Lyfia, I hear you, but if the front "LR" was a dining room, in our family, it wouldn't get used. My entire life, I've always had an eat-in kitchen--grandparents have eat in kitchens, etc. When I lived in the midwest, everyone had a dining room in addition to the eat-in space, the the dining room was just really a craft area that got cleared 2x a year for large family gatherings. Both sets of grandparents live about 3 hours away, where the family farm also is. So, for larger family gatherings, we are much more likely to be at the farm (either at the grandparents' house, or the cousins) than here. 8 adults is probably the most I'll need to accommodate; a few more if you count kids, but kids are also happy to eat in a different spot than the adults. I think it most likely that if I had a really large gathering (once in 3 years that it might occur), I'd set up a separate table either in the LR or the FR to accommodate the extras. I like to use my peninsula now, as a "bar"/buffet area for those large type gatherings. Which brings me to Peke's long comments (thank you!)-- I would like to be able to have multiple areas in the kitchen where a couple people could work simultaneously without needing to occupy the same space. I think I prep like you--I'd be fine with a 32" counter space. But, I would also like the flexibility, that while I'm working in the 32" counterspace, someone could pour themselves a glass of milk without having to be in my space. Or, someone could be mixing brownies, say, and I could be prepping the next ingredient, without having to reach over them (that is getting more and more difficult as my older daughter is about armpit height now)... A lot of the time now, that mixing is done on the kitchen table (which means I'm carting water from sink to mixing bowl at the table, etc). Or, I just kick everyone out of the kitchen and do it myself. So, I envision the peninsula/island/extra counter to be another spot for someone to be able to work, without clogging up the whole kitchen function. I still want to keep a dining table (as opposed to a counter) because we do make an effort to eat, nightly, as a family, facing each other, etc. There is no TV in the same room or on during dinner. So, our dinner times really are the family conversation time. We've been lucky enough to make that choice and have it work well for our family. Our girls also really, really love that time. Bedtime is smoother when we've had that too. If I understand an eating counter correctly, they are more likely to sit everyone in a line (like what you'd see in most island bar seating arrangements). We prefer to sit in an L or C shape. My primary grocery is Costco (it also happens to be the closest one to my house). So, when I shop, things come home in bulk sizes. The walk-in pantry allows me to put too large items on the floor (and I can close the door). It really does function very well for me while still being fairly compact (since the door is an outswing, and on an angle. The inside is really shelves on 2 sides with a little extra floor space (and crawlspace access door)). The Family Room is games and toys. I really like Lisa's plan E, but also plan D. I think I can use the shape of the pantry in sena's recent post (21:23)--I also like the plan. And, YES! I DO LOVE GW for the amazing creativity, experiences shared, as well as eye to function that everyone has. In a few short days, we've covered many more iterations/variations of kitchen for my space than I've thought about for over a year! And, that is truly wonderful. My next Q to all you who are still reading: DO ANY OF YOU HAVE A DW/SINK relationship such as the one drawn in Sena's 21:23? (With the sink 90* to the DW)? I've never had this (which is why I've been stuck on a corner something). How does it work, as an efficiency thing?

Yes, there is a rule, plumbing code, that says your drain line must slope, the entire length. BTW, I've found a 33" side-by-side refrigerator to be much less convenient that an over/under, and it holds less. I prefer the freezer on the bottom style. JMHO

A couple more thoughts: If you go with a glass top or induction stove, it can double as counter space quite easily. (Induction *is safer, but I do use my radiant glass top stove as counter quite frequently.) If you go with Beuhl's plan where there is a 12" wide cabinet next to the door to the dining room, you could get a 12" depth x 24" base cabinet and put it in sideways so that opens toward the doorway rather than toward the kitchen. This would let you get a cabinet with doors and shelves, which would be a little less $$ than a drawer base and could be more useful than a 12" wide drawers. It all depends on what you'd want to store there. If it was for trays, it might make more sense to do a drawer on top with tray storage below, opening toward the kitchen. Hope this helps. And I don't blame you a bit for voting for a dishwasher. ; )

Jillius, I made the Saturday afternoon "deadline" he wanted. I didn't think I would. But, thanks to you and everyone's incredibly generous help, WE did it! I'm thrilled with the plan! I read through the thread again just now. It is completely blowing my mind to see how the design evolved and changed over the course of a week into what we have now. Everyone played an important part with all their input. I will be forever grateful to all of you. It might take a few years to have it all up and running, but I will keep you all posted on the progress. I will start a new thread whenever he gets the walls and roof on. Laughable, I'm am dead serious, just last night my husband said, "You are going to have to start calling me 'Mr. Rebunky' on your GW." Hysterical you said that. Imgch, thanks. I love your reveal! I'm going to go look at all your eye candy again right now. Aloha!