One thing to consider is the placement of the fridge; wanting something like an extra glass of milk or snack means continual tragic into the work zones. Is there a separate dining area? If you locate the fridge more on the outside perimeter it avoids that. Also the most efficient work order is fridge, sink, at least 36 inches of prep space, cooktop/range/oven.

I'm sorry but there is nothing efficient about this kitchen.

Where will you prep food?

Why is the fridge, ovens and pantry in the middle of what should be counter space?

Why is the cooktop on the island?

If you haven't read it yet, you need to read the New To Kitchens threads.

Ideally our work space should go from pantry/fridge to sink to prepping between cooktop and sink and then to cooking.

Mama goose’s plan would be a lovely kitchen to work in and look at...love the cooktop /hood between windows!

I would probably (from Mama gooses plan) move the fridge towards the cooktop and put the tall pantry where the fridge is now located. Move it over by how ever many feet the tall pantry is. I keep a lot of baking things and cooking things in my tall pantry and it's nice to have them handy when prepping. Just a thought.

The fridge would have to go on the other side of the existing window. blfenton, would you center the cooktop and hood between the fridge and window, or would you opt for the most counter between? Max Schilling, can the window be moved?

For this size space a slide-in range like a Bosch Benchmark induction gives you more counter work space.

Oh Mama goose I missed that. It really depends on if the windows are set and what they look out onto. In a world where they are not set I would get rid of the window on the left and if possible enlarge the one on the right (the one in the corner) and put the cooktop back. With the cooktop moved over that corner is becoming crowded.

I'll look again in the morning.

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for the suggestions! We’re going to consider these alternative designs. Unfortunately, the side windows can’t be re-sized or moved due to HOA restrictions in the community that we live in (We had to go through hell and back just to get permission to resize the windows to be counter height) – the large back window (above the sink) is a little different because it faces our enclosed patio.

The windows on the side look out into the fenced in side yard that will eventually be a garden... they definitely aren't optimal and provide a big complication in what can fit. Our original intent was to close off the one closest to the corner, but the HOA put the kibosh on that....

The large window on the back looks out onto our covered lanai pool area and the outdoor kitchen we're building out there.

To answer some of your questions and explain some of our thinking in terms of the design: (We don't intend this as being defensive and we definitely like a lot of the ideas you folks have helped us out with, but there are a couple constraints and design goals we had that I suppose we didn't fully explain in the initial post.)

The overhang is 15", we had adjusted that before posting the picture, but forgot to take a new screenshot.

We don't have kids, it's just the two of us and when we're cooking there is no issue with anyone entering the workspaces besides us. So that's not too much of a concern. We do agree that the fridge would be more ideally positioned towards the side of the kitchen, so we're considering swapping the fridge and the ovens.

The area to the left of the picture we posted (next to where the bookcases are) will be the dining area, though for just us we'll probably be eating at the island more often than not.

For the space between the windows, we had considered regular countertops with the cooktop there, but we really like the kitchen designs that have the rows of tall cabinets and the only space that fits is between those windows. Also, for pantry space we really like the idea of that rev-a-shelf pantry system which requires a 36" wide tall cabinet... somewhere in the design and that only felt like it fit, again, between the windows.

As far as workspaces go, we have a three foot wide workspace to the right of the cooktop on the island, and there is a three foot workspace on the left and right side of the island as well, as well as the space to the left of the main sink. The small sink on the island will have a pot filler faucet next to the cooktop.

We've read through the FAQ and we understand the Ice/Water/Stone/Fire concept, but we'd considered that and it feels like we've accounted for it. Fridge & pantry is near the sink, from sink we move across to the island workspace(s) and next to those is the cooktop on the island.

We're not following the aversion that many of the posters here seem to have about an on-island cooktop. We’re planning a vented range hood (looking at this one: https://www.mieleusa.com/domestic/hoods-2484.htm?mat=09762210&name=DA_6296_D_Lumen_AM). I follow the logic that the downdraft systems aren’t as effective, but I’m not seeing any huge drawbacks besides that. We have a super wide island and no kids, so some of the safety / splatter concerns don't seem to apply. Can you folks help us understand what the aversion is?

Thanks again!

Answering only for myself--island hoods need to be more powerful/louder to contain the steam and grease plume, which would normally be partly contained by the wall behind the cooktop/range. Also you'll have the hood descending from the ceiling, bisecting the kitchen. Another concern is grease spattering someone sitting at the island, but you've addressed that in your plan. Many start with only a small amount of landing space on each side of the cooktop, but you've also inlcuded ample landing space and buffer zones, so that no one is catching a pot handle while walking by. Generally, islands aren't long enough for a prep sink, prep space, cooktop, and sufficient landing space.

Specific to your island, there is no landing space on the left side of the prep sink, and very little prep space in the most convenient spot between the sink and cooktop. Sometimes that can't be avoided, but you have a 10' island. You can, of course, rinse items in the sink then move them across/over the cooktop to the right side, but it's less efficient than if the prep space was between the sink and cooktop, and most of us who post here are function-over-form.

But, it's your kitchen--you have to work in it, and as long as you've considered all the options, and are willing to accept the trade-offs, that's OK. I hope you will post progress reports and a final reveal, and once all is said and done, Kitchen forum etiquette is--if you're happy, we are happy for you. :)

Thanks for coming back and mentioning your immovable constraints. It's always interesting to see how people accept them and then work around them.

My niece has her cooktop in an island with a hoodvent very similar to the one you are looking at. I didn't try to persuade her from designing her kitchen in this manner but I have to admit that I am surprised at how quickly you stop "seeing" the vent hood.

I would agree that it might seem to bisect the area but the OP's kitchen is similar to my nieces in that they are at the end of the space rather than in the middle (with, for eg, the eating area on one side and the sitting area on the other) and I think that helps the visual.