I'd like to see a photo of just the kitchen floorplan showing where each appliance will go. Others might be able to read what you wrote and just put it all together, but I can't. I have to see it. To that end, I'd love to see photos of the actually kitchen to get more of the feel.

This is all such great advice - exactly what I'm looking for! I will be taking each suggestion under consideration while reworking the design. Thank you all so much! Additional comments and suggestions are welcome. Below I've included additional information and answers to questions. If you don't have time to read the detailed version, here's a quick summary: * There will only be 2 adult occupants - no kids * We rarely entertain * We use the kitchen for almost every meal, but we aren't chefs or bakers * The new house will be informal & transitional but the floor plan has axial symmetry in both directions * The ceiling height will be 10 feet * The stone fireplace in the living room will have an arch at the top, but we're not set on using arches in the kitchen * There are large/tall windows in the living room and dining room, so having a window in the kitchen isn't necessary unless it helps the design * The view from a kitchen window will be the side of the neighbor's house * The upper cabinets will be 42" - regretfully we can't afford to go higher * I would like suggestions on 3D kitchen software so I can experiment before asking the kitchen designer to make more changes * I would appreciate any suggestions on 36" wide decorative range hoods that are affordable (if such a thing exists) * We plan to vent the range hood outdoors, but we want to keep the CFM down to avoid makeup air requirements Now for the detailed version: My husband and I will be the only occupants in this house - there are no kids in our future either. We very rarely entertain, but if we do, it's usually limited to 1-2 guests. We make almost every meal in the kitchen, but due to medical dietary restrictions, we often cook different meals, sometimes at different times. We definitely aren't chefs or bakers, but my husband grills outdoors and smokes meat quite often. Our new house will be informal and transitional. However, there is a lot of axial symmetry in the floor plan. For example, you'll notice that the foyer is centered on the fireplace, and windows flank either side of the fireplace. On the horizontal axis, the sofa and TV cabinet will line up with the island. The stone fireplace will be the main focal point in the living room. It will go from floor to ceiling, and there will be a stone arch at the top above the wood mantel. The ceiling height throughout the public area is 10 feet. There will be large windows in the living room and dining room, so it isn't essential to have a window in the kitchen unless it improves the aesthetics. Note that our best view will be looking out the large windows to the back yard - if we include a window in the kitchen, we'll have a fabulous view of the side of the neighbor's house. The cabinets will be mitered flat panel in the center (not slab). From a distance, they look similar to shaker cabinets, but up close they have a more detailed profile. The drawers will be 5-piece as opposed to slab. The plan we've chosen was designed by a local architect for the builder as a stock plan. We are customizing the plan a bit to meet our needs. The kitchen designer has provided 3D perspectives of the previous iterations, but I don't want to ask for additional changes until we have nailed down the design. If there are computer programs that I could use to easily create my own 3D model, I'd appreciate recommendations. As I mentioned earlier, we are on a budget, and we're already stretching to get 42" kitchen cabinets. It would be great if we could afford to stack the cabinets to the ceiling, but it's just not in the cards. We may be able to afford drawer bases instead of doors, but I will need to consult the kitchen designer for pricing. The sink is currently located in the island with a dishwasher on one side and a trash pull-out on the other. A second prep sink would be nice, but we truly don't need it given the way we cook. The range will be a 30-inch slide-in. I feel like a 36" decorative range hood would improve the aesthetics, but I don't think the budget will allow it. If anyone has suggestion on decorative yet affordable range hood options, that would be great. There will be 36" between the refrigerator and the island. We're between houses and living in a rental house that has the same island/fridge configuration, and honestly it hasn't been problematic so far. Given that we have limited space, I'd rather have a longer island than have another foot of clearance on the side of it. We are not set on using arches in the kitchen, but I suppose they would tie in with the stone arch on the fireplace if we do. The main reason for the arch in the kitchen is to dress up the open display cabinet a bit. I don't like clutter, but I do like to have a few places here and there for pottery and artwork, so I'd like to have at least one display cabinet in the kitchen. In the house we just sold, we had a tiny kitchen, so in comparison the new kitchen will seem huge and roomy, and the walk-in pantry is icing on the cake! I don't mind wasting one or two upper cabinets so that I have places to decorate and break up the wall cabinets, but I want any display cabinets to be well placed. In the same vein, I'd prefer not to add another cabinet to the right of the range run so that I have a small piece of wall for artwork. The room behind the refrigerator wall is a laundry room with a mudroom next to it. The extra space in the laundry room will likely be used for some unsightly exercise equipment. Function is very important to me, but my OCD eye also requires that I address what's behind the island very carefully. For my sanity, that small section of wall cabinets directly behind the island either needs to be symmetrical or else there should be nothing but cabinetry behind it so that my eye doesn't perceive an imbalance. I know that's super anal, but that's the way I was built, and now I have to build my new house to accommodate! :) Thanks again everyone - you're all awesome! Please keep the suggestions coming. This post was edited by broken_arrow on Sat, Nov 15, 14 at 17:08

Just some initial thoughts in no particular order before any discussion of plants. 1. the bed needs to be as generous as you can make it. 2. the fence needs to be isolated from any soil to prevent rot. It is also useful to leave a narrow path between the bed and the fence to allow for maintenance of both. 3. wiggly edges make for fussy-looking gardens if there isn't room to make them into generous sweeping curves. 4. I wouldn't design beds around transitory gardenalia or specific plants. Those can be placed later and moved at will. The most important things in a bed are the soil, the position and the shape. 5. I'm having trouble seeing the need for a berm at all. There doesn't seem to be any rationale for piling up the soil in front of a fairly formal fence. The bed in your design doesn't look like a berm anyway so there doesn't seem to be a point. 6. it would be helpful to know what the rest of the area looks like since any individual bed needs to fit into the whole.

Regarding the 15" pull outs. They aren't very useful in my estimation as spice storage. But, they are very useful when adapted for oil and vinegar, long utensil storage or sheet/baking pans. There are many adaptations beyond the traditional. There are lots of pictures of adaptations. If you were to keep the 45" drawers, be certain to spring for the heavy weight drawer slides. Those drawers will end up carrying a large load. I found that drawers around 36" are a good size. If you have an island planned, give up the need for symmetry. The island will hide any asymmetry. You should also post the floor plan with dimensions. The first rule of kitchen planning is function, then form. Free tip: Drawers are your friend. When given a choice, choose the drawer base cabinet every time. They hold so much more than shelves. Don't fall for the door with internal sliding shelf. It's less efficient. It's two movements to get something. Drawers are a single movement.