It looks to me like an island would only be a good option if you were looking at a built in refrigerator unit in the space where you have the unit now and backing that wall up a bit. That option would give you a few extra inches in that area. From your photos it is hard to tell how much room you have opposite the kitchen countertop now. Maybe there is enough room to push it out a bit further that way. Small aisles make for an uncomfortable kitchen. Personally I really like islands because they make for good extra work space, which to me looks like something you need.

What are you thinking for a layout though? Something like what you have now?

I'm with you about eating at islands/peninsulas - it's not for me. I do think you'll be happy about having an island for prep space as most of you current counter space is under upper cabinets which limits you somewhat. I would resist, though, the temptation to put a small sink in as your regular sink is close and you'll want the island space for its work surface.

jgopp makes a good point about walking space between the fridge and the proposed island. It looks like the plan has 45" between the two which, if correct, is plenty. Check to be sure that is right though.

Backsplash: this is so individual. One possibility might be to put something pretty behind the stove since you have a lovely open space planned and just paint the rest above a 3" backsplash of the same material as the counter - the focal point approach. I'm concerned that your back-painted glass might read more shiny than you really like and you don't want to overwhelm a pale countertop with look-at-me color/material-in-your-eye brain freeze. Actually, I love your tangerine accent with both the light and dark countertops as long as it stays accent. If you live where there are showrooms, especially countertop ones, check them out. The real thing just looks different than photos.

I think you will love having an island there. You have plenty of room for one, as long as you don't go for a huge one, and it will make the space far more functional. The size and orientation of the one in your plan looks just about perfect to me.

Have you considered bench seating under the window? It would allow you to move the table over a few more inches, since you wouldn't have to accommodate room for scooting a chair back, and it could fit your contemporary style very nicely.

I'm the last person to give backsplash advice, since I'm going on three years without one, but I love the stone one you have in your inspiration pics.

I want to point out a concern with the change to wall ovens. I'm thinking that there isn't enough room to operate them, just with the table and chairs there, before a person is seated? Lesser, but similar concern about the cooktop area and the cabinet between the cooktop and the wall ovens.

In looking at your cardboard island pic, can you set that up again and ask your family to sit in the chairs? The table is so close to the walls in the pic, I'm not sure that you can.

The kitchen gods (nkba.org) say that it takes 32" clear from the table edge to become seated and to allow for about 24" back from the table edge for a seated person in a small scale chair. It looks like using the kitchen with more than one person seated is not going to work.

Possibilities that aren't real costly include getting rid of one chair and pushing the table right up the the window. Possibly a small bench across the further window that angles back towards the dining room plus two chairs. And, of course the easiest one - use the dining room. It's not the cheapest, cause then you could have a bigger island with perhaps a countertop that allowed for a stool.

I'm with you on the eating at a kitchen table and not an island (or peninsula in our case). It looks like you would have about 9' from the island to the window and if you were not sitting at both the island and the table that should be enough room for a table and chairs. My concern, though,is the width and the space between the stove/oven to the chairs and table. You definitely don't have enough room for a 45" round table and enough clearance to work at the stove and open oven doors. You could maybe do a 36" x 48"-60" oval table.
The idea of doing a banquette configuration is an interesting one. Are you redoing your windows or are they staying. For sitting, seat height is about 18" and I'm not sure that the bottom of your windows is that high. But you could also buy a bench with a back and put it against that window wall and move the table over. My main concern,though, would be the space between the stove/oven and the table.

Thanks so much for the replies, so quick!

We had thought about a banquette but we don't want to have our backs to the view of the yard, which we love. You're all correct that the table/chairs are too close to the oven now. As it is, I have to ask my son to "scoot in" when I take something out of the oven during dinner because we have the range. I thought with the wall ovens in the corner, this would be much better in the new kitchen. I will also give serious thought to a smaller kitchen table; that would certainly help!

I just added another bird's eye plan to the blog that we had previously rejected. It has a double height island with a round "table" portion built in so we would at least not all be facing the same way, Please take a a look of you can. In view of everyone's comments, we may take another look at that option! It may be "table-like" enough....
http://sonivirt.posterous.com/29286787#

Thanks everyone SO much!

Here is a link that might be useful: bigger island plan-2d gallery

I like the new plan. I'd be tempted to do the larger single height island. The temptation is the ability to have more workspace, but that needs to be weighed against the actuality of kid dropping books in the work zone or adults piling purses, cell phones, mail, etc. on the island.

If you lowered the seating end of the island to table height, it might feel "close enough" to a table for family informal meals. It would mean cutting one seat (from 4 to 3). The lowered section could help corral the junque of everyday living a bit too.

You could bring back the wall ovens if you wanted.

Hmmm... actually, the bench seating idea to get the table closer to the windows is an interesting one. I was thinking you meant built-in benches, which I don't want, but I had not given thought to regular-old bench seating. I like it! Thanks, bmorepanic and byronroad!

I also do like the second floor plan with the table attached to the island. If it is lower, and if you put a Maple stained top on that section of it, then it would seem like a separate table. Can you do the first floor plan and combine it with this island? That gives you back your wall ovens, cuts back that wall jut to counter depth (which this floor plan doesn't do for some reason) and you may then be able to make the island a little larger. That floor plan seems a little more spacious. The other one I like because of the separate table and chairs but it will take some serious fine-tuning with sizes to make it work.

I understand your desire for the separate table, but the last plan with the integrated table seems to work well in the space. The table surface can double as landing and prep space for the stove and oven...but for that you might want to consider having it all counter height, rather than table-height. It looks like it would have room for a wall oven, too, if you prefer.

I would want to change 2 other things:
1)It's nice to have the trash pullout accessible from both the prep and cleanup areas...It'd be very hard to reach over the open dishwasher to scrape plates. I'd want it in the island, pulling out across from the sink or between sink and stove, or on the stove side of the sink.
2) I'm not a fan of microwave hoods. They're not as good for vents, and they block the view and access to the stove top.

OK, I'm back after taking everyone's feedback and having "mocked up" the large island with some plywood and various supports and lived with it a couple of days. We like it! Our fake island was sturdy enough to eat at (very gingerly) and it really was as interactive as the table for casual meals since the circle end allows us to look at each other. We will likely use the dining room for dinners but that's just fine. byronroad and rhome410, I think you were right!

The big island plan was our first draft plan, and we had rejected it because we were set on having a proper table. Over time the perimeter plan changed as well as we moved to the small island. So rhome's points were well taken and we had already switched to a vented hood, added wall ovens, and moved the trash bin. The current perimeter plan has a trash bin under the sink base and another bin in the island for the recycling.

SO...we are going with the perimeter from the most recent plan here:

and the island from the old plan here:

The wall next to the fridge will be moved back to counter depth.

Final thoughts? This is what it looks like now (before).

We start demo on Monday.... I'm very excited, and thank you all so much for taking the time to post!