that looks like a pretty awesome kitchen. Just a thought. We were going to put our sink in our island and then we rented a cabin that had the stove in the center and we loved it. It really keeps you from missing what's going on while watching what's on the stove. Plus it's easier to cook with family or friends if they can come around the big center area and cut or be on another burner...just an idea. The counter that you have that steps up, if it were mine I wouldn't have the extra piece going toward the dining room. I think it would be akward and in the way. I would prefer it more open. Plus you really won't need it. Just an opinion.

I really like that you have a place to prep food out of sight from guests, but will you be using that personally or do you plan on having that space for caterers or paid help? Will you use that primarily *before* guests arrive so that your main kitchen is clean? If you are using it yourself while people are over you may feel a bit left out. (but you may get done a lot faster!) I wonder if you would rather make the "food storage" in the pantry area in to a top cabinet and a bottom cabinet allowing you more counter space. I think that if you (or help) were plating food or appetizers the extra counter space would come in handy. And you could still store food in the upper and lower cabinets (besides if you are prepping *before* guests arrive, you could easily get the food you need out of the main kitchen) I definitely see the advantage of having the sink next to the espresso machine. I am not sure I would move the wallovens to the fridge wall. i think you will really like having the long expanse of counter space next to fridge directly behind the sink. Hmm, would you rather have 2 dish washers in the main area, or 2 dishwashers in the pantry where you can stash dirty dishes after a party? If you got rid of a dishwasher you could add more storage in the island or even an extra seat. I wonder if you would rather a speed oven in pantry rather than a microwave, and leave the microwave handy in the main kitchen. I imagine wanting to heat up that cup of coffee or quickly heat up a plate of food and having to walk back to the pantry. Would you be using the microwave a lot prepping for a party? Normally, I dislike hallways because they quickly eat up space. But I do like the way your office is separated a bit, but near from the kitchen and family room. And I like how you don't have to walk *around* the wall to get to the pantry - it needs to be easy and quick to get to. And the fact that it is hidden is a great feature. -Will your guests hang out with you in the kitchen while you cook, or are you a bit more formal? or both? -Would you ever want a separate entrance into the formal dining, if you were to have caterers for example? I did notice that you had 2 doors to the pantry, it may get cramped, but what do you see using the 2nd door for (the one past the elevator)? Beautiful=)!

Yes, moving the prep sink closer to the fridge side gives you more continuous stretch of countertop to prep, instead of being chopped into two smaller spaces. Maybe if you put the sink base, then the trash, then the bigger cabinet on the end closest to range? I'm sorry, I cannot read the small print on your overhead view. I'm just counting the squares to figure out your isle widths. On the whole house floorplan it looks like the isle between your main sink and island is much wider. But then on the overhead kitchen layout plan, I'm only counting 3+ squares between. So is it maybe 42"? The isle in front of range, looks like 4 1/2 squares, so is it 54" or so? I would definitately make the sink isle bigger. I like mine at 52 or 53". This is so when you have fridge open or DW open there is plenty room to pass by. Also if someone's standing at the island prepping while someone opens the fridge it is not cramped. Same with if someone's loading DW or prepping at the main sink, someone else can be working at the island without feeling "cheek to cheek" so to speak. Haha!

Congrats on getting ready to remodel your kitchen! But honestly, I think you can improve upon this plan. Is your fridge currently against the wall as shown in the plan? Do you have any problems opening the freezer door with only 2" to its left? Even if you can, this location won't allow you the option to switch to a French door fridge in the future. It won't be possible to open the door wide enough to pull out fridge drawers. This is how wide I have to open my fridge door to pull out one of the 3 drawers. No way could I do that with only 2" between fridge and wall. You haven't allowed a decent aisle at the end of the peninsula. It's the only way in and out of the kitchen and it's only 35" wide. I think you need to reduce the peninsula from 108" to at least 101" (42" aisle); 95" would be better (48" aisle). You haven't accurately shown the width of the peninsula. You forgot the counter overhang for the cabinets, which is generally 1 1/2". So your peninsula will be 37 1/2" not 36". Two people will be able to work on a 95" peninsula if no one is at the range or the oven door is opened. It's going to be close quarters for more than one person at the range. And it's going to be impossible for someone to load or unload the DW when someone's at the range and vice versa because the range and DW doors overlap. Your plan shows a 12" wide cabinet between range and peninsula; you can't butt cabinets up against each other in a corner. You need to include a 3" spacer in the corner so that you can open drawers without them banging into the handles of the drawers perpendicular You won't be able to open the drawers without banging into the drawer hardware of the perpendicular run. Here's my corner with a drawer base next to the corner. That means that you'd only have room for a 9" wide cabinet, which Ikea doesn't make. You can correct that by shifting the peninsula 3" towards the FR or 2" by switching out the base cab for a 38" x 38" corner cab. Which brings up another issue. Ikea doesn't make a 36" corner cabinet, only a 38" corner cabinet. Here's your plan with the issues I see corrected (blue circles are people. Gotta use your imagination, lol): And that hasn't addressed the concern stated above: a 24" sink cabinet is undersized. That's what I often recommend for prep sinks. And the DW is in the prep zone between sink and range. Do you have pantry storage somewhere? Is getting 4 seats at the counter a must? Is the 9'6" measured to the DR doorway or to the dotted line in the first floor floor plan above? If the latter, what is the width of the wall to the DR doorway? If the latter, and you can get by with only 3 counter seats, consider this idea: No appliance door overlap, fridge doors can open unhindered, pantry storage included, fridge at perimeter so family and friends can grab drinks easily, plenty of room for more than one person in the kitchen, more than one good stretch of counter to work on, more than one way in and out of the kitchen, 3 seats (2 comfortably) at the counter, and a larger sink base with the sink is centered on the window. I forgot to mark it but I recommend that you get a single bowl sink with off-set drain and the sink cab with pull-out function so you can put the trash under the sink on the non-disposal side. You can get by with only 36" between FR furniture and island because the seating is on the long side, not the short end. Would this work?