First of all, THANK YOU for taking the time to read this, look at my plan, and assist me. In response to some of the questions/comments... The right side that desertsteph mentioned not being able to see/read on the drawing - right now there is a large old butcher block table there, with 3 wall cabs and some shelves above. We do not use the table - it basically collects junk. I think that area could be used much more efficiently. Yes, this is mostly "steamlining and prettying up"! I'm not opposed to changing things *if* it really makes sense to do it but am not looking to change things just for the sake of change. I think I have a good base and there is no need to tear it all out and start from scratch. I just want to be sure that I am making the most efficient and effective decisions. I was thinking of putting another oven beside the refrigerator; it seems like the easiest place for a new appliance. I do have a floor-to-ceiling pantry that holds a ton of stuff. If I don't put in a second oven, the space beside the refrigerator would probably be a combo of deep drawers and a good sized pantry cabinet, and/or some kind of built-in microwave as right now we have a countertop MW that just sits on an old dresser! The floor is pine planks - very pretty, warm color - all the first floor floors are the same material, and it will remain. The hall door sees the least traffic, so it seems like the cook center is already in the best place given that I need to keep 5 doors into this space. The space between the island and the kitchen table is basically a corridor to the living room, so that needs to stay clear. I briefly considered a new countertop with an overhang on that side but the overhang would make my existing top drawers unusable, so I ruled that out. We do not have an entry room or mudroom at this entrance to the house; there is a brick patio outside this door. Our laundry room is as long as the kitchen but about 6 ft wide; part of this is a half bath, some is laundry, and the rest is storage and "mud room" functions. There is a lot packed into that little space but it works pretty well. I have aspirations of building a covered stoop at the back since we do use this entrance all the time, but that will be a few years away. I don't think our site setbacks would allow a full mudroom or entry here. I like the shelf above the cabinets too, although I'm not much of a collector, so I don't know what to put up there. I'm short so it is too high for me to access for storage, and works as display only. I'm having outlets installed above the shelf as part of this project so I can install lighting up there to light the ceiling. My finish plan is: *keep the floors *cover the ceiling with an anaglyptic wallcovering that looks like tin tiles which will be painted white *install crown mold all around, painted white *paint the cabinets white, add a "light rail" piece of trim to the bottoms, switch out the hinges with something less obtrusive, change the pulls on the drawers to bin pulls, and change the door pulls to new ORB/white porcelain pulls *paint the wainscot and trim (now blue) dark brown, picking up on the darkest brown tones of the floor and the dark brown fleck in the laminate countertop *paint the walls a very light cream/yellow (BM Pearly Gates, I think) *I'd hoped to replace the countertop to the left of the range with Corian to match what's on the right. It's probably 20 years old and it looks great, but this CT is so old that I am having trouble matching it. I am still looking at options here - would like to use something white/light colored but have also considered the Ikea butcher block for economy reasons, although I am not sure I am up to that DIY project *I bought subway tile for the backsplash at the range, but I have to replace the CTs first because they are not currently at the same height (only a fraction of an inch off, but against the lines of the tile it will be really evident) I guess my biggest question is - is it worth it to consider moving the sink? Would I gain the same benefit by undermounting a new sink at the existing location on the island and having a butcher block piece made to cover half of it to expand the prep area? That would certainly be less expensive, but would it be as effective as the combination of a main sink and a prep sink? I appreciate your time and your thoughts. Thanks for your help!

capegirl - Thanks! The picture is incorrect as I couldn't show a "hollow" cabinet of the bar area. There would be nothing underneath the 18" bar top (save for an angled support brace). Good question on the room size and supports. Most of that room already exists. We are adding about 3 feet in the Southern direction and about 6 feet in the Western direction. But it's a good question for me to speak with the architect about. He is busy trying to figure out how the roof line will work and how it will tie into the existing house.

I think the attempt at a colonial look just does not mesh with the organic modern look it also had. I know it was done often as well as with the Spanish look (stucco, beams, etc...), but I just don't care for it. I think you could bring it forward into a more 70s natural look. Keep the ceiling and the slate floor, and try to work in clean elements and curves. Using raised panel doors and those hinges just did not look great when new, so to recreate would be period appropriate, but a mistake. I think a retro modern kitchen and vibe would make the most sense. Like noted above, you can use regular cabs under a curved counter. I could see it looking groovy with vertical grain veneer cabs, some retro color accessories and modern art. You can do an older style in a fresh way. There is no need to be a slave to someone else's vision for it, whether the original owner/architect, or some future buyer. If you added curves to your pix from 15:42 today, that would be quite nice. I am not sure you should whitewash your wood, but it is not a bad option. I would hate to see it get painted though. The workmanship and lines of it are really nice and that would sully it. I don't see too many painted surfaces as working in your house. I can picture grass cloth wallpaper and maybe some white walls. Certainly, you should skip crown molding.... Some funky table lamps in chrome would fit in as would some plants and macrame. I'd try to go for an ahead of its time look from years ago....

Have you considered a MW drawer? They work great for tall people (I assume you meant your DH is 6', not 6"). Our family ranges in height from 5'10" to 6'7" and a MW drawer has been perfect for us. The controls are angled up, so you just have to look down to see/work the controls. Opening/closing is easy as well since it opens/closes automatically and softly - a gentle pull starts it opening, a gentle nudge starts it closing. Accessing the food is also easy - just reach down to pick up the dish. I don't think I'd go any higher than 42" for any counter - not only does something taller defeat the purpose, but I think it would look awkward or as a "make do" for an issue. It's still 6" higher than normal counter height and you could easily put wall oven in it and have it higher than an oven in a range. (Thank goodness you're not suggesting installing a wall oven under a 36" counter - doing that put an oven even lower than an oven in a range!) A 60" (or even 48") tall wall reminds me of cubicle dividers/walls in offices... . Range hood...I would definitely not do a downdraft, they don't work well overall and an effective hood is going to be crucial with the extensive openness you're planning. A hood hanging from the ceiling will be fine - but, you will need to be sure it's... At least 6" wider than the cooking surface 27" Deep Strong cfms - I recommend at least 900cfms for the fan. The more turns it takes to get the duct to the outside, the greater the cfms you need since turns reduce the effectiveness of the venting. -- The hood should definitely be vented to the outside -- Be careful that your duct work does not exhaust to a location where people will be sitting. Installed properly - which, in most cases, means no more than 30" above the cooking surface. If you want to install it higher, then increase the width of the hood and the fan power. . Range/Cooktop Island...For the island with the range/cooktop, if there's seating at the island, the seats should be 24" from the back of the range/cooktop. If there are no seats, then you only need 18" to protect passersby from splattering grease, billowing steam, etc.