L, I don't think I'll be much help, although I have a very old and small refrigerator which occupied a "built-in" space cut into the counter so it can't get any bigger either. I'm not OCD or CDO or even organized and don't really particularly care about organization anyway. My pantry and spice drawer would drive L2C46 completely over the edge and she'd hyper-ventilate if she saw my fridge. (grin) I tried baskets which kept things all together but took up a lot more room than the items themselves did, so that didn't work for me. I use the Lock N Lock containers, square. I love those darned things, even if I knock a container of soup over, it never spills. Plus they stack, so take up less space. I never put bread in the fridge, I leave it on my counter in the window corner and it keeps for several days in a large rectangular Lock N Lock. Of course, my house is 55, so yours may be warmer. I did smile at dcarch's sugggestion of bungee cords on the doors instead of solid shelf fronts. The shelf fronts on my old fridge broke and I replaced them with bungee cords, stretchable elastic ones with hooks on each end. The hooks fit in the holes left by the broken shelves. Now strangely shaped items fit on the shelves, I like it better than I did the solid shelves. I don't think I'd rip the shelf fronts off on a new refrigerator, though. I seem to have a whole refrigerator fill of vegetables and condiments. Fruit goes in one crisper drawer, vegetable in the other. Any additional produce items go on the bottom shelf. The center shelf holds leftovers and things like pickle jars, sour cream containers, etc. The top has milk and juice, maple syrup jugs and taller items. The furthest back part of the bottom shelf contains things that are used seldom but keep a long time, like Lock N Lock boxes of salted sausage casings, waiting until we make sausage. So, the only thing that works for me is having designated "zones" and being serious about keeping things where they belong, so at least I have an inkling of the area the item is going to be in, rather than searching the entire fridge. Annie

Move the drain into the back of the broom closet. It can transition diagonally above the fridge (hidden in the far back of the above-fridge cab or in a concealed chase behind a shortened-depth above-fridge-cab. Losing a bit of depth to a narrow broom closet and some of the nearly inaccessible space at the farthest reach of an above-fridge cab are not big inconveniences. At worst they will make you become choosier about what you're storing in these two way-back-of-beyond spaces, which are usually catchalls anyway. Moving the drain will entail some modest cost, but not as much as you may fear. And you can do it without any loss of functionality in your current plan. Hey, it's just money. Price it before you panic. L.

If you click on the first link there are more pictures of the layout on my photobucket website. I am currently losing several hours of sleep over this, petrified of putting everything in and going "oh I should have put. . ." After taping everything out on the addition deck last night we have decided to shrink the main island a bit (which contains the sink) by taking out the end cabinet because it's a little tight to the slider on the left wall. I envision myself prepping for baking on the long side of the island or behind the long side if multiple preppers and prepping for rangetop on short side of island. My husband and I (hahaha, I swear if I say the word kitchen one more time to him or ask him to watch one more show on DIY because it's the perfect kitchen I might be sleeping on the couch. . .) decided to turn the second island into a peninsula by dragging it to the adjoining cabinets, and leaving the second sink in there. Knowing this, would you leave the fridge where it is (a little buried) or move it to the top left of the kitchen on the back wall? We are a family of five, multiple cooks, kids ages 6, 4, 2 who LOVE to get involved. I also want to note that I know the best place for the rangetop is on the top north wall, nice tight triangle, but the hood mantle would block a beautiful view of the swingset/trampoline/playhouse, pretty much where the kids are most of the time. We are so close, I can feel it, I think the fridge is really the final decision and I appreciate all the help!!

Have you considered putting the new range in the old fridge space? That would give you more prep area between sink and range. What about the microwave? Wherever the range is, perhaps you could use the remaining open space for a rolling cart that could be brought out when needed--new countertop could just go right over it. Or just for undercounter storage or a spot for the MW. Good luck with the move! Keep us posted.