The distance between the wall and our French doors is 24"

Glad you posted here. I noticed that you got a lot of advice in your other post to move the fridge to the broom closet area. DON'T do it. Judging by your plan, your designer knows what he is doing. You'll see all over gardenweb that you should maintain the ice water stone fire order - thats fridge to sink to countertop to stove. Keeping the fridge to the left of the stove would require you to cross work zones while cooking which is inefficient.

I would scooch the stove to the left a bit more because you will not use too much of that counter space to the left but you will always use the counter between the sink and the stove for prep.

If you use the broom closet for brooms, it looks a bit too big (?). I think your pantry space is sufficient but see if you can get extra roll out trays; canned goods on a roll out with a foot of space above till the next shelf is not maximizing space.

Maybe put a large farm table instead of an island. You could always add an island later if you decided you needed it.

Can brooms be stored somewhere else?

A super susan in the corner is great for more food storage. I also like 12" full height cabinets for trays and oil pullouts.

I like more workspace between stove and sink. If it is possible and this were my kitchen, I would swap the wide drawer base to the left of your stove with the small cabinet to the right of your stove. Do you have a place for trash?

When your small wall comes out where your pantry currently is, that will give you enough space for a substantial overhang (24") on the back side of your island with legs and additional support. You could get more cabinets on the end of your island and not do that open on both side seating at the end which will just be in the way of the refrigerator. Having a 24" overhang only on the back side will give you enough space to sit at each end and a couple on the back side.

I sure hate for you to lose any dining table. Too bad there isn't enough room to make a bump out where your patio door is and make a bay window, eat-in banquette seating area and do a single glass door out to the patio next to it.

Can you post and overhead layout view with dimensions? It's hard to look at things like aisle widths which I am a bit worried about. The fridge-sink-range layout looks good although I agree with maximizing space between sink and stove is good. Do you have another area of the house that can hold a dining table if needed? I wouldn't want to eat at an island for all of my meals, and certainly wouldn't consider buying a house that didn't have space for a table (not sure if you have resale plans or not). I'm sure you have thought about this!

I didn't see your other post, but I tend to agree with whoever
suggested keeping the fridge in its current location in your kitchen (where the broom closet is drawn). In a small kitchen the
ice/water/stone/fire line-up isn't as important, as long as you have
sufficient prep space, and the prep and cooking zone form an efficient
work area. In the following plan the clean-up and prep zones overlap at the sink,
but a helper can be loading or unloading the DW, or setting the table,
without entering the prep and cooking zones. If you are someone
who likes to prep with the DW open to deposit vessels and utensils as you
use them, the open DW door isn't in the path between the sink/range and
the fridge. Once you start cooking, you are closer to the fridge, in
case you need a perishable ingredient such as milk or butter. I have
this layout in my kitchen, and it works very well. Another reason I like
this plan is that anyone wanting to access the fridge does not need to
walk too far into the kitchen. Not to scale:

Just out of curiosity--can you change the swing on your current fridge doors?

I would start by dropping the broom closet for counter and move the range to the left past the center of the lengthened run. I don't see enough space for a frig move from the new plan unless you can extend that run with the broom closet out past its current end. Next drop all of the pantry for counter with a 10-12" pull-out at the end of that run next to the moved down counter depth frig. Counter space given your dimensions should be prioritized over poorly designed storage. A curved/facetted seating side of the island will give you some communication capabilities when you have family meals.

can you drop the island height toward the living room side for table height seating?

1512 Dolphin Terrace · More Info

Or banquet seating like this butted up against island?

Hokanson/ Siller · More Info

I had thought about the table on the back side of island which would be a great way to keep a table. But, it will protrude quite a lot into your living area.

You'd figure at least 24" deep island, 24" bench seat, 30" to 36" wide table, and 18" deep chairs...not to mention the space to pull those chairs out.

