Hmm... your island shape/seating seems awkward to me. How big are your walkways?
Could you fit something like this:

[Contemporary Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Seattle Kitchen & Bath Designers Karen Ellentuck. ASID

Another example:

[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Edina Kitchen & Bath Designers The Woodshop of Avon

You do not appear to have room for any wall cabinets; is that intended?

Also, I think switching the range and fridge may be a good idea if you have people accessing the fridge a lot from the family room...

Thanks, Robinlmorris. Yes, minimal upper cabinetry as we want windows and light more. Between the kitchen lower cabinetry, 12 inch pantry pull-out, and pantry and cabinetry in dining area and even mud room storage, I'm confident we'll be ok.
Walkways are 36" which is what I currently have and not a big problem. I doubt I will have 3 chairs there, as shown-- more likely a couple stools tucked underneath for occasional use. Maybe making the island a bit smaller or altering shape as you suggest could gain a few inches?
Only two of us living here, don't anticipate a lot of fridge traffic from family room.
I've gone back and forth with the range placement. I do like the line of site the current placement gives me with the half-wall on the left allowing family room viewing.
Not clear on the plan is my thought to include a combi-steam oven in the upper cabinetry area to the left of the fridge.
We do want to preserve that single window on that run for the interior and exterior esthetics of the addition, although it does make spacing tight.

Is there a particular reason you chose a bay shape for your addition? It is actually a hard space to put an efficient kitchen. I really don't like the overhang backing up to fridge and ?? - is it a wall oven? If you don't really plan it for more than hanging out with the cook and the occasional snack, can you move the prep sink and place a single stool at the end? That would also improve your aisle widths. Also, even with a prep sink, this kitchen seems to encourage lots of walking around an island. But I think that, again, goes back to the basic shape of the room.

As far as little changes, you should put your DW on the other side to keep it out of your main prep space, and with the angle, you need to have some cabinetry between the DW and the sink. I believe it is a minimum of 12" to be able to stand at sink with DW open.

36" aisles are OK but 42" would give you a little extra space.

It's attractive from an overhead view. From the viewpoint of trying to design a functional kitchen though, it's not great. Not at all. It's beyond a disaster to work in, with the island in the middle of everything to bonk your shins on. Square is better. Without a barrier island in the way of your work paths. Meaning to plan a tight work triangle that includes a prep sink, and the cleanup sink located closer to the dining area.

You've got a barrier island going, here. Quite a few people remodel to get rid of that problem. The kitchen will work better for you if you can get the fridge and the stove on the same side of the island, or so that the island only protrudes into the path between them by 12" or less.

If you can fix that issue, it makes for a nice cockpit style kitchen for a single cook. It reminds me of some of Johnny Grey's round kitchens, which appeal to me for their efficiency.

Sliding the fridge farther to the right, almost to the little window, would help some. I think you'd end up prepping next to the big sink more often than the island sink.

I agree that it's tight for the stools to be where the fridge opens, especially if you slide the fridge down as I proposed. Remember that you need enough room to maneuver the fridge in and out of its opening, too. Our fridge is nearly 36" deep. Trying to slide a large fridge in and out of a 36" aisle will be tricky.

I like the skylights. : )

Here is a link that might be useful: Johnny Grey's round kitchens--google images

I love the window idea. Be sure and plan how you will be able to open your windows, your window covering and whether or not you will want a large overhang outside.
I would want to see from the kitchen to tv/football game in family room so that I did not feel isolated in the kitchen, popping my head around the corner to watch the instant replays just doesn't cut it.
To me the island is just too big for the space and located too close to the seating in the dining room to need much seating itself and you will spend a lot of time walking around it.
Do you have any inspiration pics of this floor configuration? (The more I think about it the less I think that I would like using it although I would probably love the light in the room.)

Read this.

Thank you everyone. I totally see what you are all saying about the island being a barrier the size that it is.
I hesitate to lose it entirely because we really feel a prep sink is needed. We eat primarily a vegetarian diet w/occasional seafood, and have a vegetable CSA year-round, so always lots of produce to clean and prepare.
What do you think about reducing the island in size from the drawn 6'x4' to perhaps 4x3, reposition prep sink to opposite corner, and place overhang at dining area end (as controlfreakacs suggested)? That would give 42" walkways on range and wall oven sides.
In terms of "ice water stone fire" : fridge (ice)->across aisle to prep sink(water) and counter (stone) ->across aisle to range (fire).

