Thanks for the new layout, bmorepanic. DH will love the arc on the island. He keeps suggesting more round lines and keeps talking about wanting a more unusual shape to the island countertop. I'm also pleased to see that you picked the layout with the prep sink. I hope that means you think there's enough room for one. (We've had various contractors tell us "you don't want one of those; nobody ever uses them and they just spread water on the island." I think they look useful, but I've never had one, of course.) The sink/DW arrangement you've suggested would leave room for a trash pull-out in an optimal location. (Holliger also suggested moving the sink in this way. You folks sure smart.) That leaves me with the DW opening directly behind the cooktop, though. I'll have to map it out in my current kitchen to see if I could stand that. Or maybe I should just move the DW to the other side of the sink... The other thing I'm wondering about is the fridge next to the ovens. My DH doesn't like the idea; he worries about the fridge working harder when the oven is on), but maybe that's not an issue? Rosie: Your Qs and comments about seating are very good ones. We currently have no overhang on the island but have a couple of stools there anyway, and people seem to like to perch there and talk to the cook(s). But every KD who has looked at this has suggested an overhang and stools. Indeed, the first one suggested getting rid of the eating area altogether and putting in a really long bi-level island with stools. We weren't sure whether we wanted to sit in a row, facing away from the windows and worried that eliminating the eating area completely would hurt resale (not that we're planning to move any time soon!). I like the idea of a nicely upholstered banquette. (I like banquettes but DH is afraid that a banquette would be uncomfortable...)

Thanks for the comments! Youre already prompting me to think in new ways about this. rob_p, your Q about the need for a table and chairs is a great one. Weve waffled back and forth on that. The first KD we talked to (at a cabinet store) suggested eliminating the eating area altogether and putting in a huge, 2-level island (105 inches, with cooktop and prep sink, and seating on stools). It looked really good, but we werent sure whether wed like sitting in a row, facing away from each other and the yard/balcony holligator, your proposed layout is intriguing (thanks for putting such thought and work into this!) We had thought of replacing our oval table with a smaller round or square one (seating for 4 is plenty and we currently could seat 6), but the banquette looks even more space-efficient. Id never thought about putting the pantry where youve put it. We currently have the control panel for a whole-house radio/intercom system there (right above the little "desk") but maybe that could be moved. As for it being only 12-13" deep, weve been spoiled by having the huge, deep "pantry" (former washer/dryer closet) and weve taken to "buying big" (e.g, Costco-sized boxes of cereal; even those giant packages of toilet paper end up on the top shelves of the pantry). Im reluctant to give up some of that, but DH keeps reminding me that there will have to be trade-offs in order to achieve other goals (e.g., counter space). Id completely forgotten about the need for a broom closet, because that stuff is currently in the pantry too. The island seating is very nice. We have no overhang on the island now, but we still have a couple of stools there. We had thought of leaving our island as deep as it is, but As for whether we can put a prep sink in the island, were getting conflicting answers from GCs whove come out to look at the job. E.g., one says "no problem" hed just open up the ceiling in the basement below the kitchen. Another says " no way" and says that even to move the sink to the other appliance wall (where we currently have the fridge) would require building out the wall 4" and going around the perimeter of the room. The easiest place to put another sink would be in our current pantry, because the laundry hookups are already there. But that seems like a rather odd location Wed thought about putting the fridge where youve put it, but DH worried that it would be too far away from counter space needed when loading and unloading things. Do you think it would be possible to extend the island even farther in that directionperhaps by angling it?

I did some reading on submissive piddling. Suggestions included belly bands which OP uses at times, putting his bed or house in the area, or feeding in the area. We threw some kibble in the areas and we haven't had a submissive piddle since we started Dec 24th. I think he is over the problem - ours is a puppy It also said to not get upset at the dog as this can make it worse. Others said if caught in the act, Yelp loudly to shut down the bladder. You can buy enzyme sprays if you want to clean the area as well. We did the food for about a week. We visited my brother and tossed kibble where he would have issues and no problems. Good luck.

I'm not a pro, and one might arrive, but I have saved info cause I like use of concrete. So here goes: "Terrazzo is just fancy concrete: it needs a concrete slab underneath" - Native Son Design. "Traditional terrazzo is typically made from chips of stone, set into concrete and polished down... Oceanterrazzo's resulting slab is composed of about 70% plastic aggregate and 30% resin." "Unlike concrete (with a random aggregate distribution), terrazzo is usually installed by strict specs, for the most 80% aggregate usually in a few different chip sizes."