Jterrilynn - The chairs that you posted are kinda cute...if only they didn't have spindles in the back, I'd almost say perfect....(spindles are just too country for me)...I agree that they need to have a low back and that is exactly why I am having such a hard time finding any. I have been keeping an eye out on criagslist as well as local thrift stores on the rare occasions that I have time but there seems to be nothing but old country kitchen type chairs...nothing that would work for me. If only I could be so lucky. Clairbouyant - Yes, I did consider a banquette but just don't have the time to build anything right now and I stink at sewing so thats out too. I've been dealing with some computer problems lately so needless to say...I still haven't found what I'm looking for just yet but will definatley post back when I do....in the meantime....I'm still hoping to log in one day to the perfect chair! Someone suggested that I look for restaurant chairs because they are usually smaller....just wish I knew a good source. Ever search I try just ends up showing the same expensive chairs I've already been finding. Ugh....so frustrating.

I'm just talking out loud - maybe some stuff applies and maybe it doesn't. I'm looking at the 42" aisles - they are less than the recommended minimum of 48" for a multi-cook kitchen. Some people are sensitive to stuff like that and some aren't. But I think about what cooking with each other AND the swarm in the aisles would be like ... People take the shortest route all the time - its not necessarily the same as the route that would make you happiest. So, there is a certain pile-up of stuff that clogs the route to other stuff - again a little uncertain of "The Way of The Swarm". BUT the ref and the drinks ref create a pile-up on the dining room side, clogging that aisle. The same clog might explode through the work area if DW doors are open and get in the way of table setting operations. People setting the table would need to be under extreme duress (aka, parental intimidation) to walk the dishes around the outside edge of the island instead of cutting through the work zone to the informal dining. It makes for a challenge. I'd be tempted to go more like the below (just an idea). It sorta shows two island shapes, one dotted, one solid - and it certainly would need more thought. So - instead of butler's pantry, I'm thinking scullery. Dish storage can be in wall cabinets above the sink and in one section of the pantry if you've got a lot. The ref moves back out into the perimeter and becomes twins with a nice fat aisle in front - complete with micro for reheating leftovers or melting sandwiches. It has 3 decent work areas plus a 4th in the scullery. It does not solve the cut through traffic to the informal dining, but takes away some of the strain in the aisle. The scullery can be devoted to a bar without impacting the main kitchen. The pantry area can certainly be enclosed and either look like this or push the doorway back over almost to the dining room wall and have one wall of regular cabinets and one wall of 12" deep shelves. It might help start some other thoughts. I'd also try an "L" shape with the leg on the dining side (runs away)

My tile contractor, who lives next door, says that he much prefers 4x4. He feels that the 6x6 is just not the right scale. He has also been installing quite a bit of subway tile lately. These are just his opinions, but I thought I'd pass them along. I had a designer tell me to go 12x12 as well, but I agree, I don't care for the look. His theroy was that when you do 4x4 of 6x6 in the field tile, it is hard to differentiate in the focal point behind the range if you want to do something different there. With 12x12, you basically get one tile, then two pieces in a normal back splash. I guess I am going 4x4.

Here's an alternative placement of the exterior door for Plan B above: You don't lose the basement window. It does route traffic in front of the fireplace but since it's likely you'd have an aisle of sorts in front of it anyway, placing the door closest to the fireplace doesn't eat up precious space as much as a door and aisle would at the other end of that wall would. Here's Plan A redrawn based on your latest dimensions. The island had to shrink a bit but it's still doable. I've linked to a single bowl sink that will fit a 27" cab. I'm sure there are others. Another option is to go with a 24" apron front sink in a 24" sink cab (not always possible, ask your contractor). That would allow you to increase the island cab by 3". Here is a walk-in pantry with dimensions nearly exactly what I'm proposing for your kitchen: [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/new-york-transformation-traditional-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~1254228) [Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Millbrook Architects & Building Designers Crisp Architects Because I added a pocket door to the pantry, I added a 12" pull-out pantry cab between pantry wall and fridge. This will allow you to open the fridge doors wide enough to pull out the fridge drawers. I guessed a bit on your fridge size. If you can manage with a slightly narrow fridge and/or a counter depth fridge, that would give you a little more wiggle room in your kitchen. I had to guess on a few dimensions. You gave us only one dimension for the side walls. I assumed they are 9" wide; double the thickness of standard interior wall widths. My calculations are based on that but that's why 3 of the measurements have ?s after them. I also had to make a few assumptions elsewhere so you will need to double check my math to see if it fits your space and make adjustments as needed. We don't need dimensions of your current kitchen so much as we need the dimensions of it as if it were an empty space. IOW, corner to corner, corner to window or door opening, etc. We're not working with your existing kitchen's footprint, we're altering it so measurements based on its current lay-out are unnecessary and slightly confusing. The banquette & table seats 4 on a daily basis; turn it 90 deg to seat 6. Black shows the day to day seating set-up, including aisles; blue shows the table turned for 6, including aisles. The placement is a bit awkward because it straddles the shallow side walls housing plumbing and heating and the beam, and it doesn't straddle it evenly. You could place a chandelier above the table but it might accentuate that the table isn't centered in the space. Can lights might be the better option, especially since the table placement isn't fixed. This plan is likely your least costly fix. Structural changes include the new door from garage to kitchen and the removal and new placement of plumbing and heating ductwork but existing windows and sliding door remain in place. If you're going to entertain the possibility of moving the stairs to create one last space (a costly proposal), you should also consider building an addition, blowing out the great room wall opposite the kitchen. IIRC, you said you had a pie-shaped lot so this should be doable. Here is a link that might be useful: BLANCO PRECISION™ 16'' R10 Single Bowl