Definitely will move DW to right of sink w/cabinetry in between.

Please keep your thoughts coming-- while we really don't want to square this room off, I'm wanting to hear all ideas.

Just flip the island and put the range on the bottom run. Move the cleanup sink to the top window so it's easier to access from the dining area. Create a 12" deep floor to ceiling china hutch storage to keep the clearance behind the island good. You will need a really good walk in pantry elsewhere, which I don't see?? That's the only successful way to be able to do a kitchen without uppers. The storage gets shifted, not eliminated.

I like the revamped version Livewire just posted.

What is the long wall of storage in the dining room? This would be a convenient spot for a pantry.

Nice, LiveWireOak! Love the china hutch idea and flipping the island....
Wondering if I can fit the fridge, combi-steam oven and range plus accommodate its hood and still preserve that window... Seems might be tight. As my husband says--it's all because we have too many windows. But after working in a "dungeon kitchen" for the past year, open-ness and light is important.
In terms of pantry space, no walk-in, but we'll have the pull- out, plus the cabinetry span in the dining area, and the deep closet there is my pantry from the original kitchen. I'll be using it for larger, less used kitchen items, large bulky items, etc which will free up my lower kitchen cabinetry for daily use items and food storage. Also have a good sized storage cabinet planned for the mud room. Wines and canned/preserved food is stored in the cellar. We also use free standing antique pieces for storage-- a dry sink is our bar cabinet, linens stored in vintage chests of drawers, etc.

how about moving the fridge closer to the window = closer to sink too?

you could enlarge (curved/rounded) the island on the end for seating. that 'd leave the side open for getting in/out of fridge. Maybe you could have a smaller regular fridge and a fridge drawer or 2 for more produce? you could still have a small prep sink in the island so both of you can prep at the same time. Or 1 prepping there while 1 cleans up at the main sink/dw area.

then you could put a floor to ceiling cabinet next to fridge (on the left as I view it on my screen/closer to DR) for storage or counter for coffee area or area for the steam oven/mw.

you could also use dish drawers. then you could alternate using them - one clean to be unloaded and still one to put the dirty dishes in.

Amazing, creative thinkers on this site! Thank you so much.
This is a modified design our architect suggested. We are considering additional changes: shorten the 6' island to 5' with overhang seating for two at dining area end and prep sink moved to "lower" right. Also, lose the small window entirely to accommodate upper and lower cabinetry. The wall oven is actually a combi steam that will be built into upper cabinet, so there will be lower cabinetry there as well. DW will move to right of sink w/space to accommodate door opening.
Finally we are considering increasing the width of the overall footprint to accommodate increased walkway width on either side of the island (which of course will change dimensions overall...)
Another option is moving combi steam oven to left of range, but I would lose half wall and sight-line into family room as well as buffet serving area for the family room. Or--with wider aisle and no seating on that side of island, maybe just flip fridge and combi oven??
Thoughts?
We meet again w/architect this week. Hoping to retain my sanity and sense of humor as I know this is just the start of our challenges and decisions!

This post was edited by karincs99 on Tue, Dec 2, 14 at 9:14

Dear lord.

Hmmmmm.... Apparently I need divine intervention... **smile**

Who the hell designs a kitchen with a wall oven and fridge backing up to seating across a 36 inch aisle? I don't care if the dimensions get bigger. It's still stupid.

What precisely was wrong with live wire oaks' layout? I can see switching the dishwasher and sink to get a centered cleanup sink. Other than that, what was the problem? Was the architect concerned that the workcenters were too conveniently located, or that the island would lose its chance to hip check you as you crossed the kitchen?

