I'm trying to get the vision for how this will all pull together, and I'd appreciate any feedback. I can't get my scanner to work since installing Snow Leopard on my Mac, so I had to settle for photos. Here is where we are currently: Forgot to label the air return to the right of the fridge. There will be a tall pantry pullout above it, 16" total width to edge of fridge panel. What has happened already: The pantry bump into the kitchen is framed. Doorways on either side of pantry have been cut. Back door is in place. Windows have been framed (not set into walls, but the frames are made, waiting for the windows to arrive, so the walls themselves are not committed yet). Old fridge wall has been removed. Longer support beam is in place. Electricians are coming today to wire the range. I need to tell them all the outlets and switches I want in that area. I'm making a snap decision to go with plugmold in that location. All I can think of for wiring is range outlet and hood outlet on that wall, and MW and oven outlets where those will go. Probably won't need switches there. Over the weekend, we moved our table into place and mocked up the two islands and lived with it. It all worked well. - Paths plenty wide - Pantry bump is not obstructive at all. - Plenty of room for chairs in every direction at table - Will need another trash can on the periphery - No walking through the work zones to get anywhere else - Straight shot to the garage! - Dining space is plenty big to expand table to its largest capacity. We rarely have large formal gatherings; mostly informal weekly meetings or one family at a time. Things still undecided (here's the layout again for easier reference): 1. Should we bump the sink out 3"? The window guy recommended it. That would give a 39" aisle at the sink. The sink is drawn where it is now, and I'd like to keep it there if at all possible. 2. What kind of doors along pantry wall? I had thought swinging but GC just said he's seen little fingers get pinched and worse, so that's out. So, double half doors? A full door? Swinging which way? 3. Thoughts about the mudroom bench bumped into playroom? This will be right in line to deposit coats, shoes, backpacks. The doorway into playroom from the LR is currently 4 wide but the drawing reflects the 3Â doorway that weÂre plannng. The playroom is ~12'x17' right now. The benches/lockers will take ~15" or less from the 12' and ~5.5Â from the 17'. When we add to the front (after the kitchen is finished) we will probably make the 12' side a little bigger, but thatÂs not decided yet. It will be office/school/play for all 5 of us (DH, me, two 11 yo homeschooled, baby 13 mos). 5. The main (middle) island is 8.5'x30". It will be my main prep space. The second (outer) island will be 5'x18", 39" high (w/ counter) plus one 8" square column base on either side (with round columns on top). It will house the china. I am thinking that I should line up the left side of the left column base with the left side of the middle island. I'm looking for balance, not symmetry. 4. The window frames ended up being 11Â8". This puts them at ~1Â or less from the door. While I donÂt want a counter butting right up to the door, I also donÂt want the windows to look like they are hanging out in space. IÂm thinking of 12" deep counter height shelves to end where the window trim ends. I may be able to scoot the windows 3" inches to the right, but no more if I'm going to have 5' for my cooking area -- I do want symmetry in that 5' span. Any thoughts on that? Other things to decide: Exact sinks, faucets Counters Hardware Floor finish - type and color on existing oak Wall paint Color of outer island Lighting I'll ask those questions in separate posts. Again, I appreciate any thoughts anyone has!

buehl - yes, the big rectangle is the kitchen, and you were right about the gray walls. There isn't much contrast there - sorry about that! To answer some of your other questions, our home is 100 year old brick, so moving windows would be very difficult. The sunroom was originally a porch, and it was enclosed sometime in the thirties. It is not well-insulated and would be extremely expensive to convert into a kitchen, plus we have dreams of opening it back up one day. (It's a beautiful two-story, columned bump out on the back of the house). We are knocking out a wall in the kitchen that currently forms our mudroom (a six-foot wide "hall" from the back door to the sewing room wall) in order to enlarge the kitchen. As much as I like having a mud room, I would rather have a bigger kitchen. We are going to have hooks for coats in the side hall, and one base cabinet nearest the back door will have cubbies inside for shoes. I'm very strict on the no-leaving-your-junk-by-the-back door-rule as it is, because as you can imagine, 14 junk of 14 people adds up quickly! ;o) We do plan to build a storage area in the garage, right outside the garage entry, which can be used for coats and boots in the winter. Doorways - back yard door is 36", garage door is 32," and side hall doorway is only 29.5" Doors could be moved on the inside, like the side hall and/or bathroom/coat closet. I've thought about switching the dining room and kitchen spaces, but the large window seat would take up a huge chunk of the available wall space. I'm not sure how to work around that. laxsupermom - the windows in kitchen have cabinets under them now, and they are about 38" from the floor. The sunroom windows are 36" from floor, but as I said above, using the sunroom for kitchen space would be an expense we can't afford right now. bmorepanic - we can't take space from the garage for the pantry, etc., because the garage is so narrow (plus we drive a 15-passenger van and our "small car" is a Suburban!) but your second layout hits on something I've been toying around with. It has really inspired me and I appreciate you taking the time to draw it out! I love that I could have a "mini-mudroom." :o) I'd have to figure out where to get a substantial pantry and laundry space in there, but I like this idea! Thank you! If anyone else has any ideas, but please keep 'em coming!

Kitchen is only 13' wide--nothing but a shallow stud-bay pantry will fit on the bottom wall between DR and entry, if an island with seating is used. 156" - 25" (base cabinets) - 42" aisle - 42" island with seating - 44" (minimum) aisle = 3". I switched the pantry and dish hutch, but that means the dish hutch is on the other side of the range from the DW. We don't know where groceries come into the house--if from the back door, the pantry is convenient just inside. The island could move over toward the short wall, then fridge and a shallow counter for landing could go between the DR and entry doors. That could be a snack center, with a MW on a shelf:

How about you tidy up that drawing, add the window sizes, door opening inches and THE SIZE of the desk you are planning? A picture of the desk? Even better. The help here is free, at least put in some effort.........: ) Number clarity is helpful, a 4 , a 9, etc We're lazy? Okay, we're lazy. But it's free.