These are a few pictures of kitchens I love:

the only thing I am not open to is looking the u-shape in favor of an island- at my husband's request.

I think the words got jumbled, but I take it to mean that you're not interested in trading the U for an island? The flow and efficiency could probably be much improved if you did. Are you the cook or is your dh, or both?

Right now the big problems are that the range is in a traffic aisle and the distance from fridge to sink and back to stove is about 30 ft. A ridiculous trip with dripping veggies or a messy package of raw meat. It seems that the range needs to move into the U, and the fridge needs to move down within reasonable reach...about where the range is shown.

In my opinion, getting the layout right comes before worry about appearance, but I agree that the KDs styling looks dated and it sure isn't the look you like in the inspiration photos.

Yes, words jumbled. And yes, I should be open to an island, just want to be careful to keep kitchen wheelchair friendly. Thank you for confirming my thoughts that it does look dated.
I don't think KD's plan has measurement from front window to back range wall correct at all.
If anyone thinks an island would be better, I am open- because I do the cooking!

here is a photo of white, glass, chandelier...

What clearances in the aisles, etc. do you need for wheelchair friendly?

rhome4, 40" would be very comfortable for wheelchair. Also I would be very open to ways to seat the most people possible in the kitchen/dining area. Thank you so much.
monkeymo, that is beautiful!

This is the plan, but the upper corner by entry door now has a diagonal cut out so we need to have 15"of dead space there, whch I thought might be a good place for broom closet:

Better flow around the kitchen. More counter workspace. More efficient work areas and separated zones.

rhome, thank you very much! I really love what you did with the back wall- so much better! Although my husband probably won't go for it, I will draw it out on graph paper today. I appreciate this!

Just commenting on original range wall plan: I am not a fan of the little square niches or long narrow drawers that designers use to fill awkward spaces. The real estate by the range is so precious that I question how you would use these units. Make cupboards larger? Or better still, use medium to large drawers either side of the range. Then, for a wheelchair user, there is no competition with cupboard door requiring motion area for door movement. Just gotta be sure that open drawer allows arm's length access to all contents.

Florantha,
That is the exact reason I began hating my kitchen plan. I realized I had to walk across the room to get a spoon to stir what was on the stove! That, and the cupbards below were pantry storage supercabinets, and I really would use them nearer the are that I prep the food, not cook it. The little square drawers were a little too "country" for me, but the KD sad "they were the only thing that fit" so there they were.
It's very difficult, having been to 4 KD's so far and the plan you see is the best one yet. My husband is waiting on the plan, as it's holding up the sheetrock, but I just could not go with the ones I had. Hoping to have a few more ideas posted here.
Thank you for your input!

Why will your DH not go for the plan RHome410 posted? It's far better than any of those from the KDs!

Perhaps if we know his reasons for not liking an island, it will help us help you convince him that an island may actually be better for him. It's more open so he won't get trapped or trap someone else in the kitchen and it's easy to get to any Zone, whether on foot or on wheels!

You might even consider dropping one end so he can sit at the island from his wheelchair...

florantha already mentioned drawers so I'll just second that. First, you were concerned about the KD plans looking dated, and having more drawers in the lowers seems to be a relatively recent trend. (So kitchens without drawers in the lowers look more dated, IMHO.) Second, drawers are handier, and I would think especially handier for someone in a wheelchair.

You might want to investigate finding a KD who specializes in accessible design. He or she might come up with some ideas or resources that hadn't occurred to you before.

For example, something like this might be handy:

It's from Rev-A-Shelf

Here is a link that might be useful: Rev-A-Shelf pull down shelves

Thank you all for the great ideas. I am graphing the beautiful plan rhome posted. I love that it has so much cabinetry.
We don't have to be wheelchair accessible per se, just has to be wheelchair friendly. My little sister is a paraplegic due to an auto accident and I want her to feel comfortable in my home.
About the u-shape: So many people have told us our kitchen is too narrow for an island that my husband is wary. He also expressed concern about it looking odd having an island and a table to close to one another. During this whole house building process he has asked for three things:
1. A 3 car garage
2. a U-shaped kitchen
3. Easy access from dining table to fridge
He has nailed every nail and built 100% of this house himself (minus the foundation and final metal roof installation) and has been so patient and good with my many design changes that I am doing my best to make the u-shaped kitchen work, but have not been given a design that comes close to touching rhome410's design.
Hopefully today I can graph it out, and then go use a marker and draw it out on the subfloor.
I really can not thank you all enough for your help in this.

One thing...I would put a 24" drawer base to the right of the range. No more/no less. The 24" gives you plenty of working/landing space on the right as well as a good safety zone b/w the range and doorway.

The reason I say no more, is that I think you should have as much room b/w the sink and corner and the range as possible for work space. Yes, you have the island as work space, but I think you need flexibility in workspace b/c of the need to accommodate a wheelchair.

As to your kitchen being too narrow for an island...it's not. If I'm reading the dimensions correctly, you have over 16' to work with (195" based on the layout).

...25.5" sink & counter run
...42" aisle
...40.5" island (15" overhang)
...57" aisle
+ 30" refrigerator (if counter-depth)
..195"

As you can see, plenty of room for the island!

I love your inspiration photos! They're just beautiful :)

While I think the island would be more open and easier to navigate, there are some nice things with a u-shape, too. It does separate the kitchen area from the dining area, maybe defining the spaces a little more.

As for the island, I like that the chairs/stools could be on the side backing up to the fridge wall, which does not put people's backs to the dining table. This seems like a friendlier setup, especially during parties, holidays, etc.

Good luck with your kitchen. I think you have excellent taste (since I like all of your choices) LOL

Have you seen the December 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens Kitchen and Bath Ideas?

There's a cute kitchen on p. 72 that looks somewhat like you're plan (there's a corner pantry where your door is) but it has some nice features. I like your blue and white scheme more than they're glazed cabinets, but it has a nice layout. I think your kitchen is bigger, so you'd have plenty of room for stools around the island :)

The plan Rhome drew for you is very similar to my current kitchen....

buehl, thank you for all of the suggestions, I will check the cabinet width out.
Lavander lass, i wish I had that issue but I don't!
Homeagain, thank you- your kitchen and dining room look wonderful, and it's so good to see a kitchen that is so similar, and so good looking!

Hi Blondie--I saw your other post about island close to tables. I don't think it looks awkward at all. We're planning to do this ourselves. And, chances are, we'll have the island adjacent to 2 tables--dining table and the banquette table. We entertain a lot and seem to need that space.

I think the plan Rhome posted is better than your others. Great flow, work zones laid out nicely, and room for cook's helpers. Please tell DH why the experts here (not me) think the island layout would be better!