVERYONE was the one in the mudroom. All of my work stuff ended up there too. I've made a large specially designed space for all of my work stuff in the garage so it never enters the house. So hopefully, we will just be dealing with coats, gloves, hats, bookbags & shoes--all behind closed doors!

Please keep the suggestions coming! I will work with these & get them on paper to scan & post. If anyone sketches anything out as you're thinking or if you see a layout you think will help, please scan and post it! Thanks so very much!

So! Bigger connection to outdoors and family room. Moved dining room door and clean up area next to dining room. Altered range focal point some by relocating ref (better for prep, not the best overall). Full-on baking area, reduced emphasis clean-up.

{{gwi:1987047}}

The other temptation is to create a french doors from those windows - do a breakfast bar/hutch towards the mstr bedrm hall, put a table shape on that end of the island.

Another stray thought is that adding ref drawers near either the prep area or the baking area may help in another version of your kitchen.

Dreamhome ---- yes, you're right about exchanging some info before. Sorry I never got any details on the Abberley Lane house in my area --- turns out the owner is the type you want to avoid :-(. I think we are going with the Pella architect after all. DH really liked them, and I just don't care that much. I figured I'll let him choose that type of thing so that I get some decisions that are important to me in other areas. How about you? So, you're starting really soon, huh? Congratulations! I am hoping we will be really soon too, though our designer is on the same plan as your designer --- i.e. the take forever plan. We've been dragging our feet and the slow pace has been fine because we've had an issue to work out, but as of Friday, we think it is done, though we'll know for sure in about a month. I need to light a fire under the architect to get the plans done.

One of the things I really like about your island and focal point range is the symmetry and sight lines. I'd hate to see that go away in any revisions. I really do like some of the ideas that delete the corner cabinets, I despise my corner cabinets here. I think you could make really pretty "hutches" on the far left and right of the sink (against the walls). They could come down to the countertop (like cotehele has in her kitchen, I think). I like the prep sink idea on the end of the island near the dining room --- but I would put a DW next to it, to make clean-up a cinch from the dining room, or the island.

Look forward to watching your progress!