I would eliminate the sharp scalloping in favor of a single curve[doesn't have to be 90 degrees] for the depth changes under the window cabinets. Except for the elliptical curve beyond the sink, I wouldn't get so mired in curved ends-just get a nice edge profile and they can radius corners from 90 degrees to any amount of radius-just soften the corners a bit and find a nice edge treatment and it'll be fine.You have a nice high backsplash that will take detail and beautiful cabinets with toekick detail. You can overdo it.What edge have you chosen?

Herb,

Thanks for the input. We will be using an Ogee over a pencil edge.

I think I may eliminate the radius beyond the sink as it is only set at a 6 inch radius and I have paneled ends to compete with it. The sink cabinet is also slightly off center from the counter run and I think it will drive me crazy that the sink/faucet wouldn't be at the center of the radius.

Have you accounted for the extra height counters in the design? It will affect quite a few things.

Edited to add: I went back and looked at your previous post on your kitchen and saw that you are using a range. That laminated double 3 cm counter won't work with a range unless the cabinets themselves are a custom height built shorter so that the range doesn't end up "underneath" the counters (fire hazard!). I'm assuming that the baking area in front of the window (which I previously assumed would be a cooktop) will be a lowered counter? Am I seeing that correctly? That would work with a built up edge there, but it will also raise the height.

The edge detail you pictured is only on the island in your inspiration. It's very busy visually, and adding on all of the scallops around the bumpout adds to the visual busyness. You already have the bumpout, the feet, the cabinet detail on the side panels , the window at the baking area, and all of those windows of the VIEW which is the main focal point of the home. What does your door style look like? It is also SHOUTING for attention? Minimizing the focal points in a kitchen is one way to keep them as focal points. When everything starts to vie for your attention, you don't notice any of the special features and it becomes just a visual blur of too many details.

What 3 things do you want to be the star of your kitchen? The eye can't really support more centers of attention than that. Everything else should be subtle supporters that strengthen the role of the attention getters.

Personally, I'd eliminate that bumpout and go with a simpler edge for the whole kitchen. The bumpout is a inauthentic detail that doesn't work with the rest of the space. Now, if the sink was there, it would be an authentic detail and there would be a logical reason for it to be bumped out. Or, if that section ONLY was in marble for baking and lowered, and the rest of the counters were another material, that would be an authentic detail and a reason for the bumpout. With your layout, it competes with the view and the range area, and doesn't do it successfully because it's "off".

This post was edited by hollysprings on Mon, May 27, 13 at 10:45

As to the question of will it look good or will it look over the top, IMHO it will look over the top. Maybe out of place is a better way to say it. I agree with Holly's line of thinking. The bump out tarted up like that serves no real purpose. It's like that saying about there only being one clown in the kitchen. I think you already have a clown. But in a good way! :-)

Thanks for the input. After my drawers with hardware went in yesterday there was really no question about it. I simplified it as much as possible to a smaller radius on the bump out and no radius except at the corners everywhere else. See ya later to the scallops, too. They are beautiful, but much too ornate for my kitchen.

Holly, we are indeed doing custom cabinetry so my cabinetmaker is making a small platform for the range to sit on. I elected to go with standard height cabinetry so as to not lose any drawer height and will therefore have 37.5 inch counters on the sink and range runs. The back wall had to be lower due to the window that I wasn't willing to move. The layout dictated that I needed shallow depth base cabs (18 inches) under the window, so I wanted the bump out for baking. It is is 30 inches in depth and 36 inches in width. There wasn't enough room for me to have an island, so this was the next best thing. My heart was set on Danby marble, but I chickened out and am using a creamy colored veiny granite (Prada Gold).

Breezy- over the top for sure now that I look at the rest of it. I was so fixated on that one detail that I couldn't see the forest through the trees :)

The two scallops just look dopey, not rich or sophisticated. Less is more. On your inspiration, the smaller-scale molded inside corner would have been a hand-carved 90* miter if they had been following their chosen historical precedent more carefully. But to turn that into bat-wings or whatever just reveals an unforgivable ignorance.
Functionally, it renders part of the drawer inaccessible, and creates a hazard for your forehead when you bend to retrieve your popcorn maker from the lower cabinet.
Casey