Just an FYI...if you keep the island dimensions as-is and add legs, you'll be very tight on space for the 3 seats on the long side. You need 24" per seat - possibly a bit more to be able to maneuver in/out of the seats around the legs (you can't use the end "space" to slip into the two end seats b/c the legs will be in the way). With a 72" long island, you have just enough room for 3 seats. With legs, you need to either add length to the island equal to the widths of the legs (3" wide?), or reduce seating to 2. For the seat on the short end, you should have enough room but be aware that, as someone else mentioned, that seat will be off-center b/c of the overhang - at least when someone is sitting there. If no one is sitting at that seat and the one around the corner, then you can center that end stool (to help with your form over function sensibilities in this case). Island depth of 41.5": 1.5" overhang + 24" deep cabs + 1" decorative panel + 15" overhang For cabinets, if the 57" width of cabinets are already ordered and cannot be changed, then you'll have an 18.9" overhang for that seat on the short end - very comfortable for an adult or teenager! The 15" overhang on the long side will be fine for children and anyone under 6'2" or so (speaking from experience!) This will reduce your aisle to 51.5" behind the island - which will probably be OK most of the time. The only time it would an issue is if someone is trying to work at the counter behind the island while others are seated along the long end of the aisle. If you can do it, I'd move the island closer to the sink wall be 6" (for a 48" aisle) and add those 6" to the back aisle (51.5" + 6" = 57.5"). One question - are your aisle measurements cabinet-to-cabinet or counter edge-to-counter edge? If the aisles are measured cabinet-to-cabinet, then your aisles are actually not as wide as stated. Assuming the standard 1.5" counter overhang in front of the cabinets (protects the drawer fronts & doors as well as the drawer pulls/knobs from spills and bumping), then you need to account for the extra 1.5": Sink aisle: 1.5" overhang in front of sink run + 51" aisle + 1.5" overhang in front of island (aisle width: 54" - 1.5" - 1.5" = 51") You then have 3" instead of 6" to add to the back aisle if you can move your island and reduce the sink/island aisle to 48". Aisle behind island (MW aisle): 52.5" aisle + 1.5" overhang in front of counter run with MW. (aisle width: 54" - 1.5" = 52.5)" If you add the 3" from the sink aisle, then the aisle b/w the island and the MW run will be 52.5" + 3" = 55.5" [Edited for for those annoying typos!] This post was edited by buehl on Sat, Oct 4, 14 at 5:36

Another couple of thoughts, FWIW. All of your "social spaces" are facing north or east, while your bedroom is facing south and west, the hottest part of the house. Personally, I like to sleep cool, and have my living areas warm and sunny. You could do this simply by flipping the plan. That way your kitchen, dining room, and living room are getting sun, and some sun should penetrate all the way into the "hearth area" in the winter. If you eliminate that back hall and turn it into closets for the master bedroom, you can make the master bath and the office bigger. The office could then have a seating area, and serve as an "away room" a la Susanka and Chris Alexander. I would center the fireplace on the living room wall-- just plunking it down anywho will not look good. The big opening between the kitchen and the hallway needs development-- if it's just a wide cased opening, it will need a lot of support. One thing you probably don't want is a huge beam there that is lower than the rest of the doors and windows-- in a traditional design, most of the windows, doors, cased openings, wainscots, etc. will "coordinate" and harmonize with each other. To achieve that effect here, you could break up the wide opening with columns, or even columns and half-walls. I can't see any good reason for a wall between the cubbies and the laundry. It's really one big mudroom, and that extra wall costs money, even though it serves no real purpose. Personally, I hate the sound of HVAC/HW etc. so I would never put that stuff near a bedroom or office, where you are presumably trying to concentrate on some brain work. Nor would I put it in the garage, unless the garage is heated and you have a backup generator, because you don't want the pipes to freeze. In some jurisdictions, you can't put that stuff in a garage anyway, or only under strict rules. it's a safety issue. Why not build a small storm cellar, which should come in handy during the next tornado, and put your mechanicals down there?

I wonder if fixtures with more glass, either in the pendants, chandelier, or both, might help lighten things up a bit? There are a lot of clear glass transitional style fixtures out there right now, and I wonder if their transparency would help them not be so visible. You could also consider switching to a lighter metal? I don't know how to photoshop them into your photo, but something like these? https://www.wayfair.ca/Langley-Street-Gehry-1-Light-Glass-Pendant-LGLY2244.html or https://www.wayfair.ca/Brayden-Studio-Ahlers-6-Light-Candle-Style-Chandelier-BRYS6237.html?piid%5B0%5D=19818634

I would prefer the more balanced work space over arbitrary symmetry to an offset island. Plus, you don't want the stove and sink aligned if somebody might be working at each of them at the same time. Maybe a single pendant, over sink? or interesting semi-flush lights, if your hood and tile really merit center stage? (most are not *really* as dramatic as all that...)Hanging the lights a little on the high side seems to be a common solution... Also keep in mind that as you move about the room, different elements will be prominent to your eye, so it's ok to have lights that cross the visual of the hood, especially if you need the task lighting. They too are a thing to enjoy.