But, where do you plan to actually work in this kitchen? It's a hike from one side to the other. I'm sure that this was a kitchen and breakfast area "opened up" because it's still two single rooms, not an integrated work space. And the fridge is in "the other room", not the actual kitchen. The fridge isn't close enough to the prep area. There's no island or cart to serve as it's landing spot where you need it to be. The space between the sink and range is like a punishment corner, but that's where all of the work will take place until you have to roller skate over to the fridge to get a forgotten ingredient. There's no room for anyone else to help either.

This badly needs reworking.

Note that the second picture is our "bake zone" - which is in close proximity to fridge and oven.

Ignore the fingerprints and camera artifacts (fish eye look)

2) Greendesigns - to answer some of your questions. I'll also post some more pictures of the kitchen plan at the very end of this post and maybe that will help. I do welcome all comments, helps me think as we'll be starting cabinet construction soon, but haven't done so yet.

where do you plan to actually work in this kitchen?
and
The space between the sink and range is like a punishment corner, but that's where all of the work will take place
and There's no room for anyone else to help either.

Wow, I'm really surprised by that one! Why do you feel it is a punishment area - do you think its too small?? It's a 24" cab to the left of range, then a 36" corner susan, and then a 15" cab before we hit a 27" sink base. I love to prep between a sink and a range, and I envision as that corner being great (not punishment). I had that same kind of prep space in our last house and really liked it. My mother lives with us and is often in the kitchen at the same time helping with prep and clean-up. She has a separate sink and prep space along the other wall, and no one will need to come into my cooking zone. Pots and pans I wash by hand, and those can be done at the sink by the range. If I stand at that sink, I can look to the left and see out the door into the sunroom / back yard. It seems there is enough counter space to the left of the range sink, and also to the right of the range, if someone else needed to be there also.

In my current kitchen, the range is by itself, with very little counter space on either side. I have to cross a heavy traffic path across the room to get to the sink (about 7' away) to dump hot pasta water etc. Frig is currently right in the main doorway to get to the dining room or family room.

I really want to keep the little table and chairs by the window, it is a nice view to the backyard, the kids can sit there while I cook and not be in the way, etc.

It's a hike from one side to the other. I'm sure that this was a kitchen and breakfast area "opened up" because it's still two single rooms, not an integrated work space.

I need to work within the existing footprint, its long and relatively narrow (27 long x 12 wide) not wide enough for an island and the kitchen is a major throughway from dining room and family room to bedrooms, study etc so it helps to have the center clear anyhow. It has always been one long room, but there was a peninsula jutting out (with both lowers and uppers) where a short 16" utilty wall is currently shown. I really hated the peninsula, it made the workable space too small, cut off the breakfast table and made the end of the kitchen just kind of a junk zone that no one could use.

And the fridge is in "the other room", not the actual kitchen. The fridge isn't close enough to the prep area. There's no island or cart to serve as it's landing spot where you need it to be.

Yes, the frig a little farther from the main cooking area, but I don't see other place for it that wouldn't be worse. I placed the frig there so people could come into the kitchen and get snacks, milk for coffee, etc, without having to go into the main range / cooking area, or to get produce for the second prep area. But that I could also access the frig from my main cooking / prep area with no one needing to get in that pathway. Also, there is plunk space to the right of the frig. I don't mind the extra steps really.

This badly needs reworking.

If you have suggestions on how to better place items, while still maintaining space for a second prep /clean-up helper, I am open to suggestions. Pics of suggested layout below, maybe will help all this make sense.
Detail of main cooking and prep area

Main cleanup sink, DW, and second prep zone

Overall dimensions

Here are my 8 foot ceiling cabs--very minimal "crown" at top. Why sacrifice useful space? Yes, this is a nearly-mod or transitional style kitchen.

I agree that kitchens need plunk space near any refrig. I think that you can rethink your planned kitchen for better efficiency, especially now that I know there are at least 2 cooks.

I also have a 2+ cook kitchen. My goal was not to say "excuse me" to someone else in my own kitchen when I wanted to go somewhere in it. My kitchen is a G-shaped kitchen with range at the bottom of the G--you can just see one of the burners on the range top in photo above on left, adjacent to the wooden countertop. The double sink at the window is on the long side of the G and the "prep" sink is on the peninsula or short side of the G at right in photo. This is a good config for two cooks--we can each use a different sink and approach the range from a different side.

Our refrig is positioned at the place where the red paint ends in photo above. My commute between refrig and range is 12 feet. It's not awful, but I wouldn't want a longer one. The eating areas are outside the G, so the refrig serves them also. There is a plunk space adjacent to the refrig at the top end of the G and one opposite it on the end of the peninsula, where someone would plunk stuff that needs to be cleaned, chopped and cooked. Distance from sink to sink is a little over 6 feet.

Have fun stormin' the castle!

Move all of the pantry cabinets to where the fridge currently is, or create a walk in pantry for greater storage with less expense. The secondary sink becomes the "butler's pantry sink" and is where the cleanup of the dishes from the DR happens and the wall between the window and the DR becomes where the dishes and serveware is stored. It can also serve as a prep zone for a third person if need be.

After living in our "new" kitchen for 6 years, we went around and adjusted all of our shelves and roll outs to make the most efficient use of the space as possible. We were able to find additional space by freeing up room in a lot of cabinets. We ordered shelves and I now have more storage without adding any cabinets. Even though this kitchen has a ton more storage than the old one, I covet every inch because I like spreading things out as much as possible and I enjoy having the space in the cabinets to put in a lot of shelves. We have many items that I only have to access once in a while and I don't mind grabbing a step stool to get at the top shelves.

btw, our old kitchen only had open shelves (similar to the left side of the plan on your original post.) The new cabinets, to the ceiling, made the ceilings seem much much higher. I love it.