akamainegrower....you hit the nail right on the head....:) This is why I have been struggling so much with the situation. I have worried that reducing the size of the hearth might make the wall look too overbearing - out of proportion. When we removed the wood stove and the big black stove pipe that went up the middle of the design, I loved this even more. I designed it and drew it up right down to the exact amount of bricks needed, then had a local guy brick it up for me. I wanted a slight rise/arch, not a McDonald's type arch and when he first did the small left column, it was just too much. He kept telling me that it would blend together once finished. When he left that day, I just kept looking at it and knew I would look at it the rest of my life....so I removed it. When he came back the following day, he wasn't surprised and admitted that after leaving he told his other workers I would probably do that. Glad I didn't disappoint him...LOL I know I just need to weigh out the benefit vs the desire to have the additional room....:( I also know that once started...there is no going back. The home was built in 1979 and we removed the wall (engineered metal support beam) between the living room and dining/kitchen room which really opened it up. It allows you to view this accent wall from the living room (now great room) which you couldn't before. We removed a window and door, and installed Marvin French doors that open to a deck which lets a lot of light in. The extra 2 feet I would gain would allow me to center the table with the ceiling light fixture and the French doors. I am perplexed that if I do it and hate/ruin it I will regret it and if I don't do it I will always wonder what it could have been. I do appreciate your input. It helps to have someone on the outside looking in. I especially appreciate you pointing out the same concerns I have had.

Salmon, Idaho...I don't know where that is but it sounds nice! The island could turn 90 degrees...but the fridge probably won't work on the other wall, if you have the door outside. I mean, you could make it fit, but the fridge will be blocking your view of the door..and a bit of the banquette. However, if you don't plan to have an under counter fridge, you might want to make the large fridge more accessible to everyone. What do you plan to have? Do you need a freezer? Would that be downstairs or in the mudroom? Do you want a big range or do you need a wall oven? I just drew a basic layout (popular right now) with fridge and range across from prep sink and clean up on the other wall. Make sure you know how you want to use the space and adjust the layout, accordingly :) Oh, and if you want stools on the opposite side, I believe an island should be 3 1/2' across...and most walkways are 3 1/2' to 4' depending on access to appliances, etc.

I am in the same shoes you are right now. I'm trying to plan a wonderful kitchen for a new home that functions for my homestead way of life. I cook from scratch, and will be freezing, dehydrating, and canning again. I like to stock up on bulk staples. I'd like to raise chickens and maybe a calf, and I garden too. I have pets. Basically, a very independant minded person. So the challange is how to come up with a compact work space with enough storage. One solution many women in Florida do is to put a summer kitchen in off their porches, and this is where they can, and keep all those supplies, as well as their extra fridge and freezer. It's not in the house and the mess and steam involved stays out there instead of heating the whole kitchen and house up. It's made with less expensive and easy to clean materials, and yet it's a hop and skip away. If it's not attatched to the house it's taxed as an outbuilding instead of square footage. (It can be "detatched" by as little as an inch). It frees up some of the needed kitchen space, and takes some load off of utility room needs. I'm seriously considering doing that. I'm having wood floors in my house but my canning kitchen can have easy to clean vinyl that I don't have to worry about trashing. I am also trying to place at least one, and hopefully two walk in pantries in convenient locations. My goal is to have one near my stove for pots and pans, (I use mostly cast iron and have quite a collection of it), and one near the prep area for all my kitchen staples. This is not the "norm", so there isn't much information out there on how to do this. Everyone wants to sell mounds and mounds of cabinets, which only serves to spread things out too far and costs too much. Walk in pantries fit an enormous amount of storage in a compact space. They can always have a pretty glass front french door with a curtain to dress up the kitchen. I'm determined to figure this one out. I'ts not easy figuring out how to achieve a kitchen that is sufficient in size and storage, while at the same time efficient. My house will be an open floor plan, so I also do not want my back to everyone while I cook, and I need lots of natural light to be happy. It sounds like your kitchen is the heart of your home, as well. I do know that a kitchen with appliances spread out too far, and not enough dish storage convenient to both the table and the dishwasher is awful! My last kitchen, designed by a kitchen designer, was gorgeous. But...the stove was too far from my sink on an opposite wall, and the path between them was also the path into the kitchen. I always worried while carrying a pot full of boiling pasta to be drained to the sink. I spent a lot of time walking and carrying between my sink and counter and the stove and counter. I spent a lot of time trekking dishes back and forth to the table. I never want that again. Ever. It was not a user friendly kitchen, and we started eating out a lot. There are some valid concerns being brought up here, and much of it is most likely based on some of the awful stuff others have delt with, and want to help you avoid all that. There's a great deal of walking while carrying things to and from your dining table, in this plan. That may not bother you, but give it some very careful thought, and reherse the differing scenarios out to be sure that's what you want. I know you come home tired. Very tired. One of my friends is a vet and also runs a no-kill shelter that she started. Twenty feet is a long way in a kitchen. Perhaps what will work for you is to still have the open large space you crave, but with alcoves and centers for each activity that are subtley defined, but still open to one another. If you frequently have baby animals in your kitchen, perhaps have a nook for that in your plan that can also double for another use. I'm with you on the island seating. My husband and I would never eat at an island. I always felt if people are putting seating around their islands, it means they actually want to eat in their kitchen, and why not just put the kitchen table back in there, where they "used" to be. (I'm ducking). I never had an island, but am thinking I'd like one. I always cut cookies out, fill muffin tins, and make homemade pasta at my kitchen table. I'm almost afraid to put an island in, and then find I end up back over at my table anyway. The other thing is, I'm sure my husband will just have one more spot to put all his guy stuff. Still debating. Maybe I'll buy one of those nice Boos maple farm syle islands. Then I can move it if I want. Keep at it. It looks like you have a lovely space to work with. Unfortunately, I haven't found this a fun process. We have acreage, and I have a clean slate. My brains are scrambled from trying to design. Too many options! Please post your ideas as you progress. Sandy

In your new plan, the L with the sink, cooktop, and fridge has the same configuration and amount of counterspace as mine, and it works well--everything is close at hand. I have another cabinet on the other side of my fridge, though, so there is no difficulty opening the door past 90°. You will need to move your fridge over to leave room for some filler or a tall pull-out, or cut back the stub wall, to allow the fridge door to open fully, and to open far enough to remove the crispers for cleaning. Are you using a counter-depth model? French door or single door? How wide is the opening beside the fridge? The base cabinet to the right of the sink would be a good location for a trash pull-out, or you could put drawers there, and have a trash pull-out under the sink. You'll also need a couple of extra inches beside the DW for an end panel to support the counter top. You might have already made allowances for these details, but if not, it's better to know about them in the beginning of the planning stage.