Thanks Williamsem for your thoughts and rationale. You are right, DH and I have put enormous thought into this plan and maybe it is best just to take the seam and move on. I do think shortening the space between cooktop edge and prep sink edge by 6 inches would be missed in that spot as I see that space between cooktop and prep sink as such key prep space. On the other hand, taking 6 inches from the right of the cooktop could pose some safety issues. On Wednesday, I am going back to the granite show room to ask them to show me pictures of seams they have done. Maybe it is not that bad after all. I think a seam in quartz (which is what we have chosen) could be less noticeable compared to a busier granite. Unless I change the counter materials at the seating or elsewhere to avoid a seam and keep the length.... oh the first world pain of decisions! Carol

What are you putting on the island...cooktop or sink (please tell me sink........)? While it's less than ideal to put a sink or cooktop in an island, the lesser of two evils is the sink in the island. If you're putting the cooktop in the island & it's b/c you want to visit with people while cooking...remember this:70% of your time spent in a kitchen is Prepping 20% is spent cleaning up 10% is spent cookingSo, what does it make sense to do on the island if you want to spend most of your time visiting while working in the kitchen? Prep. The least sense? Cooking. Now, safety...cooking is the worst thing to do in an island (or peninsula) unless you have at least 24" of countertop behind & on each side of the cooktop. Yes, it's more than NKBA states for non-seating (NKBA is silent on seating...which might mean it's a "no-no"); but from experience and common sense, 24" is better. [Think about someone spreading homework or the newspaper out on the island while you're cooking. Think about the steam from boiling water drifting over to the people sitting there. Think about how far grease splatters. Think about someone walking by or even running by while you're cooking...carrying papers, backpack, etc....and not being careful where they are in relation to the cooking surface.] Hopefully, all this is moot & it's the sink in the island...(even then, if you have seating at the island strive for 18" b/w the faucet and edge of the seating overhang to minimize visitors being splashed; 15" will work, but 18" is better). **** As to prep.... Unlike others, my prep area is driven by where my sink & cooktop are, not where there's a view or social interaction. I find the easiest and most natural place to prep is b/w my prep sink & cooktop...and that faces a wall. That area has about 40" of workspace (not counting the peninsula). If I need more room, I find myself working on the other side of the cooktop where there's about 5' of workspace b/c of the corner, even though there's no sink there and, again, it's mostly facing a wall. I have a peninsula on the other side of the prep sink that's across from the refrigerator w/about 30" of space, so it could be a logical place for prep. I also have my cleanup sink in front of a big bay window and the refrigerator is on that same run with 51" b/w them. However, 9 times out of 10, I prep b/w my cooktop & prep sink...and I have no problems with it. It's not like I can't visit with others while working there. They can sit at the peninsula and I can glance over to the right at them while I work or I can glance over to the left to see what's going on in the FR. To be honest, when I'm prepping, I prefer to keep my eyes on what I'm doing since so much of my prep work involves knives... All of this leaves the peninsula free for the kids to do homework or work on projects, or for me to setup my laptop when I'm working from home. It leaves the cleanup sink run clear for cleaning up only. No more conflicts! Would I change the location of anything b/c of this? Except for adding a trash pullout in the prep are, I wouldn't change anything else. It works great for us! [Well, maybe I'd change the location of the TV to where I wanted it in the first place but my DH thought he knew better...that way my DH wouldn't keep moving the stool to the "U" so he can be really close to the TV while eating breakfast. I keep biting my tongue to keep from saying "I told you so!"]

I think you are doing fine to review which time & motion things are highest priority. Prep "next to" stove has many good points, but then as you point out there are other things to balance. A high priority for me is prep next to, & have unimpeded access to, an undermount sink (which I do not currently have). I make my biggest mess while chopping, etc. I put all large stuff in composter, but all the little "bits" I want to sweep into sink. I am at risk of dropping or spilling some in transfer, but in a lot of ways I can minimize that--in a lot of my cooking I add ingredients at different times, so I use some shallow bowls for prepared ingredients to add to something on stove. Also, I want a prep area that can be accessed by others, so not just the stove (if one has room, then it can be great to have dual prep areas). Finally, ditto a post above, I have gotten used to prepping while looking outward and not at the wall, but am fine with cooking facing the wall ( I spend more extended time preparing the ingredients, salads, fruits to be available in frig, and so forth, compared to intermittent stirring and flippig, so will probably try to retain that. Good luck with your analysis!

Yeah, I'd stick with the cooking to the back wall. I do know some folks have designed it to have the cook top facing the public area (Sundial's kitchen) but I'm like you and like to have the excuse to turn my back to concentrate a little on my cooking. I still TALK, don't get me wrong! LOL And I would not feel comfortable being "on stage" with my cooking (even though people like it). Go with the prep/clean up going toward the open part of the kitchen, imo. Here's a picture of my kitchen. I have the range on the back wall, the clean up sink on the perimeter wall (no prep sink), a "chopping cart" in the middle, an eight-foot by three-foot peninsula, and a seperate island bar. Just fyi. Here is a link that might be useful: Sundial's kitchen