If I am understanding this correctly, you only 15" between your prep sink and your range? This seems very close together especially considering you have a lot of room. I would think you would have more luck with your prep sink being located in your island--since that is where I would think you would prep. Not on the 15" between your prep sink and range.

Do not like where the fridge is. It's too far outside of the work triangle for prepping, it's too far away from the clean-up area for putting away leftovers, and it's too far away from the DR and patio area for people getting their own drinks, or stuff when helping setting the table.
I would suggest at least reversing it with cabinet #13. I'm afraid to suggest other locations as it would upset the symmetry you have going on.

Didn't catch the prep sink. Prep sink, should be on the island with the pull-out trash right beside it. Has construction begun i.e. are the windows fixed and in place yet?

Newbieremodeler and blfenton,

Thanks for your feedback! I will try to address your questions/comments.

I really see the island as the main prep area, however, I do not want the sink on the island. I really want that to be a large area of completely uninterrupted real estate. There are functional reasons, too, to having the second sink near the stove (filling pots, draining pasta, etc.). I don't expect to use the 15" between sink and cooktop for prep space. I did struggle with how to arrange the cabs there, because while I recognize that the more space the better between cooktop and sink, I didn't want to cram it next to the double oven either. I think it was sochi's kitchen where I saw her prep sink close to her cooktop and that gave me the idea that it might be an ok location.

Yes, the windows are ordered and locations framed. The location of the fridge is actually not far from the dining room, at least, I don't see where I could put it that it would be any closer. I agree it's not as near the screen porch as I'd like. Originally there was a second door to the deck area from the mudroom but that got nixed.

I realize not having the prep sink on the island is unconventional, and I'm open to hear from anyone who did/did not go this route and if they loved/hated it.

Thanks again for your thoughts!
Cintijen

hi, love your first floor!

You might want to post in the ikeafans forum, and ask them specifically how to convert a 21" pull out into a drawer base. Ikea makes 21" drawers to use with the 49" corner swing out. I seem to remember having read something about converting them either on the ikeafans forum or here:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0619331612421.html

Also, the ikefans forum describes how to convert any size pullout into a garbage pullout, in case you need. Are you set on double bowl sink? We also have a 36" sink base but went with an Elkay single bowl with an offset drain (to the back and right). Our plumber was able to put all the plumbing (sink, garbage disposal, detergent and water filter) on the right, so that the left is for a Rev A Shelf garbage pull out, for garbage and recycling. There is an enormous amount of space under that sink! Blanco silgranite also makes the same kind of single bowl, offset drain sink.

My last comment is that you seem to have many small drawer bases and pull outs rather than fewer larger ones. A lot can be fit into the 36" drawer bases that everybody loves.

Good luck with your kitchen!

Island real estate: This is a personal preference. i chose to have a large island without water. I weighed the pros and cons for 10 years and I decided that flat island without water was the best solution for me. I made this decision because my island is my main seating area, and this is where the kids do homework. I did not want to get my kids school work wet. There are times when the sink there would have been nice but I also really like having a large flat surface that is uninterrupted.

However, if you are not adding seats to the island, which the drawings are not showing the seats, I would add the prep sink..... (if we did not sit at the island, I would have added the sink.....)

Trash: it should be near the sink, either the prep or clean up. It is not that useful on the island where there is no sink, IMHO. You will end up taking out the trash and setting it on the floor near the sink....

I agree with others that the frig is not at a good location. What about swapping double oven with the frig if the symmetry to the sink wall is really really important to you? This way, the frig is close to the prep area (next to the prep sink) but you will go straight through the work area for others needing drinks and food.

I think the best place for the frig is on the wall that has the clean up sink as others have mentioned.

Again, my frig is NOT at the most ideal place because of the view out of the window and how the room looks from the other rooms. This was a decision made knowing that the frig location is not ideal. The way I use my frig is that the table is cleared by setting things on the island or next to the sink, then I put leftovers away into the frig. I think most people clear the table by setting dishes/plates/bowls on the counter first, then prep it to go into the frig (plastic containers, ceran wraps etc.) We do however, make runs to the frig during meals because the kids want more milk or we need condiments. (I have not made a habit of leaving milk on the table.....)

Good luck

I agree about the wider cabs if at all possible. I have Ikea and I love, love, love the 36" drawer bases.

I actually think that a prep sink near the stove is not a bad idea, but I do want to caution you about having a sink not so close to the main prep area. We could not work the sink adjacent to the prep area, nor work in a prep sink, so we have to go from the sink to across the aisle to prep things. There are usually water drops on the floor between them during cooking. It does not phase me much, but I have noticed it. Again, not a huge deal, but I wish I could get the prep area a little closer to the sink. If our aisles were tighter, it would solve it a little but give us other traffic issues, lol....

Kitchendreaming, thanks for your comments! I have posted at ikeafans but not about options for the 21" base. As it turns out I had a meeting with my builder this morning and 24" bases will fit at each end of the sink wall. :-)

Our sink is a actually a stainless apron sink (already purchased) but unfortunately the drain is not offset. I'm still hoping to tuck a trash can under, even if it just sits on the floor of the cabinet and is not on a pull-out, for scraping plates, etc. I really feel that having the trash/recycling in the island is going to work for us. We usually have a trash bowl in use all during prepping, partly because the trash can in the rental we're in now is very inconvenient. In any case, the prep sink will now be in a 21" base, so that will give even more room under it for possible trash as well. So possible trash in three places, surely we can make some arrangement that will work.

I have been pondering using larger cabinets instead of the smaller ones and some measurements I got today helped solve that. As I said earlier, now the sink wall has a 24" drawer base at either end. On the cooktop wall there is now a 36" drawer base, 36" cooktop cab, 24" drawer base, 21" sink cab, and then the oven cab.

Kaismom, totally with you on the no water on the island thing. My kids are young, but I see them hanging out there for snacks, homework, art projects, etc. And I feel that having a sink and faucet would really take a lot of that room. I also envision us clearing the table to the island after meals, where I plan to store my food storage containers, ziplocs, wraps and foil, so I think the fridge being further removed from the cleanup sink will work ok. I realize it isn't ideal, but I do feel this will be workable for us and the best option given the conditions we are dealing with. I have to admit when I posted the plan I wasn't expecting such a negative response to the fridge location! But that's OK, I wanted to be challenged to take a second look at everything.

Dianalo, so glad to hear you love your cabs and 36" bases! If you've read this far you'll see that I was able to upgrade my 30" to a 36"! and as far as the prep sink across the aisle, it has to be across the aisle from something right? Either crossing the aisle with boiling pasta to drain or with dripping, freshly-washed veggies to prep? :-P

Thanks again, I really appreciate you all taking the time to comment!
Cintijen