Here's a photo showing the perspective from the far dining area toward kitchen area. You can see that 72" wall (half of it has no drywall), it corners a funny nook space. We have some cool old butcher block we might make a desk/serving area/bar/art making space there- right where the toolboxes are stacked. Bar stools could go there. On the left wall you can see the garage door, fridge will be next to it. Off to the right is a front entry (never used) and access to living room . Let me know if you want more photos.

Are you going to have enough room in the dining area to accommodate people sitting at the peninsula? You will want at least a 1 foot overhang of the counter for people to fit their legs. I think you need to give us a better diagram that includes the nook and dining areas. You don't have a ton of storage. I would think about making at least part of the 72 inch wall a pantry instead of doing the peninsula.

Great observations! We had an island in this peninsula spot with the stools against it when the chimney was intact, no overhang though. There is room plus several inches more if we want it.

We don't have a lot of storage but don't have a lot of stuff either, and I geek over making good use of spaces. We'll have a few toe kick drawers, a plate rack near the dishwasher holds most of our plates, bowls and glasses, and we have a whole 24x36 pantry closet around the corner from the dishwasher. We'll likely also have upper cabinets on that 72" wall, which isn't in the rendering. We also have a quasi-root cellar. And two chest freezers! (We're farmers).

My layout of base cabinets doesn't have much symmetry so I'd like to create some balance by continuing existing lines/planes where possible.

I'm not in the house for a few days but I can find more images and dimensions soon!

IMO pots and pans need to be in deep drawers next to the range and all the base cabinets need to be drawers you can even do drawers under the sink now . Toe kick drawers are great for stuff you use once a year but not every day. Who is designing this kitchen I sure hope not a cabinet salesperson. IMO if you cook a lot you will have a lot of stuff to store. No L shaped peninsula it will drive you carzy that walkway in front of the fridge needs to be as wide as possible, one of the busiest spots in the house.

I agree to avoid making that peninsula area an L-shape. It would be less functional and more expensive than having just the peninsula (a deeper one if possible, with the stools protected by the wall instead of in a walkway) or just cabinets along the wall with no peninsula.

Your advice is very interesting and valued, thanks! I'm sorry I neglected to clarify an important error in the rendering (yes, done by cabinet mass manufacturers, as Patricia CC nailed). They drew in the 72" wall in the wrong place; it is 34" back. There is 137" between the 72" wall and the fridge/stove wall. Sorry I overlooked that. (it was created largely so I could show my husband how great it would be to remove the chimney and move the fridge to the opposite wall, not for accuracy)

I need to figure out a comfortable (not minimum) space between fridge and cabs/counter. We previously had an island against the chimney wall that came out into the room 42" with open shelves for pots, pans, bowls, that we loved functionally. The fridge was next to, not across, though. (Currently fridge is working but when we replace it we will likely do side by side or of similar small size- no behemoth fridges here).

We'd appreciate a cave corner cabinet for a few items, like steam juicer, that we only use for a few weeks of the year but don't want in the basement. We also have a large freestanding hutch nearby. We don't need much more space than we have, just to use it well.

Here's what got us excited about the peninsula:

-laundry chute may be positioned on the dining side of the 72" cabinet run, other specialty storage can be too- utilizing corner space from the back easily

-landing pad for loading groceries into fridge (feels more natural than counter btwn stove and fridge)

-various stages of baking projects- rolling, cooling

-no counter crevices to clean

-serving food to dining area

-belly up to the bar feel for guests or family- it would get used a lot

-divide kitchen and dining areas somewhat

Does this change your opinion?

This is what was gelling in my mind's eye before I found this photo- drawers, walnut, colors, counter--- we LOVE this. Layout doesn't translate, but other things do.

Walnut Kitchen Remodel · More Info

My math for the room's width:

137"

- 30" (fridge)

- 25" (counter)

- 48' (comfortable clearance around fridge)

= 34" (peninsula- past counter- enough for my 33" wide drawer stack!)

That seems reasonable, no? How about if I square off the countertop of the peninsula portion so it is 34"x34"? That seems visually appealing, and functional for overhang...10" is a little smaller than standard but I'm okay with that if you are. ;-)

What happens if you put the fridge on the 72 inch wall? Up near the sink. Then you could put the peninsula on the stove side. The advantage would be that that the two deepest things (peninsula and fridge) would not be directly across from each other. Down side is that the stools might interfere with the garage door?

Where do you plan to put the trash? Personally I like the garbage on one side of the sink and dishwasher on other.

Make sure when you are laying things out that you have allowances here and there. For example on the sink run I'm not sure that you can fit a 36 corner cab + 36 sink cab + 24 dishwasher + 12 cab. What happens if the walls aren't square (which they won't be)?

Oh, that's funny! That's where our fridge was and we have been so excited to move it to the other side. It makes sense for flow on that 72" wall, ice, water, stone, fire, and all.

A nice run of cabinets on the 72" wall is so open and appealing AND (you wouldn't know this from the small plan) the main path into the kitchen is that doorway by the dishwasher. This means sight lines are blocked by the behemoth appliance as one enters; we haven't liked that hallway feeling it creates. Worse is that everyone's eyes, while following a natural path to the kitchen, scan the back of the fridge. It's ugly and dirty. We don't have a fridge cabinet and don't really want one. We tried a virtual layout with the fridge on the other end of the 72" wall, too, and had some of the same concerns (views from dining area). We really prefer it on an exterior wall.

Thanks for the advice on the other bits. Everything helps. I'm close to sharing a final draft for more comprehensive critique also.