To answer ajsmama's questions: The china cabinet and console are both approx. 36" wide and 18" deep. There isn't room for furniture to the left of the french doors because there are double windows there (I love window : ) The table is oval. Sue I think you're right that the china cabinet would look awkward between the french doors and bay. Too much going on. Maybe I should go back to the idea of built in cabinets with window seat. And then look for a narrow, long antique console to dress up the long wall. It's a good idea to mark off the floor. Thanks everyone.

I'm drooling here. If you have to get rid of it just send it to me. I have a few pieces of waterfall furniture. I absolutely love it. None of mine compares to this piece at all. You are so lucky to have such a beautiful piece. Holding up a piece of wood floor won't really tell you anything. We went through the same fear when we purchased our oak floors. Our kitchen cabinets are maple, though not in the same room the sunroom opens to the kitchen and the island is less than a foot in from the wood floors. We were pleasantly surprised that the darkest of the oak matched beautifully with the chestnut stained maple. I'm sure you'll be surprised how well the cherry works with this lovely piece. ~Becky

If you include the sink, then the coffee maker will work well, and you could have a roll-out tray for it, from one of the pantries, similar to amanda's in this thread. Do you have an upper cabinet next to the fridge? You can put the MW on a shelf beside it, or have a MW drawer in the island. How do you use the MW? Mostly for kid's snacks, re-heating left-overs from the fridge, cooking rice or steaming vegetables? That would be the deciding factor for me. ETA, I have an 18" deep buffet in the DR, with storage below (not pantry items) and open shelves above, for china. I made it 3.5" taller than a standard counter, because it has a vent under it, which I didn't want to reroute. That height works fine for us. Although I rarely serve food from it, it's convenient for extra table service and to place lids from the serving dishes on the table. Sometimes I scoop papers and other clutter from the table and quickly deposit them on the buffet before dinner, but then I have to declutter eventually. I really like having it--it adds a lot of personality to the room, and I can see my pretty china from where I sometimes prep at the end of the island. :) The most important item I store there is the fire extinguisher, because it's not in the kitchen, but very close, and in the path from my bedroom to the kitchen.

I live by William Morris' quote: "If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." Your pieces are lovely, no question, but that doesn't mean they are right for you. Keeping things because you have a sense that you "should," regardless of whether that comes from guilt, love, memories, or any other reason is really, truly not a reason to keep them. My mother is on Hospice (my father died in 2012), and when she goes probably almost everything in the very large family home will be sold to antique dealers (if it has value these days) and in a massive garage sale. There are five children and I know four of us want very little. My other sister, who might take more, can't because she lives in low-income housing and has only a small studio. I wouldn't take any of it because I have what I love acquired over the years--and I want no more. To me, it's better that it be sold to someone outside the family IF that someone will love it and make it theirs than for it to stick around, unloved and possibly resented, just to keep it in the family because those kinds of feeling, which will grow with each year it takes up room, will eventually lead to just getting rid of it any way, any place.