Thanks for the feedback, Chicagoans: I added dimensions and layout and more info below. Sweeby: The island will primarily be used for kids (in K and 1st now, so a long time to go with a heavily used kitchen I hope!) homework, projects, Breakfast, Lunch and maybe some dinners. I want to keep the island all one level with no appliances etc so we can spread out.. The little drawers on the island would be for the kids to store their papers etc. I wanted them on the outside of the kitchen work areas... The other side of the island is a walkway and then panty space. More info: We will have a dining table along the back of the peninsula. I added approx distances and more info. I also posted an older house layout, although only look to it for general layout. The bathroom will be set back a foot (smaller shower), so we will gain space in the kitchen in front of the cabinet pantry area and the peninsula has been moved in to make the kitchen a bit smaller and room for the bench and dining table in the family room area... I'd be glad to give more details if needed. Dianeloise:I am trying to enjoy the process! Maybe this will teach me to have more patience!

Reviewing the many kitchen ventilation topics on this site (hood, MUA, baffles, insert, etc. key search words) will help provide important background information. Also, it may let me not repeat myself more often than once a week. Limiting my comment here to a portion of your question, maximum quiet results from a roof mounted blower/fan, in-line silencer (e.g., Fantech), and a baffle style hood. This limits the sound at the cook to mostly turbulence noise around the baffles, and possibly a bit of residual low frequency rumble that the silencer can't attenuate. In my case, for example, I have the largest Wolf Pro Island hood (see the Wolf Design Guide) over an induction cooktop and an induction wok hob. It connects via 10-inch round duct to a Fantech silencer in my attic, that connects to a low profile Wolf (Broan) centrifugal roof fan. (Commercial style upblast units could also be used.) The blower rating is 1500 CFM, but pressure losses through the air paths likely limit it to 900 CFM. Air flow areal rate is about 90 CFM/square foot of hood aperture. To dampen any duct vibration, much of the duct has been wrapped with automotive door dampener material. Conversation at the hood at full blower power can be managed at normal voice levels. Wok sizzle is louder than the baffle noise. Cooking odor is fully captured and removed, as long as DW remembers to turn the blower on. kas

Thanks everyone! Jillius I love the closet pantry! Thank you for taking the time for additional options. I have thought long and hard about the layout and different options. Here is where we are after speaking with my hubby: 1) We would like to keep the sink where it is and have a nice focal point with the wall hood. We are doing a similar panel treatment to our fireplace and will carry this design into kitchen. This area will be bumped out a bit. We want to keep the sink view. It's the only real view we have of our side yard, rose garden (when they are alive and blooming), pool with the sound of trickling water and a place to see the kids if they are swimming out back. We have plantation shutters and sectional in living room so no unobtructed view like we have in the kitchen. Also, the back wall away from anything else is ideal spot to cook for us. We don't want gaps in the wall cabinets to add more windows on the back wall next to cooktop. We have 9 ft ceilings and the space isn't as closed in and dark as it appears in the pictures I snapped at night with my phone. We do not want a bulky fridge in the path near our patio door. Need some free space just to maneuver in and out of patio door from pool. Don't want to move the patio door either. 2) expansion: we would love a larger island. Seating is not necessary. If we were to expand, we would rather take out the buffet in dining room. We need to see if there will be structural limitations. The expansion into the side yard will cramp up the pool area too much. We would rather take the 19" from the dining room buffet assuming it won't obstruct flow of dining table. 3) we are willing to give up the desk area and see if we could move things down and open up the entry to dining room by the corner side. This option would leave us having to go around the family room when we come in from pool to shower. Ideally, I'd like to add a shower in the yard so this will only be a short term inconvenience. If we can't move the opening, we would like to see what else to use that space for. I would love some sort of nook seating. Would have to see what creative solutions we can come up with. Ann I would love to see pics of your pantry! Pantry: we love the closet pantry idea. Where and how to fit it in will depend on overall layout we choose. 4) without moving sink, we are exploring prep sink options. Ideally need a small garbage, soap and place to hang towel for this to work. 5) cabinets and storage is where we need to be careful to have adequate storage so we aren't tripping over each other. Right now our dishes are stored in the large drawer under cooktop because that's the only place they fit (cabinets have middle bar). It's a pain and we need to make sure our cabinet design solves all our storage and flow issues if we are keeping the u shape with island. 6) we find this plan really interesting except for the sink location. I wonder if a corner sink with a small end cabinet can work with this layout. Basically an l shape with a corner sink. I guess a g shape I think I have addressed everything that has been presented. Thank you all for your time and thoughts on this. We need to do some more research and see what options we have construction wise! And then weigh whether it's worth the cost.

@Rachiele, what? I was supposed to get a paycheck? Nobody told me. Where do I line up. LOL Seriously though, I just love the fact that I found a sink manufacturer who can build a fully customized sink that perfectly fits our cabinets and needs, and who doesn't mind telling me when I naïvely ask for something that won't work well and instead is willing to work with me on finding alternative solutions. This is a rare combination. Admittedly, most people won't need that degree of customization, and they might not be willing to pay for it. That's fine. But it's awesome that these options are available. And while I haven't received my sink yet, I am super happy with the very professional process so far. And I see that you regularly have sales on more standardized products which directly compete with other off-the-shelve manufacturers.