The trash can goes below the sink. I have a small one cuz there are just my husband and I. We don't entertain much, maybe a couple of times a month. But we do cook a lot. We cook 85-90% we eat from scratch, so lots of prepping!

The recycling is going into the mud/laundry room. We are planning on using the Kraus farmhouse apron dual sink 36", stainless steel. I saw it at the cabinet store and fell in love with it.

It's too tight, especially in front of sink, dishwasher, and fridge. Refer to the link below for work aisle width guidelines.

We eat all meals at THE dining table in our house, so my bias is to bag the second "eat in" dining area and allocate that space to the kitchen, which would make an island more feasible. Otherwise I don't think you can fit an island without crowding the space.

Here is a link that might be useful: 31 kitchen design rules

Where are you keeping your pots and pans? In my similar kitchen they are in the drawer base between the sink and corner.

What is a basket drawer? If its what I think it is I would consider making it into more useable storage.

I put all my daily pots and pans in one lazy susan right now. What ever is left will go to the pantry. My basket drawer holds all the colanders ( i have 4) and mixing bowls and salad bowl and spinner. I use it for prepping 100% of the time. Currently, I have one large 36 pull out try to hold that. I can use the bottom drawer for pots and pans that I don't fit in the lazy susan.

GauchGordo - how can I use up the eat in kitchen to expand? I have the patio door and the room to the left is a family room without any walls. The pantry area right now have built in shelves that are 12" deep for the entire wall. I would love to expand to the eat-in area if you've got some idea.

Any chance you could move the patio door to the family room?

There's a patio door in the family room too, even bigger! If I put a wall up where the patio door is, the width is even smaller than the kitchen, how would I be able to fit an island in the eat-in kitchen?

It seems like an expanded floor plan is needed.
Based on what I see, the pantry and the hallway behind it are something to look at.
By changing the PR entrance to the foyer side that area can be enclosed as a pantry with a door through the existing pantry wall. This needs some refinement of measurements around load bearing requirements for pillars.

I like it! If you move the island 'down' just a bit it should fit. You need about 3' on all sides. If your measurements are exact, you might have to lose the spice racks. If they're approximate, you might be able to fit it all in.

You said you don't want to overspend on this kitchen. I think that's a wise idea...moving the range is great and I like the overall layout. If you really feel cramped with the island, maybe a smaller island or mobile cart would be another idea. Best of luck with the new kitchen :)

Thank you for all the comments. I do not want to even touch the load bearing wall since I know I won't be there for more than 5 - 7 years.

I was concerned about the 30" between the island and sink too. My current house has has a very similar layout for where the island/sink/stove but has 36" between island and sink and works very well for both my husband and I. I'm going skinny up the island to 24" and keep the length and have at least 36" all the way around the island. That will keep the kitchen functional and not go way over budget.

Something that doesn't make sense to me is opening the wall up to the dining as then you essentially have two eat in areas in your kitchen.

If you want it open the dining up I would eliminate one of the eat-in areas. Either move the kitchen into the Dining room or extend it into the breakfast area, by replacing the slider with a counter height window and extend the kitchen over. Although the island makes that tight.

hmm...lyfia - you have definitely given me food for thought about extending the ktichen into the dining room. That will really give me lots of room to work with! The eat-in is kind of a wash for me with my design and it's on the tight side for an island AND a wall of cabinets.

i'll have to work this angle with DH to see if he's willing to give up the dining room. Thanks.