A. For surely like A.

Oh, and bonus points for the Star Wars reference. ;-)

Looking at A - it just looks like much easier to move around in. Still seating for those who are eating or chatting or helping. I had a peninsula in my last house and I really liked it. Just pivot and you are there. I like weavers suggestion too.

B looks like a lot of move around this and move around that and no place for someone to sit. Sometimes my mil comes for dinner and she wants to help but she needs to sit. She can do so comfortably and still help snap beans or dice whatever with the seating we have at the island. I don't think you could have seating in option b and it looks to be a barrier.

Hmm, ok, I have read http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767033/how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-and-what-information-should-i-include

I'm not sure about how best to present the layout. Graph paper is not my leading choice, I'm a digital kinda girl. Both of the drawings above are to scale CAD drawings. I am totally willing to re-draw the kitchen in some other (free) software/in browser program if it makes a better picture. Suggestions? (I tried the online ikea planner for kicks, but man, its hard to get things right, and it keeps crashing on me, so I'm not sure posting that will help)

More info guided by the above asking for layout help thread:

The footprint of the house can’t change (exterior walls),
but interior walls can be altered, and windows can be altered (added, moved, change size, whatever)

The sink does not have to be centered under a window, or be
under a window at all

I bake, a baking center would be nice, not necessary

Don’t need a beverage center. We don’t drink coffee, but I
make tea several times a day

Appliances:

36” induction cooktop

Vent hood will vent outside

Two ovens (don’t need same size, can be mounted under counter)

Microwave – yes. It will be located on the counter or
possibly mounted under the uppers. It will not go under the counter or over the
cooktop

Toaster oven – use this all the time. It can also go on the
counter

Refrigerator – single door with bottom freezer

Yeah, Autumn, I agree with everything you said. My Grandma has a G kitchen like this, and at holidays, you can really put a lot of people to work in there. While I don't need seating in the kitchen, I think even for just the two of us, it will be more convenient. (We eat most meals together, but we'll still probably just eat at the peninsula a lot).

Basically, while I'm pretty happy with the G layout, I guess I'm just worried about fixating on one solution, and missing a potentially better solution that I haven't thought of.

In my house that G with all that lovely space would be taken up by a large goldendoodle right smack in the middle, almost like a rug. :) But she takes up a 4' aisle just the same.

It's always good to survey your options and make sure there isn't anything better. My old G kitchen was dysfunctional with appliance placement but otherwise there were some things that I really liked and the peninsula with seating was one of them.

No to Option B. It has a barrier island which makes that plan super inefficient. Do you really want to walk around that island every time you need something from the fridge while cooking?

I like weaver's idea of a prep sink in Option A.

I tried to come up with an Option C. There are some things I really like about this as it's more open and I like more than one access to the kitchen when possible without making it a thoroughfare. However, I'm unsure of the prep sink on the island as it's a bit far from the cooktop.

I like a lot of things about this plan. I'd probably do a single sink that is at least 36" wide or even a Stages 45 with two faucets so one person could do clean-up on one side of the sink while someone preps at the other side (closest side to cooktop). I think this kitchen would be very efficient if the sink was big enough to handle both chores at the same time and then I'd nix a prep sink in the island. However, it might still be nice to have a small beverage sink in the island so you could better use it for buffet service, as a place to mix drinks, and even as a secondary prep area if needed.

Heh, Autumn, I’m lucky that the 90 lbs of fuzzy brown fur
that is my dog is oddly afraid of being in the kitchen, otherwise he’d be under
foot there too. I wonder if he’ll voluntarily stay out of the kitchen at the
new house as well?

Funkycamper – now that’s thinking outside of the box. Still
groking, trying to imagine working in that space. You posted in my old thread (or maybe my
house build thread). I really should name drop the folks that responded to those threads,
as I made changes based on their comments. (They were right ).

Here's a version with the island, which is only 26" wide m/l, so more
of a work table, and it could be on casters to make a peninsula beside
the freezer, and/or to move for serving in other areas. I recessed the
freezer into the closet space in the entry, as the fridge is recessed
into the laundry. The cooktop is centered between windows at the bottom
of the U, where it can be easily vented. The sink and DW have moved to
the right side, with another window added.

I estimated the area
as 14 x 14, but if it's not that long the fridge and freezer can both
move toward the bottom wall by as much as 12". Except where fridge and
freezer open, aisles are just under 4'. Images of cooktops between windows.

Ha! Got Stranger In A Strange Land reference, too. ;)

Sorry about the dimensions folks. I tried to label the dimensions in red in the original pics. They don't display very large, but on my pc, if you click on the picture, it shows the larger version and you can actually read it.

Mama Goose, that is definitely a better version of the U. I re-drew it quickly, because I forgot to emphasize one important constraint: there are posts that cannot move. Here is your version with dimensions, showing where the posts are (little square with the x in it): (see the 9 foot dimension to the center of the post on the right side of the kitchen drawing). I think its a 6 in x 6 in section. I don't really have 14 feet in that direction, at best I have 13.5 on that wall. The opposite wall could be 13.5, but 12.5 keeps that circulation area from being tight.

I can build cabinet and countertop around the posts, I just have to know I lose that 6" of depth in that spot.

