Thanks so much for your comments! So many decisions to make with no experience. Desertstaph - Thanks for the suggestion to move the doorway closer to the corner. You're right, I would probably feel better about the extra space between stove & fridge instead of built-in shelves along the bottom right wall which I was considering. I am sure I can get DH to move the doorway down. Should be within our construction talents! Jalsy6 - Glad to hear the layout is working for you. I hope you will finish soon. I have to make some decisions so we can get moving again. I am also a little concerned about the fridge along the edge of the doorway. I had thought about putting a 24" deep sheetrock wall next to the doorway, but it would eat up another 2 1/2 - 3 inches. If we move the doorway down so I have more room, do you think that would help? Lascatx - We thought about putting the fridge on the bottom pantry wall. Unfortunately, due to the placement of the bathroom fixtures, we can't move that doorway, and the "hallway" to the basement steps is only about 2' deep before the stairs start, so I can't squeeze any more room that direction either. I tried to figure out a way to recess my Full Depth fridge on that wall, but due to plumbing, didn't have quite enough room. (Just got a new fridge a year ago, and it will have to stay for a while.) I was worried about the fridge opening into that major traffic path by the table. I would really like the extra space by the range though. Thanks for your ideas and comments. Any one else have any suggestions? Thanks so much for looking at this.

@Sophie Wheeler, you responded to my dilemma, thank you!! I'm honored! I always look for your comments on the threads : ) Yes, we should have known better, we just figured since so many other neighbors had such positive experiences with him, he was the natural first choice. And I'm not letting it come between us. It's not worth that...thought I won't consider working with him again. That's why it'd be nice to take care of all this myself, as much as possible. The kitchen has been sitting like this for quite a while.

Is that an EZ-Reach (or similar type) corner door? I think that will make items in the upper corner easier to access. Even if you have to use a 12" deep upper, can your contractor/cabinet installer not set the cabinet beside the pantry forward 12" so it looks like any other 90 degree upper corner? You would lose 12 linear inches, but the 24" cabinet will be easier to access. Maybe ask your contractor about building a frame behind the 12" deep upper, to attach it.

I have been thinking about all of your comments and have made some revisions to my original thinking, and I have worked with an IKEA person to re-do some of the plan. Doorways do not have interior molding and are just openings. I was told that it is virtually impossible to have a pantry set at a 90 degree angle to the fridge because there is no wall to hang the pantry cabinet from. So, that's out. I am leaving a full height pantry cabinet to the left of the fridge (to make the passageway into the kitchen larger), but I am making it 18" wide rather than the currently planned 24" wide. And I'm putting the microwave on the other side of the room instead. The fridge will have a side panel, and the 24" deep pantry will be set back from the front of the fridge so the fronts are not parallel. I am putting the microwave across the room in the corner to the left of the range. I had planned a standard wall cabinet there. Instead I will have a cabinet that goes down to the counter top. That cabinet will have two shallow drawers with an open cubby on top of them. The cubby will contain the microwave (this way I can just put in an inexpensive microwave). There will be cabinet doors on the portion of the cupboard above the microwave cubby. The photo below is the idea that I will be replicating (except I will have a small section of wall maybe about 20" deep that the left of the cabinet will butt into so it will be an actual corner. And I will have a flat counter on the peninsula rather than the raised ledge section.. Do you think this will work better? Ever since I began planning this kitchen, the microwave placement has just been a bear in terms of where to put it. When we were first starting to think about this project, and when shopping was easier, we did see the microwave that @wdccruise linked and liked it. I went back and took another look online at that option today. It could still be a possibility maybe, but there are some negative review comments about usability that bother me. And, we have to go with recirculating because this is a townhouse that has no way to vent to the exterior, and I have found some other hoods that do provide better function with recirculating. I really appreciate all of the thoughtful comments and advice you have given me..