When we were doing our kitchen, our KD suggested we do our peninsula in wood because stone can be cold if you're sitting there with your arms on the surface. So, you might want to consider a material other than stone for the tabletop. With respect to the area next to the range--if you have open shelving instead of a cabinet, the things on it may pick up grease from cooking (even with ventilation).

While you did not ask for our opinion on anything else on the design, I think I should point out to you that the cabinet over the kitchen sink seems quite deep. When you wash the dishes you normally have to lean forward over the sink and it looks like if you did that your head would touch the cabinet over the sink. If possible I would have a window looking out on something rather than a cabinet over the sink. Failing that I would have an open space over the sink. One way to accomplish this would be to flip the position of the sink and the stove. That way the sink would be next to the refrigerator. You normally take goods out of the refrigerator and put them next to the sink to begin preparing them. Then take the prepared items over to the stove to be cooked. Changing the location of the sink and stove would also put covered shelving next to the hood (and the hood could possibly be run up through the cabinets) and open shelving next to the kitchen sink. Just a thought.

vickimp, that's an interesting idea, I might just consider it (it's cheaper than stone too, so that's a big plus!).
practigal, any advice and ideas are welcome :) Thank you both so much for your input.
Unfortunately, I cannot move the stove/hood because that is the only wall where I could connect the exhaust to the outside. I'm hoping the hood will have enough power to suck everything out. I don't plan to put anything essential on the shelves anyway, just something for decoration so it wouldn't be a huge problem (I hope).
In regards to the sink, the cabinet above it is 11 inches (if it seems deeper in the photos, it might be because I made a mistake and drew them deeper than 11 inches). Unfortunately I can't place it in front of a window but I'm hoping it won't be too bothersome (I've only rented until now and had the sink with a cabinet above it almost always and now that I think about it I don't remember having any problems).
I do however love your idea and wish we could have done it that way as it does seem to solve my problems.
I would love to hear any other thoughts you might have (on anything).
Thanks and have a great day :)

I like the interesting layout and shapes of the windows, and I completely love the living wall idea.

Here's all the notes I had:

1) Could you swap the locations of the sink and the dishwasher? I used to have a stove DIRECTLY in the corner of perpendicular cabinets like your sink is now, and I really really disliked it. It felt like I could never comfortably stand centered on my cook top without being jammed into the adjacent cabinets, so I was always standing a step or two to the right of where it felt natural to be. That means sort of leaning sideways or twisting, and it just felt like bad, cramped design all the time. I just like feeling as if there is plenty of room around me all the time, so I can move easily through my space. (I went to a lot of trouble to move my stove away from that corner.)

Also, if the sink and dishwasher were swapped, the sink would be close enough to a window that you could probably look out it anyway while doing dishes, even if you are not directly in front of a window.

2) I've seen tables like your design where table top is on top of the counter rather than flush with it, and while it looks cool, I dunno that I'd ever choose it. It just creates a 90 degree corner where the two surfaces meet where gunk will build up, and it makes it difficult to use the breakfast table as extra counter space when you need it because you couldn't put a cooling rack or whatever where the heights change.

3) Regarding the space next to the hood, I would order and wait for more backsplash and install that without shelves or cabinets or anything else. Maybe hang a picture, but definitely nothing bulky, busy, or that sticks out more than an inch towards you. That is going to be a VERY well-used bit of counter since it is the only counter space next to the stove, and it's a tight space already. It's a short run, and it's not even an open-ended run; it hits a wall of cabinetry on the right. I think you will really really really appreciate having a feel of open airiness where your face is to counteract the short&enclosed-ness of the rest of it.

3) You might consider losing the leftmost floor-to-ceiling cabinet so you could have a longer counter space next to the stove. With uppers and under counter cabinets there, you'd not really lose much storage.

4) Have you considered putting the breakfast bar in front of the big window instead? Like this:

It'd be my preference to look out a window while I was eating, and the table could double as counter space next to the stove, which you really could use.

5) Are the walls going to be painted green? If not, I was thinking it'd be cool to establish the breakfast bar as its own zone/function with color. You already have the green live wall, so you could paint the table under it a bright green too. Then that whole element would be united and highlighted, separate from the rest of the kitchen. Or if you decide to move that table in front of the big window, I'd go for a clear glass table to match the window (and so it doesn't block light), like this, but glass instead of plastic:

How about stainless steel shelves? Easy to clean and striking against black tile.

Something like these

Something like these

{{gwi:1946270}}