I do not have fridge or oven picked out but I donÂt want to be restricted in the future. The 12" cabinet between the 2 is a good idea but would it look awkward? Would it look funny to have 12" counter between the 2? Would there still be sufficient space to the corner? If I put the oven and microwave in the corner, would that take up a lot of space? There is microwave/convection oven combination above the oven which I would use quite often for cooking rice, heating hot water for cooking, melting butter, microwaving vegetables, etc. I do use the fridge a lot more but it is cold stuff. I am cooking a couple of dishes at a time which require me to go back and forth from fridge, microwave, sink. I do my prep work on the side of the cooktop so that I can keep an eye on the onions that are frying. I cook Indian food which usually requires frying onions till brown followed with frying spices, tomatoes and other vegetables. So I usually do other prep work while the onions are frying but I need to be right next to cooktop to regularly stir onions. The island will be for landing from fridge, oven, sink, and dishes that are marinating etc. The prep sink does cut into my space, but I usually wash vegetables in the sink and then cut them next to cooktop. I know that would cause water drips on floor. I have teenage sons who bring friends over quite a bit and I have pizza in the ovens (frozen ofcourse) while I cook Indian food for dh and me. My kids donÂt always eat the Indian food (sometimes too spicy), so I cook another dish for them. It can get real busy for me in the kitchen sometimes. That is why I am so worried about my appliances being far away. At the same time I do need a lot of space on either side of the cooktop for prep work. Totally confused as to what to do. The spice racks are pull out racks under the counter, so not in the way. The cooktop has to be on that wall because of venting.

I have a master bedroom closet area along a wall that is bisected by the chimney chase of a fireplace on the floor below, making a his and hers pair of closets. This is a triple-wall metal chimney surrounded by firecode sheetrock on the inside, studs, insulation, and sheetrock on the outside, including an access panel. It eats up about 30 inches of closet length. For a 10-inch kitchen hood duct with significantly less fire and access restrictions, you would probably loose at most only 20 inches. Many things are possible if the house design is recursively adjusted to accommodate all of the requirements. Do not rush the construction until you are certain that you have met your needs; there will be enough surprises even after everything seems to be defined. If you go to equivalent rectangular duct, you may still need to bulge the wall or otherwise ensure that there is not too much duct restriction. Rectangular ducts of equal sectional area to round ducts have a bit more pressure loss per foot. This should not be your first consideration, however, because you can find a blower with a fan curve suitable for the duct design, even if the duct path is tortuous. As for all of your construction questions, I'll have to ponder them when I have time, if I can understand them. In any case, if cooking is an important part of your life, then ensure that the kitchen design and the ventilation design are given the attention and space that they deserve. Unfortunately, it seems that your framing plan is somewhat past the point of easy revision. For others reading this: Please, please, PLEASE look into and solve all of the kitchen issues before finalizing a design and signing a contract. Comments on your bullet questions: - ?run horizontal through floor joists? YES - ?use rectangular duct vent when necessary? YES - ?Is it allowed to run near/along side the gas dryer vent? Not aware of any restriction on the moist air vent (note dryer vent has to be metal also. However, care to allow access for both, and particularly for the dryer vent duct for cleaning, is important.) For gas effluent vent, that should be determined by consultation with the architect, code officer, or gas company tech. Note: given a gas dryer, we are now in the regime of not letting the differential air pressure at the dryer fall below 0.03 inches, w.c., and make-up air performance or sealing off the gas dryer from the kitchen air is another big part of the kitchen ventilation design. - Run down into the basement if it can't run up? YES, but less optimal than up - Exit through an exterior wall rather than roof? YES - Best to get it in the garage and up into the attic and then up out the roof? Don't know about best yet, but it is a valid option. - best to have the range on wall A or wall B (does it make a difference)? TBD. Kitchen layout should account for numerous factors, of which duct location is only one. - assume need to use remote or in-line blower with any plan given its non-traditional route? In most cases, an external blower with an in-line silencer will be the lowest noise solution. kas

The duct size is determined by the manufacturer of the specific unit you select but it is likely to be 8" round which will fit in a 12" dropped ceiling or soffit. A round duct is cheaper and more efficient but in such a short run you could use a rectangular duct to raise the soffit/ceiling a bit. The duct could rise vertically in cabinets and then run horizontally to the outside wall. Your kitchen designer can easily accommodate that standard detail. I've never seen a range exhaust duct installed in a wall. I can think of no reason for a remote blower unless the sound of the fan at the highest speed (rarely used except when something is burned) is seriously objectionable. Most people run these fans at the lower speeds to reduce odors in other parts of the house. In my experience a remote fan is common in a commercial kitchen but very rare in a residential kitchen. If you are going to use a fan larger than 400 CFM, you may have to provide an automatic make-up air system. that would only be worth it if you have a very large, high capacity, semi-pro gas range or the room is unusually large. I would not terminate an exhaust at a roof if I could possibly do it at an exterior wall. It's not a matter of efficiency but avoiding roof leaks and snow & ice in northern climates. I try hard to avoid all unnecessary penetrations in a roof because wall penetrations are easier to waterproof. I would do option C because it puts the termination away from windows and on a less important facade. Also, the ceilings/soffits can be easily built at 8 ft. from the floor and there would only be one 90 degree bend, and it might simplify the cabinet design. Be sure to get rid of the attic access hatch in the ceiling of the closet. You wouldn't be able to use it anyway and it is contrary to building code requirements.

A perpendicular install can work. I prefer a DIAGONAL install when the widths are close but not quite right. It is a personal choice. Not everyone likes a diagonal install. It requires 15% waste + 15% more for the labour costs (lost of cutting). As for the tile...I understand the want to stick with it in the areas that you have. I like the look of slate or "slate look" porcelain tile up against a wood floor. It is very handsome. I'm sorry your designer did not explain the logistics of "splitting" a hardwood flooring installation. A factory finished floor (like yours) has a *shelf life of 18 months. You can source the product for roughly 18 months. And then it is gone - forever. It looks like you fell into the trap that MANY homeowners run into: unable to source MORE of the factory finished flooring they started out with 2-5 years ago. A SITE FINISHED hardwood (installed raw and then sanded and refinished over several days) can be added to during future renovations. A factory finished floor cannot (that includes hardwood, laminate, vinyl, linoleum, porcelain, ceramic, carpet, etc). Good luck. Purchase a box of the new stuff and decide whether you want a perpendicular install or a diagonal install. Then purchase the amount needed to complete the install of your choice.