I'm having a hard time reading your plan, but I can tell you that I have had a sink and cooktop across from one another in two houses and took it out of this one. It is very efficient for a one person kitchen, but it is a pain if anyone else is in the kitchen -- to cook, to clean, to get a snack, to throw away trash by the sink -- they always get in the way. If you do something like that, it is one situation where a wider aisle would be needed in my mind (doesn't look like you have that) and then you take away from the super efficiency. You could move one over and it would help major butt bumping but not general traffic issues. Why would having your clean up in the second island be too far -- from what? Remember that you would have a prep sink on that island (I'd put it to one side). My kitchen has an island between my cooking area and my clean up area. With a prep sink there, I can handle anything while I'm cooking and toss dirties in the prep sink. I can also use a mixing bowl or pan to gather everything and walk it over -- or pass it across the island. My issue with clean up on the second island is that it is so open to the family room and my guys tend to stack stuff up rather than get it into the DW (I keep trying though). I'd like to be able to tell what areas are doorways and where they go so I could see if there might be some other ideas to suggest. Is the dual island a must? What are the measurements of the room and openings?

Thanks buehl, raenjapan, jakabedy and cotehele for your feedback and suggestions. Here are some comments to clarify the design that will hopefully spark further discussion/ideas: We really want to keep the following in place: -the apothecary cabinet on south wall -the dining table parallel to it -fridge in recessed area -west counter -northern cabinets with theater chairs We have mocked up the shown configuration using our old cabinets and plywood and have been living with it like this for a couple weeks. It isn't ideal. We would consider any changes to the island and the peninsula separating the kitchen from the LR that increases functionality. We are just stumped about what else we can do differently. It would be great to see any ideas that incorporate the constraints above while moving towards an ideal work triangle arrangement. Can it be done? Some more details: 1. What we removed: There was a wall separating the dining room from the kitchen and a wall extending from the new fridge location into the dining area, both separated by a doorway into the dining area. 2. What is gained: Openness, unobstructed visibility and connection to the DR, the LR, to anyone sitting on the sofa, and the opportunity to view the plasma TV over the fireplace. The desired openness also speaks to the downdraft issue - while not ideal we realize, the alternatives are 1) not to have one, 2) have a ceiling-mounted vent that obstructs visibility and is a head-knocker for 6'2" husband, or 3) to have one that's powerful enough and raises up 14" to hopefully provide benefit. Note we have 8 foot ceilings. 3. Measurements for current design: Island: 45" wide x 8'9" long Aisles on either side: 42" wide Across kitchen: 12'9" and 14'9" to the sliding door Width: 11' across from North Wall to start of West counter. 4. The "Barrier Island" comment caused quite the chuckle this morning! a) shifting the island seating to the other end by the dining table makes sense as that's where we have been ending up while we test-drive the mock-up. b) We considered breaking up the length of the island into two smaller islands with a pass through to the fridge - intriguing AND we are also drafting this up for consideration. c) Also considered individual Thermadore or Liebherr columns, for freezer and fridge on either side of the chairs on the north wall, but the effect was rather monolithic. FYI, the walking distance to the fridge is actually the same (~10') to the other side of the island or to the north wall. 5. Theater Chairs: these chairs are replacing 2 recliners we've had in this part of the kitchen for the past 7 years. Similar to jakabedy's comment, we love hanging out in this area to relax, watch the garden, hang while the other person is cooking, or just a quiet place to read, etc. Also, there's an 18" LCD TV on a swing-arm located on the wall above the dishwasher, so it's also an alternative TV/movie spot (synchronized signal with main TV). 6. Traffic Flow: two options, first CCW...come in front entry, down hallway, into kitchen (hang/relax in chairs or cook), dining at island or DR table, hang in LR. Secondly CW, come in front entry and hang a left into the LR, go direct to couch and veg! If the DR and theater chairs were swapped we'd loose the existing desirable connection between the DR and LR and we'd loose a more "quiet area" which the current position of the theater chairs provide. 7. Dining Area & Living Room Area: please see attached photo of antique green apothecary cabinet which is a real showpiece and beautiful anchor on the South wall next to the dining table. The Living Room extends off the dining area and a plasma TV is mounted over the fireplace. Part of the openness and placement of the rangetop is to allow the cook to enjoy the FP and TV too. We are planning a long "L-shaped" sofa opposite the TV for hanging out, movie watching, etc., with additional sitting furniture on the opposite wall. Feel free to mark up our sketch with some other suggested geometry, but we're pretty firm on the constraints listed above. Many thanks!! --Maxine

Can you post your kitchen plans with the island placement here? I know you have the kitchen wall posted on another thread but it helps with sink-placement suggestions if we see how the placement will interact with traffic patterns and the other appliance placements. Maybe also give us an idea as to where you plan on doing your prep. I think you have mentioned it will be on the island and yes put a trash pull-out beside your prep sink. I think you asked that question on another thread. Thanks

My personal preference is the 1st layout. First for the wall oven. If you cook/bake much then having two ovens, especially gas in the range and electric in the wall, is really really nice. The oven stack can also include a warming drawer and a MW or CSO. Second, for us there'd be no benefit in the second layout. With our layout similar to your first we grab stuff out of the frig and put it on the island as a primary landing zone. From there stuff gets prepped and off to the range or ovens. Then often back to the island for plating or in to a warming drawer. BTW, I'd ignore the work triangle. Great bit of marketing but of little practical benefit. Third, I think a range and hood look better aesthetically when looking from the informal dining. Lighting looks much better. I'd move the two over the sink closer together and ideally over the outside edges of the sink to eliminate shadows in the bowls.