The entry from mudroom means traffic has to pass across and diag right thru kitchen to get anywhere. Close that entry and redo that pantry and mudroom and make entry from abt where pantry is ( kinda behind fridge) . Cut back the wall between kitchen and family room . Consider a U kitchen using long window wall and one side up where it says dining and other side on new wall where mud room door was. The area outside the U can contain an island and w more opened area ( fridge and range are on U ) and improved traffic flow you have lots of options for island .

thank you!
to get a better understanding are you thinking divide the dining and kitchen and place a wall there?

I think it will be difficult to have a large island and a dining area with the space you have available. You can route traffic through the less busy part of the kitchen by putting the cooktop on the exterior wall and a sink in the island. if you have a separate living room, possibly part of the FR could be used as dining space, or screened porch could be converted to a DR.

thank you mama goose for the feedback! yes, thats what Im worried about is that the space is just too tight.. I told my husband we may have to bump out exterior wall to accommodate but that would be a big added expense

Can you switch the location of the mudroom with the pantry? That would make all the difference in the world to a more open layout WITHOUT having a traffic path through your work zone.

Incomplete idea.

cpartist we can make any changes we want at this time.. if you can will you show me what you mean?

this was an idea too but would give up the sink by the window

I'm thinking something like this below except realize that mudroom is very, very narrow as you have it. Imagine more than 1 person trying to enter at a time.

BTW: Dog leg island do not live well in terms of working in a kitchen. There's a reason people tear them out.

Maybe post the full floor plan to see if there are other ways to configure the space.

Isn’t that a side entrance coming into the mudroom?

yes newideas it is

my husband is stuck on having the window in the kitchen above the sink which I would like to keep but was open to putting it in our island and moving stove to that location..

If both of you cook, then certainly keep the kitchen window above the sink. If only you cook, you have to work towards YOUR kitchen needs. (I have mine above the main prep station - it's often dark out when I am doing dishes, and it very seldom ever is when I'm prepping meals.)

A cooktop won't pass code in most if not all places if in front of a window - but you could use a separate oven below.

Notice i put thecooktop between 2 windows for light.

what would you use the side entrance for?

cpartist in your opinion would you close off that side entrance then and just make that a pantry?

I dont think its needed.. i guess so you wouldnt go through garage.. not really a concern.. I just keep going back and forth on bumping out that dining area.. in your opinion do you think the size is comfortable for a family of 6 with the changes you did?

the flow of this area of the home means alot to me, just trying to get it right before I send modifications to Mr Fulbright.. I spend alot of time in the kitchen with my children and will do the same with my some day grandchildren as this is our forever home

cpartist in your opinion would you close off that side entrance then and just make that a pantry?

Yes unless there's a specific reason for having it.

I just keep going back and forth on bumping out that dining area.. in your opinion do you think the size is comfortable for a family of 6 with the changes you did?

It might be a bit tight.

Have you considered moving the kitchen to the rear wall, ditching the slider and instead just putting in a door on the right side of the rear wall? Then you could create an L shaped layout with an island and still have room for a full dining area without moving the pantry or mudroom.

However having said that, your mudroom is still way too tight. Especially if you have 4 kids.