A lower rounded table top connected to the backside that's maybe 4 ft. deep would protrude 2 ft. into your living space with a 24" deep island. This is allowing for 4 ft. between sink cabinet run and island.

With 3 children who are so young, I'd ditch the island and get a good sturdy farmhouse table. It will be far safer and more practical.

I have two boys ages 5 and almost 3. I can't imagine eating all meals counter height. Plus, they are crazy climbers!

I think you will miss having a table. I have 3 kids myself, its much more comfortable and pleasant for the family to be seated around the table for dinner, than at an island. Don't get me wrong, I love islands and I would have one if it worked with my kitchen (It didn't - I have a peninsula) but only if I could keep my table. And with 3 boys, let's face it - the island is going to get a lot of wear from the feet kicking against it if you make it your only place to sit and eat.

I like the idea of a table. We converted a marble top dining table with simple lines, to an island, by adding feet, shelf, and a DIY cabinet for extra storage. It's 34" tall, a good height for a work table for me, and my children's choice for dining. At this point you could add cabinets to a 30" tall table, then in a few years, add feet to raise the table to work table height. Building/converting a table means you won't need to run electrical to meet code requirements. Since you admit to not being handy, or having time (can completely understand that ;), you'd need to have it custom made or altered.

I like that idea mamagoose. I wonder if low cabinets or open bookcase style shelving could go under a long farmhouse style table on the kitchen side of the table? Maybe put the table on casters to move toward living area if the entire table surround is needed for seating. Mind you, those cabinets wouldn't be very tall to fit under there, but could provide some storage. Alas, the microwave would be really low.

Twin boys here, now 13. Plus two older. I second the table idea. They only get bigger, and bigger, and bigger.....

especially since that is your only dining space.

looks like a nice plan.

If you forgo the island, you just have to make the storage you do have more efficient. Drawers, drawers, drawers! Maximize your pantry storage.

Can you post pics of your living room to see how much space is there to extend island seating?

Is there any room anywhere in adjoining rooms to steal some space from ?

Can you post a picture of your entire space?

I can't imagine a house without a dining table of some sort and as the mother of two grown children also agree a table would be a better choice than an island. An island should be an adjunct space to a table, not the only place to eat.

Thanks, designsaavy. I just measured the cabinet under my island--it's 29" tall, and is built around the 3" apron original to the table, so drawers would need to be 3" shorter. It's a door cabinet--depth is sized to the length of my largest baking
pan. I wanted drawers, but my late husband didn't feel he had the time
or expertise needed to build the drawers. :( There is a plywood platform, same size as the table top, which separates the legs from the feet we added, and the cabinet sits on that platform.

I wouldn't recommend the MW for a table set up that way. You're correct that it would be too low, and electrical wiring would be needed.

You can do a drawer microwave next to stove.

Or you could stash the brooms in a coat closet and put in 2 wall ovens or a wall oven and micro there.

We have hooks in the garage for broom and dust pan.

I don't like deli-counter eating, if the number of people is anything greater than three. You can't converse pleasantly at all in such a scenario. Island seating tends to be on one side, not both. So... I'd have a table option somewhere. It does not need to be in a formal dining room. And seating at normal seating height.

I may be a wood person, but I'll admit -- honey oak and maple are some of my least favorite options... ;)

The problem with seating all in a row is when you need to feed and help multiple kids and get up a zillion times to get water, condiments, etc.

My 2.5 still asks for help during meals. Think about where you and your hubby will be seated and where the kids will be. Also, if you are a stay at home mom, it'll be just you for 2 meals a day.

That's definitely a good option.

Cool! But honestly if that were me, the table would probably stay there rather than wheeled back and forth multiple times a day.

With kids, especially little ones, the simplest things like rolling out a table seem like way too much effort.

I love that island and table! Reminds me of chem lab.

Is the 39" island depth 24" cabinets plus 15" overhang?

Very true!

What do you plan on doing with flooring for kitchen? Any interest in making the kitchen flow into the family room?