Please post a clearer image of the kitchen. The floor plan is illegible.

How big is your coffee station? To me it looks too small and cramped to be useful, especially with the microwave above (you'll have to have someplace to pull out the coffee maker in order to add water, plus you have to walk from the sink - where IS the sink?)

The fridge/pantry wall is 10' long. The pictures haven't been revised but the fridge will be 36", pantry 36" and counter in between about 48". The microwave will be a drawer microwave under the counter. The sink is shown in the floorplan (but not in the 3D drawing). The sink is located in the island and is flanked by two dishwashers. It is not that far away.

When I click on the pic I can tell that this is going to be an impressive kitchen. You seem to be striving for symmetry/form over ideal function, but I think you have everything arranged for a functional kitchen. If a few extra steps are an acceptable trade off for symmetry, then this is going to be gorgeous.

sjh, I think the MW is a drawer type, and the sink is just across the aisle, on the island.

bardzil, will all your base cabinets have drawers?

GW discussions--all drawer bases

ETA, oops, we were cross-posting.

I'm very new to kitchen renos so I'm just going by imagining a busy family using the space and some things I've learned from other people on this forum. :)

If the range is situated right in the middle of that wall, the sink on the island may have to be set a bit off center so the range and sink aren't directly in line. Otherwise it could get tight if you have someone help wash up as you cook.

Is there a reason why you are getting two DWs? I've never seen a kitchen with more than one so just curious what the purpose is.

I agree also with sjhockeyfan that the coffee maker is quite far from the sink. Could make it tiresome to fill and empty it. Though I do get why you wanted to put it there. It fits nicely there and makes good use of that little space.

Thanks mama goose. I do like symmetry but i also really want this kitchen to function well. We haven't gotten deep into designing the cabinets but I am definitlely thinking mostly drawer base cabinets.

The two dishwashers is something we feel is beneficial given we cook a lot and also when we entertain. We have 1 dishwasher now and sometimes end up with a number of things that don't fit. We have the space for it in the huge island so we decided to have two.

We could also put a coffee machine on the counter across from the sink. This would make it closer to the sink. I think we could see how we like it between the fridge and pantry and move it if we feel it is inconvenient.

also, the main sink will be off center so that it is not directly across from the range. its a little hard to see the sink in the pic but its a rectangle flanked by two squares labeled "DW"... these are the dishwashers. the aisle width is 48" between the range and island.

Two dishwashers flanking a sink is pretty common these days, in the GW community, and especially used in kosher kitchens.

I like your coffee station cubby--it's not too far from the sink, and if you take cream, you're already there. ;)

An alternative would be something similar to judydel's--you could modify the tall cabinets to have the coffee center in one, and an appliance garage on the other, The doors can be made to slide back into the cabinet, if you want easy access:

Another example--looks as if this one has no doors:

I think your plan looks great. I do think a prep sink would make it even better. This would make it easier for someone to prep while others are cleaning. This also gets your oven door down from the DW door so both can be open at the same time. However, this would mess up the symmetry of your windows.

If, by chance, you don't really need the storage in those uppers, I would eliminate them or make them narrower and widen the windows.

So, really, just thoughts to consider but your plan is nice as is.

If you forego the prep sink, I hope your main sink is quite large. It's hard to tell but I'm guessing it's about 30" from the drawing. I think you would benefit by having a 36" sink which would allow for washing up on one side while someone preps on the other side.

I wish I could advise you on the fridge/freezer issue. When my two kids were still living at home, we never had bigger than a 33" fridge/freezer, one of those dreaded side-by-sides. It fit enough for us along with the extra freezer in the garage. My DH, at age 60, still eats as much as two teenage boys so we probably had similar food storage needs. But, of course, we all cook different and store different foods so maybe our needs were quite different. What kind of fridge/freezer do you have and how does it work for you? I suggest you use that as your guide.

I really like your entire floorplan a lot. It looks like it's going to be a very pleasant home to live in and will work great if you plan on aging-in-place in this home. I like there are is very little space "wasted" to hallways and the light you'll get in your main living spaces without the split bedrooms so common in today's plans. I just wonder if you might prefer having a little more space in the great room by taking a foot or two from the master bedroom like this. You still have plenty of space to walk in front of the bed and just think adding some width in the great room gives you a bit more breathing room there. Just a thought.

The problem with offsetting the sink and range is that now you have a DW opening into the range space. Unless you have 5' aisles (and you don't), that's more dangerous than having the sink & range back to back. If I had to choose b/w the sink across from the range and a DW across from the range, I would pick the sink.

Now, if you can rearrange so the range isn't across from either, that would be even better!

Unfortunately, your plan & measurements are illegible, so everyone is guessing as to what would be a better layout...

Do you have a separate pantry elsewhere - it doesn't look like it, but since I cannot read the labels, I'm not positive.

I'm asking b/c I don't think a 36" pantry cabinet will be big enough for all your food storage needs, especially as your sons hit the pre-teen years - they will eat a lot! (Actually, both boys & girls starting eating more as they hit those years...) With only two children, I know that would never have been enough storage. If you shop 2 or 3 times per week, then it may be enough.

"...major renovation and addition which includes an expanded and remodeled kitchen...."

Is any part of the Kitchen in the addition? I'm asking b/c I'm wondering how flexible you are.

I like the appliance garage idea in the hutches. If not for the coffee then maybe for other small appliances like the blender.

I've thought about a prep sink but don't want to lose the symmetry with the range and windows. I suppose we could still fit a small prep sink in the existing layout in between the range and one of the hutches (without actually moving the range).

I am a little worried about the DW door not being able to open at the same time as the ovens. The only thing I can think that would solve this would be to move the second dishwasher down to the end of the island near the kitchen table. Then there would be space between the main sink and the dishwasher that would consist of the pull out trash and a wide drawer for plates/silverware/etc. Would it be too inconvenient to have the second dishwasher a few steps away from the sink? Maybe that wouldn't be too bad. some dishes might not need rinsing and could go into that dishwasher straight from the table.

I would like a little more space in the great room too - I'll ask our architect about taking space from the master bedroom. We already took space from the hall bath to enlarge the great room a few feet. This is not a huge home (about 2550 sf) so all the rooms are pretty modest in size. I don't want it to feel claustrophobic though (which his honestly how it feels now prior to the addition)!

yes, part of the addition is the kitchen. However, there really isn't much more space we can get given our lot and budget. No, we don't have another pantry. However, there is an 84" closet in the dining room that is 16" deep and right next to the kitchen. It is extra space that is "behind" the fridge/pantry wall in the kitchen. We are planning to dress it up with barn doors since it is in the dining room. This extra closet space will be an extra "pantry" so to speak. We can keep some bulk dry goods and small appliances in there as needed.

This is a 1600 sf house being enlarged to 2550 sf... we are in the Bay Area and homes here tend to be smaller than elsewhere. We've been living in 1600 sf for the past 10 years so we are used to not having the ideal amount of space! I want to maximize the space that we do have though so as to make life a little easier.

I posted a close up of our kitchen layout here - http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3578382/kitchen-layout-and-fridge-freezer-decisions-thoughts.

Moving over to the new thread Bardzil started (see link in Bardzil's post just b/f mine).