I think it's a very nice plan! I love the banquette/table area and the overall layout looks very functional :)

One thing I would change (and this is just me) is the four windows to three. Either three the same sized, or one larger in the middle, with a smaller window on each side. Then, I would center the sink, under the middle window.

This is just a 'visual balance' type of thing...three stools, three windows, balanced faucet.

If you do three equal sized windows, I would think about a small upper cabinet on either side, for dish storage. Unless you have plate storage by the range (which could very well be, hard to tell in the plan) it will be a long walk between the plates and the food.

I'm the one who thinks about walkpaths a lot. After a cursory look-over, I suggest that there be "plunk space" between the kitchen and the stairway. Where will you set things intended to go down stairs or that arrive upstairs, the things that are "in transit"? A milk glass moving to or from a bedroom, for example? In previous drawing, the lip of the hutch area, although very slim, could serve this purpose. (Or are you one of those people who refuse to have plunk spaces for occasional objects?)

What will be the most common route into the kitchen--the right of the island, I suspect. That walkpath has the potential of being a very heavily used little piece of real estate because your cooking triangle is within it.

Move microwave away from stove. That way the microwave user does not disturb the stove user and leftovers do not interfere with cooking activities or become a blockage of the walkpath. If you're melting butter while baking or such, you can do the walk--this is not a typical daily activity I would suspect and should not determine placement of microwave. More common is to take leftovers from refrig to microwave and then they don't move back unless some are still uneaten and they go back across the island after meal. Keep them out of the cook's way!

Where will you process leftovers? sandwiches? toast?

I hope that sink by range is not a small one--it's going to do a lot of large item work, I suspect. I don't think you will use the sink on the far end except for cleanup. It's too far from all other household activities.

Be ready to have the island be the plunk space for items heading everywhere--to the sofa, from the sofa, to the sink, from the sink, to the range from the range, to the refrig, from the refrig, etc. etc. etc.

There are two parts that are scary - the ref-sink-micro thing... Its ok, but its all crammed up with the micro between you and the ref plus the sink as landing space for items from the ref. I wonder if that will become more and more of a problem as the kids age and want to do things for themselves.

The other scary part is the position of the trash and/or garbage disposal.

Also, what rhome said about the pantry.

mikomum-

I agree with florantha, I hope that sink across from the range is bigger than your average prep sink, I would do at least 24", to me a large enough sink is better than counter space in that particular location. I also agree about the MW placement, don't put it near the range, as your kids age (I recall their pics on the "Where are you from?" thread), they will want to access the MW, and trust me, you don't want it in the path of your cooking or, especially IMO, canning (I'm a big canner and believe me, stay outta my way when I'm immersed in that operation).

I love the four ganged windows, and while I think a corner range adds a certain interest (yep, I have one), I understand why you didn't do it, ditto on the desk.

Good luck-

sandyponder

In our house I use my microwave a lot in meal prep and it's only used by others to warm leftovers for lunches, etc. when I'm not at the stove...So it depends on how you use it. I wouldn't want to wander around the kitchen to retrieve thawing meat, deal with steaming veggies, etc. It'd be nice to have it separated a little more, but without doing away with the walk-in, it doesn't seem possible to keep it by the stove but out of the way.

I wonder if you want to shift the main sink and dw to the right so that you have counter to the outside of the work area for coffee pot, toaster, etc? --OR-- I sound like I'm finding every way possible to get rid of the step in pantry...which I'm really not...But I could see that spot as a great area for the microwave (drawer or in the upper) and a counter for the toaster and coffee maker.

At one point you had me draw the center section of the shallow pantry wall deeper...Could your step-in or a deeper pantry go over there?

I like rhome410's idea of putting the toaster, MW and coffeemaker in the WIP, out of the main loop, but still accessible.

sandyponder

As I said earlier, I like your plan (and it's probably much too late to even ask this) but if you're putting in new windows in the family room, too...have you ever thought of switching your rooms? Having the kitchen sink face out the front and the family room looking out over your very nice back yard? Maybe a deck or patio off the family room?

Since it's an addition, will it make a difference with plumbing, etc? Your banquette could stay where it is, as would the built-in desk and other features. Just an idea...don't mean to throw a wrench in your plans :)

thank-you! It was such a relief to come back and see replies and advice!

Lavender Lass--Those windows have driven me #$%$^&!!!
:)
In the end it came to what common window sizes worked in our 8ft ceilings and would also give us the longest bank of windows without having a post in the middle of my view. I couldn't get 3 windows to work as well. Our roofline is low on this side of the house and the exterior soffits protrude so I have to be careful of balance. I'm quite at peace with the windows/sink location. The windows will be square.

rhome-I'm glad you addressed the cupboards flanking the range. I'm not sure why I'm having such a hard time visualizing those. I have a bank of cupboards like you described (no corner angling). I know some people dislike them but I guess I'm tall enough that the reach doesn't bother me.

Good idea on turning that pantry. I had planned on using it as a combo broom closet/bulky appliance (crockpot,electic griddle, etc.) cupboard My only concern is if it would work with the existing flush wood vent that is in the hardwood in that location.

florantha--I'm waffling on plunk space---I know the evil of which you speak. We've gotten better as we have a very tall dog with a whippy tail and counter-height nose.

processing leftovers-to the right of the cleanup sink, same with toast (the toaster will likely live to the left of the range) Making sandwiches will either happen there or on the island.

florantha/bmore

As far as the microwave I *think* I'm going to put it on the left of the island. I know myself well enough that I would rather take an extra few steps out of my work triangle then to have someone IN my work triangle. I tend to do a lot of re-heating from the kitchen table and from our coffee/tea station (the far-left from the cleanup sink, where the open shelves are) so it would certainly be convenient for that. Our girls are forever microwaving their hot wheat bags 'warm-ups'.

bmore-I hope we can make the disposal work with a pull out garbage. The garbage would be pulling out on the corner, towards the windows and the base sink cabinets would open towards the fridge. Would that work? Is it rhome that has a similar setup?

sandyponder--I knew I recognized your name, it kept coming up in archived posts about corner ranges when I was exploring that avenue!
. I'm going to make that prepsink as large as the cabinet will allow although I haven't figured out schematics yet. Stay tuned for more questions on that when we start picking cabinets and sinks!

I'm being booted off of the laptop as my DH just plated dinner. Thank you all so much for the time and thought put into your replies.

Yes, it's me who has the trash that pulls out of the island toward the cleanup area, but adjacent to the prep and cooking areas...so nicely in the middle and accessible to all. It's great.

I envisioned your mixer to the left of the range....I would want to keep snack, beverage, and breakfast stuff more to the outside edges of the work areas.

sorry, it took me forever to post that last bit and I missed the last few posts. LavanderLass, I tried flipping the kitchen and family room (and many saw the results) but it just didn't work and I think deep down I just prefer my view, privacy, and watching the kids out the back. We're on a corner lot so our garage (currently detached) and driveway attach to the side so a deck isn't an option. We use our driveway as a patio in the summer.

This might help, this was an earlier draft. See the swapped kitchen/family? Ignore the weird stairs/deck off the back, this is partly why this doesn't really work.