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Carolyn Albert-Kincl Design I prefer the more open L shaped plan but I don't understand why the island is so small. There is too much space left open between it and the cabinets, in both directions. I'd leave 42" and increase the island size, using an overhang at the same 36" level for counter height stools.

I'd also slide the D/W and sink to left so that sink has countertops on both sides of it. Your powder room has a lot of wasted space in it, as does your laundry.
Carolyn Albert-Kincl, ASID

catieb How many people living in the home? How often do you cook? How many people use the kitchen at the same time? How often do you entertain? Animals? How high is the ceiling?

ndanger000 @Carolyn:

Thanks for the comments. The island size was an initial suggestion from our cabinets people. We'd also been thinking that it was too far from the counters.

Actually The sink and D/W were supposed to be over to the left, as in the galley kitchen; I just mis-drew it.

The laundy is also a mud-room. We spend *a lot* of time getting ourselves and kids into and out of coats and boots, so we spend a lot of time in that space. That's why it is so big. I agree about the wasted space in the powder room; we just haven't figured out a way to make it work better yet.

ndanger000 @catieb:

Answers to your questions: There are two adults and two (young) children. We coook your three basic meals a day, plus some bread baking on the weekend. We (the adults) rarely cook together---it is either one of us or the other. That's not always the case, of course---e.g., holidays are an exception. But that is only a few times a year, and I don't really want to design any space around how it is used two or three days of the year. We don't entertain a lot. We have cats. Eight-foot ceilings.

Carolyn Albert-Kincl Design There's nothing wrong with a large powder room, but if it's to be large, take advantage of the space by increasing the size of the vanity, or center a medium sized one of the wall and flank it with good looking sconces.

In the laundry room, I would add a cat litter area, preferably with a hidden cat entrance. You'll need a broom closet and mudroom bench and cubbies also, plus an upper cabinet for laundry supplies.

Tia Marie McDermid I did a kitchen with a similar floor plan as your first plan. The island was unique and lots of storage. I'll attach some renderings and if you need dimensions of the island, I can attach that as well.

Tia Marie McDermid Here's some more renderings

Tarey Cullen As Carolyn mentioned , the laundry area could be incorporated into a larger kitchen foot print to utilize the space now used as the hallway. Perhaps the island should be looked at as a peninsula.
The space allotted to the cook top- range needs to have counter on both sides and out of the traffic flow would be preferred. full height cabinets next to the ref can serve as pantry and help minimize the ref bump out. On the attached I put forth an idea of moving the laundry to the interior and closing the hall- to add more space in the work area of the kitchen. Centering the cooking surface between the two windows with a dramatic range hood design would give you plenty of counter space

Dytecture Here is another idea with just a single wall cabinet with a very spacious island.

Tarey Cullen I missed the comment on the washer/dryer must stay. Here's another modification using the hall space in the kit with the island (provided your dimensions are close.

ndanger000 Thanks to all of you for your comments, and for taking the time to sketch out new plans; we're looking at all of them closely.

It seems that everyone focuses on the L-shaped kitchen. May I ask what the problems or issues are with the galley kitchen? The contiguous counter space and large pantry rather appeal to me. By stopping the wall at the refrigerator, I've tried to keep it a bit open. I'd like to hear what (negative) things I'm not thinking of with this design.

Tarey Cullen the "galley" is more like an alley- a long dead end - one way in and one way out. very confined if more than one person would attempt to be in the work zone.e.g. a tyke getting milk from the REF.

The tall cabinets e.g. pantry vertical height will be accentuated ( in a negative way) by the narrow proportion of the space, and I suspect difficult to light- as it has no natural daylight and will be dependent on what light fixtures you have turned on---
The stove top has no drop counter on the "left side" and is a risk to little fingers, or to clumsy guests or Mom's in a hurry who brush too close to the cooktop.
Not sure what you would use the left end of that dead end counter to the left of the proposed sink dishwasher location-- for except stack a microwave and toaster....and everything else.

Clean up after dinner would be a real treat imagine stacking all the dirties in the sink and unloading the dishwasher to the left side ???

the good news is you could hang a dart board on the far end wall for fun.

Sorry sometimes my humor gets the best of me.

For kicks- take a typical task : like gettiing breakfast fro the kids. use your pencil to identify what happens and draw lines where each person would be,.. would walk,.. would need access, .In your mind get out the bowls, the cereal, the spoons, now the milk, where do you place them ? where do the kids sit, do they help get the stuff to pack their lunches ? Do they get more milk? a cookie ? where do you end up putting those bowels and glasses when that's finished ?
Now, you've begun to THINK OUT your design needs.
Now do the same for dinner and then for Thanksgiving.

hope this helps.

catieb Tarey - well said, I especially like your idea of tracing with a pencil!
I agree - the placement of the range was of extreme concern for me, both functionally and for safety reasons as you've pointed out.

ndanger000, another way to think of the galley arrangment - you end up rear to rear when someone is working on each side.

Can you define what appeals to you in the galley plan? If it is just about having what seems to be a long work space, you will have that work space at the island without having to compete with other functions and all your appliances and designated work areas will be spaced about the "backdrop" of the rest of the kitchen.

catieb p.s. Tarey Cullen - I really like your plan with the pantry and fridge pulled away - great function, flow and use of space! You've created a kitchen that will grow with the family and work well for many cooks and different situations.

ndanger000 @Tarey,

Thanks for your response. Even better than the plans that you and other have posted, you've given us a way of thinking about plans.

Tarey Cullen Thanks, I hope it helps. If I may suggest if you have the room --- a cardboard box mock up helps give you a vision to what will happen in the space or lack there-of.

A lot of newer equipment upgrades have opened designers function thinking. example: microwave below the island counter (built-in--new model ) or sitting on an open shelf (using your existing M W) - Kids can now access it ??? good thing -bad thing ? But what you need to make a note of :is the need for an outlet ! ( OK you new that right ?) sorry-the humor thingy..
Or- how about that stove needs a new 220 line, or the under-mount lights need to be connected to a switch ? or with a big enough center island we could add a 2nd smaller prep sink so the kids could help clean veggies and fill water balloons ? Did I mention trash can location ?

(and it's fun to let the rug rats participate in your planning ; "pretend you are fixing Lunch" -game. make a list of what's on the menu - ././what do I put peanut butter on ( ?..) now where should it be stored ?? where's the knife for spreading peanut butter ? you get the idea... last question? what do we do with the peanut butter, plates, glasses, now ? meanwhile, observe ( put on paper) where they go and how they retrieve items. simple things become big problems- do you need to put the milk on the counter or carry it all the way out to the table? then...(humor again) who puts it away ?