BeverlyFLADeziner - what would you recommend as an island width? 5'?

And would you put the fridge on the same wall as the stove?

Not sure why you thought the island had to be so very deep. Either move the sink & DW to the island. so you can move the fridge, or leave the fridge and consider a small sink in the pantry.

I think it's just because of the size of that room - 30' x 32'. I'd rather have the room elsewhere but it's a remodel :-) My thought process was that I have 32' of space to fill and as the plans are it is less than half of that so I didn't want a dinky little island.

A slab of stone is approximately 5x9. Your island would need 4 slabs of stone if you want to have a bookmatched seam. Yes, I think that is excessively large. The kitchen itself is excessively large, and will require a lot of walking and walking and walking. YOu have the same issue for the living room. It is much too large and out of scale for human conversations. You could have 3 different seating groupings in a space that large! People tend to want to talk to others no m ore than about 10' apart before they feel they need to raise their voices. The scale on all of this is enormous, with not a lot of spots that people will feel comfortable and cozy.

Was this created by an architect? They typically do not cook, and don't understand kitchen zones and workflow. The best resource on the net to help you with understanding how to design a successful working kitchen is Starcraft Builder's Illustrations of theNKBAs 31 Rules of Design.

I suggest you also post on the Kitchens Forum. I'll link below. This Appliances Forum tends to focus on the appliances themselves. The Kitchens Forum focuses on layout, flow, design, utility. You also have to be willing to listen. Many people go on there with questions, but resist all the suggestions.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/kitchbath/

That space is not what i would consider huge my LR by itself is 25 x 17 IMO the island is too large and really makes no sense. My island is 54” wide i am tall and can barely reach the other side . When I design kitchens if clients want something I don’t agree with I insist they walk off the steps tp prepare a simple grilled sandwich and a salad and see how much they like what they think is great. Whenever possible i like stoves on exterior walls to keep venting working properly

You'll curse the island every time you try to wipe it down. Unless you are 7' tall with freakishly long arms. (guessing you are not)

I might be short, 5' 4", but my current 50" square island is about all I can reach and have some overlap. I have a corner sink and train to reach BEHIND the sink to wipe / dust is a pain in the butt and I have to climb on the counter to get back to the corner.

Hey - at least it keeps you limber.

And putting 2 normal depth base cabs back to back with an overhang will be like a cave exploring adventure when you have to get something our of the cabinets that face the dining area. New meaning to DEEP storage...

I would try so hard to get your fridge at least in the same room. You may have the space for 2 islands, an option that ends up being popular for a true prep island and an island for seating

You have some true problems with function here (prep, cleanup, how the heck does someone get a beer around here?) - and I don't see this as being an inexpensive project, so... assuming you want something that WORKS, I'd head over to kitchens and be open to changes - the folks there are AWESOME and will not only tell you what's wrong, they will help you understand WHY and then FIX IT.

Post your plan in the kitchens forum. It needs some finessing.

It's not a usual use of space. I'd go with a single bowl sink to start. I'd drop the wall between the 'pantry' and the sink run to extend the counter on that side. And Incorporate the refrigerator cabinetry into the range run by dropping the short extension shown. I would widen to 28-32" the counter for the range run. . . . .Next for me would be a full size layout with cardboard to see how this would work for me and the other users. It may work or you could be starting over. You'll see what width of island you can make use of when it's full size.

It looks like you had a professional design your plans. You should be able to go back to this this designer/architect and address some of your concerns. I suggest at least giving them the opportunity, before going elsewhere....unless you were not happy working with them.

The refrigerator was placed in a Butler type pantry and appears to have 42" clearance to the opposite cabinetry. Depending on what your prep style is for cooking or entertainment - the refrigerator in this space may work fine for you. I would recommend putting an under counter refrigerator in your island, for ease of access, if the refrigerator stays where it is located on the plans.

On the island - a 68" wide island may limit you in counter top selections as some granite slabs can handle the width and length, but not all are wide or long enough and quartz slabs are smaller. I recommend cutting back to maybe a 53"-55"W counter top (a 24" base cabinet, with a 12"-15" base cabinet, a 15" overhang with the 1-1/4" front overhang) which should be wide enough.

Looking at your plan - I also noticed that the wall to the left of the refrigerator may prevent the door from fully opening. You may want this wall cut back some. Also check the distance -opening between the island and the wall to the right of the range.

Re: refrigerator. Last house kitchen was so horrible if someone walked into it I had to stop work and sit down until they left. Never entertained (a first in 12 apartments/houses, some with 75 yo kitchens). My kitchen designer told me first you locate the fridge because almost everyone coming into your house eventually goes to your fridge for water/ice etc so it should be on the side of your kitchen near where people congregate so they don't walk through your work space. I had some reservations because my fridge was visible from front door since that was my only option that fit that. Key issue to making it the MOST functional kitchen I ever had. Consider the flow then once you do..go with what works for you.

Re: island. If you aren't 100% sold on it, consider options ....I like to look at the people I'm eating with, and needed some addition storage and some visual blockage from dining room (dirty dishes you know). My island was cabinet depth with trash bins, sink then dw then bumped up to bar height at end and up the other side with 12" cabinets (didn't have room for cabinet depth but I would do at least 14" since too many platters, bowls and small appliances are 12" and didn't fit). Top of that was great for entertaining/buffet or appetizers. On the opposite end the granite top (counter height, easier for kids, elderly, short and mobility challenged ) ballooned out in a 3/4 circle (straight on the sink side due to space). We easily fit 5 stools and all the serving dishes in the center and we got to look at each other and talk...highly recommend.

Sophia, I wouldn't necessarily say that a huge island can't work. It's unusual, but could be fun, depending on what your family likes to do.

My biggest gripe would be the fact that that the fridge is in the next room. That makes cooking quite challenging.

I'd probably turn the fridge into an all-freezer column, and move (multiple) refrigerator drawers and possibly a beverage refrigerator under the island. At this point, you are most definitely unconventional in your kitchen layout. But it doesn't sound as if that bothers you all that much.

And you are already planning on having a generous-sized pantry. So, the storage that you lose under the island doesn't appear to be a huge worry.