I think I'd pull the fridge out more out into the middle of the long cabinet run as it would be tight to open with cabinets facing it and it also blocks the entrance to the kitchen when open so nobody can even squeeze by. Looks like you have a nice long run of counters on the peninsula so don't think the other long run of counter will be used as often. Or is that tall pantry cabinets? How wide is the opening into the kitchen?

This reminds me of the kitchen in the first house I bought. Same layout except for fridge placement was where your door to the outside is. I had a wall of pantry cabinets and I've missed those ever since. They were great. The bottom parts had pull-outs and the middle had shelves and the very top was one large shelf. It was all fixed, but that open top was great for storing paper goods and large appliances.

Our opening into the kitchen was 40" and it worked well to be able to squeeze by somebody, and we weren't big people, but anything smaller would have been really tight.

Oh have you considered keeping some more windows even though you have to make them smaller?

Welcome back! Did you try putting the kitchen in the dining room and making the sunroom the dining room?

lyfia, thanks! It is a pantry wall, and yes I want to move the fridge to be more centered. The double windows facing the deck will also be kept, so it's a mistake in the drawing that it only shows one window. I will check on the opening to make sure it's big enough.

benjesbride, hi! Yes we talked about it but we both felt the flow will be better with the kitchen in the sunroom.

DC, do you mind if I draw up a kitchen in the dining room idea for you? I'd like to give it a shot. If that idea is totally not an option I do understand.

I like it. I always like the living and dining rooms to be connected with the kitchen at the end of the layout because I think it flows so much better for entertaining. I agree with Lyfia that centering the fridge on that wall would be better. To the right of the fridge, I would make a coffee/tea/snack/microwave center so someone can serve themselves a beverage or make a snack without having to come all the way into the kitchen and get in the way of the cook.

I would also spend a lot of time measuring items that need to be stored in the kitchen, determining what is used seldom enough that it could be stored elsewhere, and then try to minimize upper storage in order to have the most windows possible.

ETA: I would add a prep sink on the peninsula so you have a prep area and a separate clean-up area.

If you must have a sliding door to the PR, consider flipping the arrangement.

Ok well I guess my instincts are getting better because that was my first thought....centering the fridge. I like the layout, especially if that window on back sink wall will be as BIG as it can get. :-)

Could you also keep the two small windows on the left wall so they would be on either side of the range? I love that look.

Benjesbride, thanks but we've decided on the kitchen being in the sunroom :)

funkycamper, thanks for the inputs! Love the idea of the snack center :)

nightowl, we don't need a sliding door. What do you mean by flipping the arrangement?

rebunky, I would love to keep those windows but don't think it will work with the range placement :(

It's going to be great! So much better than the plan you started with.

Thanks benjesbride! I am so happy you suggested this, the space is much better utilized with this new layout :)

I copied the existing wall over with the windows and it is possible windows would work on each side of the range. Moved the fridge. Then the red circle I would make that corner a cabinet that is accessible from the dining room side and then use a narrow one next to the stove for trays or a spice pullout or something like it. Then you can have larger access cabinets on the rest of the peninsula instead of a hard to get to corner cabinets in that area. I believe corner cabinets often costs more too so you'd save yourself one of those.

Shoot the picture doesn't show. hopefully you can figure out what I meant without it.

Hi lyfia. I am not sure I understood completely on the cabinets?

I think I want to extend the peninsula a bit further into the dining room to get more space in teh kitchen. This would mean the peninsula extending further into the dining than the opposite side with the fridge. I think that would be fine?

Good idea funkycamper, we will do that!

Also, if you haven't already you could see of rotating your dining table 90 degrees frees up space for the peninsula. You'd probably have to recenter your chandelier and the dining window might be off center to the table, but gaining kitchen floor space (without sacrificing dining table walk-around space) would be nice.

benjesbride, yes I think we will probably rotate the dining!

If rotating works, be sure to do the same checking to ensure that you will have enough space to walk around your table on all sides when people are seated at it.

I would move the walkway from LR to DR to the right, to align with kitchen entrance. Especially if you are turning the table

dilly - there's a pretty arch, likely original to the house that goes between those two rooms. They have a cool arched front door too. I'm pro arch :-)