You need to put in all doors and windows with their measurements too. As well as what's on the other sides of the walls.

Window/sink wall and range wall are outside walls. Wall on the right is into the garage. Kitchen is open to the breakfast room and family room. The breakfast room is cut in half in this above diagram as I didn't think it was needed due to the inability to move the wall at the end of the sink run (due to plumbing codes in my area).

If you need any more info, let me know.

I have already made a slight change to the layout. The cabinets that rest on the counter will be a single 36 not two 21 inch cabinets. I think I will be able to reach into the far cabinet much easier.

Have you already torn everything out, so you have an empty kitchen now? If so, I would STRONGLY recommend that you mock up the layout you have in mind in the space. Use cardboard boxes or furniture or the cabinets you just tore out (anything with a real 3D presence that closely resembles the bulk and shape that your future cabinets would have in the space -- NOT tape on the floor).

Mock it all up and then put the four seats around the mock-island as your husband wants and then pretend to cook something in that kitchen with people seated there. Go through multiple scenarios -- cleaning up, guests over, normal night, cooking a big meal, just snacking, etc.

I would be astonished if your husband still wants those seats after you do that. They are not going to fit well, and they are going to be in the way. I'll also think they'll just look weird and cost you storage under the island.

This is a two-seat kitchen.

Good point. My discussions with him aren't swaying him away from 4 seats. We did mock it up but didn't live with it for any length of time. Off to see if we have any cardboard laying around.

Do you have any thoughts on the range wall? I would love no uppers, but can't give up all the storage. My compromise with myself is to have the left cabinets rest on the counter. These cabinets would function as an appliance garage so I am thinking that in reality I wouldn't be losing counter space.

Also, the cabinets sitting on the counter between your sink and range are cutting your primary prep counter in half, and that would drive me batty. They do look nice and balance the room as you say, but it will hugely impede function and that is never worth it. Imagine cleaning up around that thing constantly, especially if you chop something watery and it's pooling on the counter against your cabinet. Or working away on that counter between the sink and range and wishing you could spread your materials out into that corner so they are still handy but not in your work space on that counter.

Can you remove the stub wall to the right of the range? That'll give you a lot more elbow room when entering the kitchen.

I generally don't suggesting putting prep sinks on islands that are roughly six feet or smaller. You're trading a precious large, uninterrupted counter for a fine but nothing special counter and small sink without counter on one side. With a big island, you still have a huge counter leftover after putting in the sink, and you can have a bigger sink, and you can have 2 ish feet of counter on the other side of the sink as well. I think prep sinks are great in that context. But if you have a smaller island, unless in your family a second water source in that specific location is the absolute highest priority and a great big counter is less important, I'm usually against trading one great thing for a couple mediocre things.

You might consider putting the stages 45 with 2 faucets under your window instead, so two people can access water at once in your kitchen while still keeping the big island work counter intact.

We have the island in our current layout with a cooktop not a prep sink. We currently do all our prep on the island and never on the perimeter. I think it is because it is so much easier to prep without uppers. Our original plan was just to move the cooktop. The idea of the prep sink come from comments on my original post. I really like the idea of a prep sink as we currently have a traffic jam at the sink. I also seem to drip water washing items and then taking them to the island to prep. I had thought of having the kohler 45 with two faucets as our main sink but realized that since we don't prep at that sink it would be a waste. I was hoping that I would use the sink on the island as my prep space. I go back and forth as to whether I want a prep sink or the space on the island.

I am not really worried about breaking up the counter between the sink and the range as we currently don't use it except for countertop appliances. If I used that counter space for prep then it would be an issue.

Unfortunately we can't move any walls without moving plumbing and HVAC which just doesn't make it cost effective. Also the wall by the sink can't be moved either due to plumbing for the bathroom above.

I also dislike working in front of uppers very, very much.

Two thoughts:

1) When you formed the habit of never prepping on the perimeter, was the perimeter fully lined with uppers? This kitchen you are designing has almost no uppers, and I wonder if that wouldn't make it more comfortable to work on the perimeter now than it used to be. You may no longer feel limited to just working on the island.

If so, you'd then have two pleasant work spaces -- one on the island and one between the sink and range -- and that would make this a true kitchen for multiple cooks. Which would be great!

However, in that situation, I do think the cook on the perimeter would prefer not to have that upper cabinet hitting the counter in such a prime prepping location.

