How about expanding the kitchen a foot or so into the dining room/living room space to give you more usable counter space next to the fridge? Also, the fridge and stove could be swapped in the first option to change it from a "one butt" kitchen to "two butt" kitchen, relieving crowding at stove and sink.

Could you move the fridge to the wall with the pantry closet?

We have a similar issue with a load bearing wall and a cramped space.... I found this kitchen, which would work perfect for us... Perhaps a similar layout? 270 West 17th Street - Modern - Kitchen - New York - by MyHome Design & Remodeling | Houzz

Option 1. The other is all wrong. No usable drawer space, dw on wrong side from sink, etc.

Can’t you span that with a beam to lose the post?

Option 1, if you must choose b/w these two and only these two. Option 2 is a non-starter for so many reasons.

BUT...will an island really fit? Minimum aisle width is 42", and that's to/from the items sticking out into the aisle the farthest (appliance handles, counter edges, etc.), that's NOT cabinet-to-cabinet.

I prefer option 2. I like friends and family to chit chat with when Im cooking and working in the kitchen. and visually open it up.

I don’t like the dishwasher and range competing for door space in #2. Also, I don’t like the range in the bar.

I like option 1 a lot. When I first looked at it, I felt like it would let you breathe. Open and easy. I like the refrigerator near the living room. Keeps people out of your work area.

of the two, I like 1 better.

a tweak idea for 2. Sink in the corner. Range on the long wall. Dishwasher between sink and range. Thats pretty much my kitchen and it works great.

plan 1 . Reverse the fridge and range.....range on rear wall easier to vent. Use single bowl sink. Extend counter left of range, at reduced depth . Likely need cutback in proportions of ?island. but some base cabinet/counter on that rear wall will make up. Paring back the island will make overall kitchen more successful.....a mistake w that will be a big problem you want to avoid. Nice big open kitchens can incorporate bigger proportions of islands and should.....this is not that scenario..be careful.

Thank you all for the helpful comments. It looks like the Island Option (#1) is winning, and I've some food for thought over whether to swap the fridge/range, or move the sink.

Since Buehl mentioned aisle width, I looked around and the best information I could find says that the minimum is 36", 42" is recommended. My current numbers give me 38" aisles (see pic), but the fridge does get in the way a bit, so I'll have to look into that. If I shrink the island to have 42" aisles, the island ends up less than 18" deep, which would basically be one of those IKEA bar carts (easy to replace or move but not much fun).

how much more can you install kitchen function whether cabs/counter or appliance on rear wall as you walk over to adjacent room......from window much furthur to the left in other words....much can be done w reduced depth and utilize that wall. Maybe an overview of kitchen and adjacent space entirely will assist in best plan. Can your existing pantry closet be enlarged ..that can be a fridge alcove......and storage placed elsewhere...these are adjustments, if it is known what the entire space allows.

If the pantry could be modified for the fridge to be recessed, then you could have the peninsula for clear counter space. With the DW open, the corner cabs will be inaccessible, so dishes could be stored in drawers on the peninsula, but it might take some juggling to unload. Maybe a 15" deep upper could be modified to fit around the post (under the counter), for a extra bit of storage:

42" for a one-person work aisle

48" if two or more people will be working in the aisle

36" is for walkway, not a work aisle

And remember that aisles are measured to/from the items that stick out into the aisle the farthest. In your case, the refrigerator on one work aisle and the range on the other work aisle. The aisle behind the island is a walkway because there are no workspaces, appliances, or cabinets. However, if you plan seating at the island (I don't think you are based on how shallow the island is), then you need at least 44" since traffic will be passing through (48" would be much better).

Seating may be problematical for the peninsula idea, depending on what is directly behind the peninsula. If a table, then you need 60" b/w the peninsula and table.

If you're open to other ideas (and I think you are), consider some of the suggestions made by others such as Mama Goose, Apple_Pie, HerbFlavor, Marc Colo (!), and others.

FYI...counters usually overhang cabinets by 1.5", so the depth of the counters on the perimeter i2 25.5". If you are getting inset, then 25" is the typical depth of counters. That also means the island will most likely be 27"D with standard depth cabinets (24"). Consider shallower cabinets in the island to gain more aisle space. E.g., 21"D cabinets will gain you 3", 18"D will gain 6".

What are the dimensions of the space? Could you please post a fully-measured layout of the Kitchen and the dining area? [Fully-measured means the widths of each wall/window/door/doorway and the distances between each wall/window/door/doorway.]

See the "New to Kitchens? Read Me First!" thread for more information.