Thanks everyone. The blue, I guess, is ok for now. It just doesn't really sit well with me but I suppose it's better than hot pink or something like that. :) As for the toaster, I measured our cabs and it won't fit in any of them b/c there's a middle divider. :/ The toaster is approx 15x15x15. So for now, I'm going to put it in the corner in the dining area, where the door meets the back wall. I just found this side table with a marble top at the Salvation Army that I might use. There's also quite a few kitchen carts at places like Ikea but I'm leaning towards the side table. The more permanent plan is to buy one of those 24" fridges (kitchen forum currently has a thread on small apps--and now I want to trade all my big size apps for smaller ones!). Anyway, there's one that is rather short (~55 in) and that will give me ample room on top of the fridge to put some kind of open shelving and then use something like a rev-a-shelf thing to slide the toaster forward when I need to use it and then just push it back to place when i'm not using it. That might even give me enough room on the side of the fridge to put in some kind of storage area.

consider this: Nothing goes on the wall where the garage is. 1 long counter along the long wall, and 1 long island parallel to it. For the counter and the island, go as far as you like ; whatever makes sense. Both the counter and the island are to be Narrow and Low. (e.g. 23" top and 21"d cabinets underneath); (e.g. 34"h) An all-drawer cabinet base makes sense in a narrow kitchen, because nobody ever has to get down on all fours. Ikea drawers fit in less than 21"depth. A 3/4" thickness quartz counter on top of a standard cabinet, on short feet, can make the height come in at less than 36"h. The two narrow coutners leave you with enough room to have aisles. One is the kitchen work aisle. The other is the passage from garage to hall to DR/LR. (b.t.w., is the hallway the only way over to the LR? Eliminating the pantry totally gives you a larger area of approach. Seeing your drawing, I cannot figure out how large the pantry is, btw.) . ((Leaving the pantry is ok, too. )) . The fridge could go in the corner where the long counter meets the garage wall. It would be accessible to non cooks if they use the passage aisle. Again, the cook or cooks get to operate in peace. Consider the idea, because it gives you a tight and highly functional galley, restricted to the operator. Nobody has to walk through it. The long island can be great for parties. At the end of the island can be a round, oval or square table. The lower the island counter is, the better it integrates with a table. Your kitchen like many others has a lot of constraints so the idea I've described just assumes that these constraints force the workspace to be a footprint about 7' by whatever length you choose to have. Many galleys are 7' wide, and are walled in everywhere. Yours is not walled in. This gives it a much more spacious feel. With some custom steel work for feet, you could have an island that has a kickspace on both sides, or is completely open underneath. The cover panel not going down to the floor makes the passage aisle more spacious. Hth

Love the idea with blocking the space! It is helpful! Sorry no experience with the refrigeration. In my ideal kitchen I am not sure which maker but I would do one stand up refrigerator and then another stand up freeze like I experienced as a volunteer in a small community kitchen/ restaurant. When it comes to depth you can always have the contractor pull the upper and lower cabinets farther from the wall and have a deeper counter. (and Yes I lived in a house for 9 years that had had this and it was fine.. it was not a lot more maybe 4"). Are you going to have a separate icemaker? Our last house had two of them in a huge french samsung. It was overkill. We hardly use any ice. Our present house with ice in the french freeze - we did not have the plumber connect it with the remodel as that is like number one issue with any frige. We have the good old fashioned trays and if party just go get a bag or two. As for the question: do you think it’s okay to have a kitchen eating space in view of the formal dining space? I think it is fine and it happens a lot in newer homes. I am not a fan of multiple eating spaces personally and encourage others to think of their dining room as a flex space (and say hey put in some built in bookshelves just in case it goes den or the kids need a workspace for projects with the table pad underneath). I suspect you have an older home? If I had your home I would put a divided light french door in-between maybe with water glass if you want to obscure.

Because the sectional can be changed and for better tv viewing and traffic flow. Very rough sketch. Everything could move closer to the windows if you wanted to add a sofa table behind the entry couch leaving just a walkway in front of the windows. Or if room possible to add 2 smaller chairs with table between at the window with walkway in front of them. start with the rug centered a foot in front of the fireplace /tv wall and place the furniture from there.