2) Knowing that uppers drive you from what could be good work space is valuable knowledge, but there are two ways to deal with it:

a) just give up on the perimeter and make the island have every feature you need for prep.

b) make the perimeter as island-like as possible. This is what I am planning to do in my future kitchen. This means no uppers, big windows over the perimeter counter so I'm not staring at a wall, and deeper perimeter counters (30-36" deep).

If you are sure there is nothing in the world that would make you like working on the perimeter, then by all means make your island the sole prep counter and make it wear as many hats for you as possible. But if any measure could reconcile you to the perimeter, you'd double your workspace and could perhaps keep the island as one big counter.

You might sit down and think through what, if anything, would actually make you enjoy working on the peninsula. In your shoes, I'd be elimating the corner upper and making the window bigger.

Also note: the habits you have developed in your old kitchen are not necessarily habits you must keep in your new kitchen. For example, just because you don't prep at your sink now doesn't mean you wouldn't enjoy prepping at a stages 45. Very different experience, I'm sure. Obviously don't install things that don't make sense for you at all, but keep in mind that there may be things you aren't doing or aren't using because of the kitchen, not because of some inherent quality about you. A different kitchen would support different habits.

Unfortunately the window can't be wider without redoing the screened in porch. Luckily the window is a decent size although wider would be just lovely.

I need to make the decision soon regarding cabinets or shelves. We are moving electrical next weekend and installing shelving brackets in the studs.

Our current kitchen was all wall cabinets on the back wall. It is amazing as how full those cabinets were. My dining room is currently full of boxes we packed up from the kitchen. I know I need to purge but so hard to do. 10 years ago we moved from a teeny tiny kitchen with very few cabinets. A significant amount of kitchen items were in my basement. I don't want to go back to that as it was very inefficient to run down to the basement for items needed. I think I will need some cabinets and many of my items are not open shelf worthy.

I hate making decisions when there are no good answers. Maybe I should just not cook and eat out every night. Other than not being rich enough for that I really am looking forward to using my new professional range.

Since the Stages sinks have built-in 'counter', I think it will work on the island. Your island is long enough for 3 seats, and with no seat on the fridge side, you could increase the length by 6". (Maybe hubby can keep his stool in the garage, and pull it in after prep is finished. He can eat over the sink, with his knees up against the cabinet, right? ;)

If the tall cabinet is not as wide as pictured, will the open shelves on the left of the hood be wider, or will there be a larger gap than on the side with the pantry? Do you need symmetry, or not so much?

Can you extend the window wall about 40 inches? My thought is that you could then put the fridge to the left of the sink, put your island perpendicular to what you're planning to make space for 4, and extend your pantry storage from the corner to the (garage?) door.

I know I really should have included a full floor plan just to answer the questions but I was too lazy to draw one up. Sorry about that. Feel free to YELL at me.

There is a sliding door to the deck on the lower left. Used frequently by the dogs as we have a dog door in it. This is also where our kitchen table is. I currently have a table for 6. I really should think about getting a smaller one, but I had it custom made 10 years ago and is my favorite piece of furniture in the whole house.

If we turn the island so it faces the window it will interfere with the kitchen table. I have seriously thought about just having a large island and no table. Other than not wanting to part with my favorite table I am fearful that it would hurt resale value of my home. I know when we bought the house 10 years ago, I would never had bought it if it didn't have a kitchen table. Now that my kids are teens I could care less as we use the island much more often than the table.

Do you think my concern is valid about getting rid of the table.

Regarding symmetry with the shelves. I would prefer it but can be flexible if no too different. I was thinking of the tall cabinet for two reasons. One to balance out the pantry and one to hide countertop appliances (toaster, vitamix and hopefully kitchenaide mixer). The mixer is an a base cabinet now, but I rarely use it as I hate to drag it out. It is the really large one (DH purchase as I am fine with a hand mixer). If I have any funds after the reno I may get a smaller one. The size of the cabinet is flexible. Right now I was thinking 36. I can go down to 30 or 24. What do you think is a good size?

hopefully my diagram of the empty room will help. All walls and windows will be staying.

I love my KA so much, and use it so often, it has a place of honor on the counter. ;) Before planning the width of your appliance garage, you should decide whether or not the KA is staying, and what other items will be kept there. Here are some pics of similar cabinets from the 'net: google search