Thank you buehl! That's what I wanted to hear. I'm sorry you felt the need to apologize. I knew, from reading many of the threads you linked, that what we'd been given wouldn't work well. I just couldn't break free from it (given all the other constraints we have). I'd thought of a similar idea for the island last night (swing the seat to the end) and just have a standard base depth cabinet the rest of the way. We initially had a few ideas for the W/D. One was stacking (initially with our existing units, but they're so deep, we would switch to the smaller ones) and one was swinging them under the window, next to the breezeway door. (that I apparently didn't mark as a window). I like the stacking idea. I also like the idea of moving the utility cab to there. Thanks. Moving the microwave to that location works too. We'd bounced back and forth with it, we just didn't want it right next to the laundry. Now it's not. We're thinking of the KA Microwave. They make some that are micro/convection and I wanted one until I saw one and saw the inside. It looked horrible to clean. The GE looked better. I could get behind that. It just seems like another big expensive appliance where I've gotten along just fine with a lil' $200 microwave and one oven forever. (On the other hand, it would mean I would ditch my big Breville toaster oven, which I use as an oven 50% of the time, in favor of just a little toaster, which I wouldn't even keep out on the counter.) The windows are new as in they were installed in February. The house is brick (not normal red bricks, but different gray, really dense and long bricks) and has rounded brick around the sides of the windows. Not that there wouldn't be any way to change window location/size, but we weren't/aren't willing to do it. The first KD had seating under the window, but we agreed we wouldn't use it and we'd rather get as much storage as possible there. When I said dog/cat food, currently, their bowls are in the traffic pattern at then end of the fridge and just to the left of there. I might move them. I hadn't thought of it. But I don't see doing seating there. We currently have a 'desk' area in the kitchen that is just a junk collector. I feel a window seat would be the same. I've only lived with old-school pull-out cutting boards. They are a good height for me and I feel I could even go a bit lower (5'2"). I think I might often be comfortable prepping at the 30" h cabinets under the window. I wouldn't have built in a 30" h area if I didn't have the window-obstacle, but I think it could work well for me. I've tried to think in terms of zones, and it's so foreign because right now we have one zone that's all three (cooking, cleaning, and prepping). The fridge, sink, and D/W are where they will be (moved inches one way or another) and the range is in a peninsula��"they're in a U. There's roughly a 4 ft square of floor space between them. So while the room is...

I did that 7 years ago and have been SO happy I did! Now I have really useful storage space on both sides of the corner instead of 'so so' space in the corner. One other thing I did that I'd like to suggest was recessing a utensil bin into that 'dead' corner space. If I had a 'do over' I'd have probably recessed a knife block also. My dead corner has raised counters on both sides, so keeping the clutter below the countertop height makes things look cleaner.

To answer your question: maybe. It will depend on whether you intend to go with a built-in fridge (the cab is only slightly wider than the fridge itself) or a stand-alone. If you opt for a stand-alone and if you intend to box it in with a cab, then you need to allot more width to the fridge area, up to 3 or so inches more, depending on cab construction and fridge clearance allowances. I drew your plan up assuming a built-in, based on the fridge someone suggested above and realize now that I shouldn't have made that assumption. If you buy a stand-alone fridge, make sure you purchase a counter depth fridge. You do not have enough room width to handle a full depth fridge. That would eat up 4" to 6" of aisle, creating a pinch point at the neck of your kitchen. If you purchase a stand alone and don't put it inside a fridge cabinet, then you'll need to get clever with how you mount the cabs on each side of it. I'm sure it can be done, I just don't know how. Can you add a second fridge/freezer to the basement for overflow? That would allow you to get a fridge in a size more in scale with your small kitchen.

Sounds like a good idea!