Also, I'm contemplating not having the upright freezer in the kitchen. I originally wanted to get rid of my chest freezer (which is currently in my garage), and have an upright freezer in the kitchen. Now I think I might just keep the chest freezer (and put it in the mudroom with the water heater), and just have one normal fridge/freezer combo in the kitchen.

I now see the black squares in the original drawings. Here is the second drawing with the beams and posts superimposed on the plan I drew--I think it would work, whether or not you keep the freezer in the kitchen:

If you skip the island and freezer, you can have the peninsula, and make the perimeter counters deeper, as FC suggested, to offset the counter space you lose to the posts.

Just a quick idea....hope this helps :)

yes, lavender lass, that does help, thank you. I'm working on a variation of your markup. I've realized my 12.5 ft dimension is wrong on this drawing, and it makes a big difference (I labeled it 12.5 ft, but as drawn, its over 13). If I've finally figured it out, that wall can be 13 ft, making it as large as possible without crowding the post between the kitchen and dining.....the problem is my own CAD drawing vs the builder drawing....they don't quite match, and it matters now that I'm really trying to look at a layout.

I do have a question about the kitchen windows. They aren't centered as drawn, I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe to line up/balance with with upstairs dormer window above the kitchen? Front elevation shown below (kitchen windows first floor to the right of the front door). Should I center the windows as seen from inside the kitchen? make them larger? Add more?

It looks to me like there is a wide range of where that window could sit to look pleasing to the eye from the exterior. And, as you noted, it isnt centered on the kitchen from inside, either. So, unless there is some reason like plumbing air vents (possible), I would say you could move it to where you want.

And, more windows=good thing, as far as I am concerned. ;-)

What would you like to see there? Do you like the look of a whole wall with windows? Are you planning any shelving on that wall?

Ok, now that I have better dimensional info (location and size of posts and beams), here are two variations on the G shape kitchen. Also, I plan on just centering the windows as seen from inside the kitchen.

Option A1 is a more detailed and better dimension-ed version of A above:

Option A2 is a variation. Basically, I move the fridge down to the other side of the post (but in a way that requires a bunch of explanation):

Advantages of A2 -
+the work triangle is now within guidelines. Its close but just slightly large with version A1.
+I get a really nice large 4+ft pantry
+ if I ever really wanted to, I could more easily add a freezer column on the other side of that post (just lose some pantry).

disadvantages - lose some counter and drawer space in that part of the kitchen (traded for more pantry space)

explanation - the fridge is still essentially recessed in version A2. The reason is that I learned that some timber frame owners space out the lower and/or upper cabs out from the wall the width of the post, so they don't have to build the cabs around the post, and can still order standard cabs. The way I have it drawn, the lower cabs are spaced out from the actual wall 6 inches, and the counter is now 31" deep on that wall (standard the rest of the kitchen). The uppers are on the actual wall, so you will still see the post between the uppers and lowers, and the counter is cut around that post in the corner. I could also space out the uppers, or order deeper uppers (trying to keep the cost in check however).

I'd really like to move that post by the fridge about 1.5 feet down and put the fridge where the post is now, but I'm not sure that's possible or reasonable.

A1 or A2?

I like A2 because of the pantry, and the fact that someone can slide by if the fridge is open. I would, however, move the sink, DW, and trash pullout, and adjust the window, if possible--red is optional extra window:

Ooh, thanks for the elevation pic with the extra window. I'm really tempted to just fill that wall with glass (is that a problem style-wise from the outside? Do I care?). Is it better to have a 3 section window with wider glass, or a four section like shown? (I think one of the KDs suggested that a 3 wider panes would look better than 4 narrower...something about odd numbers looking better....I really can't judge that sort of thing.)

I wanted to space the dishwasher 2.5 ft from the right/east base cabs, because that's how much room would be comfortable to stand in on that side of the dishwasher to put the dishes away. It makes the sink off center, but I don't care. I want to be able to stand on that side of the dishwasher with it open.

For 20 years I've stood in about 14 inches between my DW and the corner--22" m/l seems downright luxurious.

Do you know which option is less expensive for the windows--wider panes? More panes? Since the windows on the left are double, I think either 3 or 4 would work, but I usually like groups of odd numbers, too. Or ask for a whole wall of windows. :)

Right...so true story: I just had my husband measure how far my butt stuck out when bending over to get dishes out of the dishwsher (much amusement was had by all). You are correct, 2.5 ft. is a lot of space. 2 ft or a bit less is still plenty of room.

In my previous house, I had whatever space there is from a Lazy Susan corner cabinet. 9"? Since all the dishes and glasses were stored in the angled corner cabinet above, it worked as I didn't have to put anything in lowers. Then I moved to the other side to put away silverware, pots and pans and such all stored on the opposite side of the sink. It worked but not the best. I think I would have drooled over Mama Goose's 14"! No, that KD didn't do me a lot of favors.

There is no rule that sinks need to be centered. You have space to place it where you want and where it will function best. And I love the idea of more windows!

As for your plans: I think either would work fine. If you do a lot of baking, you might consider A so you can have a baking center on the wall to the right of the fridge. If not, then I'd lean toward the bigger pantry in A1.