Agreed, marcolo, and no,no,no-- I wrote there would not be seating across from the fridge and oven--it would be moved to the far end backing the dining area, as Robinlmorris suggested.
As I mentioned previously, I like LiveWireOak's design in terms of functionality--but I end up losing that sight-line into the family room when I'm at the range and losing the serving/buffet area. On the other hand, her idea of a china hutch there is great too. I'm just not quite at the point I'm ready to give up that range position....
This is still all a work in progress--nothing final, nothing built yet. Constructive criticism is appreciated. And I'm sure with experienced input from here and others, eventually I'll get past the "stupid" and get it right!

Good to hear that you are not planning on putting seating there with a 36â walkway! That would definitely not work.

Please keep in mind that 36â is the minimum walkway that you should have. For a spacious feel you should have 42-48â walkways. Most standard depth fridges stick out 30-35â from the wall and french door fridges with the doors open stick out 44-49 inches from the wallâ¦. so you really will not have a 36â walkway in front of the fridge and with the fridge open it will be a bit cramped. Just for reference, I am putting 78â inches between the wall and my island where the fridge will be. That will give me a nice walkway even with the largest of fridges.

Also, the standard workflow is fridge, prep sink, prep area, stove⦠this workflow is a bit awkward with your layout. Moving the prep sink to the other side of the island would help with this.

I am sure you are spending a lot of money on this addition⦠it would be a shame to pay all that money and have a cramped kitchen with an awkward workflow. Since it is an addition, you should be able to come up with something spacious and fabulous.
Regardless of what layout you decide on, you should make sure that you will be happy with it. So somehow find a way (using existing furniture or cardboard boxes) and mock up your layout to scale (use the dimensions of a fridge youâÂÂd likely buy). Then pretend to cook a meal, have someone sitting at the island, bringing in groceries, and anything else you would normally do in your kitchen. And do remember we all get older and less nimble. Make sure 36â walkways are not cramped for you and that you have plenty of space in front of the fridge. Make sure that your workflow is not cumbersome with the island location. Then if you are happy, go for it!

How much time to you actually spend at the range? Time it yourself but the attached link shows the average is 10%. During that 10% you are attending to something hot. Not the time you should be talking and gazing at your family.

Check out the attached link. Excellent info.

Here is a link that might be useful: kitchen work zones

Hi Karin - lots of people keep mentioning the constraints that come from the shape of your addition. I had never thought about it, but each angle does eat of a fairly large amount of storage space. Reading the dialog, I think they are implying that you should consider a rectangular addition instead of this lovely architecturally interesting shape. In my remodel, my architect did lots of "interesting" and impractical things, and we ended up changing a lot of them. Have you considered a more conventional shape? You could still have lots of large windows with a rectangle, and a better work flow.

"Stupid" referred to your architect's idea, not to you! I realize you were going to make changes. But that idea should never have made it onto the drawing board in the first place. Also, the idea of planning everything around a work triangle is passé. You should plan a kitchen in zones: prep, cooking, clean up.

With the range on the top, you're going to spend most of your time with your butt facing the family room. Because you'll be working at the island.

Anyway, there's a wall behind that range. How are you going to see into the family room unless you keep poking your head around the corner like a prairie dog? You get a much better view facing the island.

Finally, take a pencil and draw in your addition as a regular rectangle. Count up exactly how much counter and cabinet space you are losing with the angles.

Thanks, Robinlmorris, yes--we have already requested that minimum 44" walkways (including overhang) be in the design, and we will adjust the kitchen footprint if necessary. While I am the primary cook, my husband is most likely nearby mixing cocktails, and he is quite good at appetizer prep--kale chips and guacamole are a couple of his specialties! So-- room for two is important. I mentioned the need to move the prep sink in my previous post to hopefully help with the awkwardness of the layout and I think shortening the island a bit so it's mostly clear of the fridge and range (if it stays positioned as currently drawn) would help too.

Fire the architect. He's clueless.

Just to reiterate one more point... you will likely be spending more time prepping at the island than standing at the stove (although I don't by the 10% thing... I am at my stove way more than that). In live_wire_oak's layout you would get a view of your family room while you prep... in your layout you will either prep with your back to the family room or on the peninsula that sticks out from the stove (away from the prep sink).
Your husband sounds very talented... for some reason I burn kale chips every time :)

If my DH were willing to mix cocktails and make appetizers, I'd widen the aisles for him (can't complain, I'm the primary cook, he's the primary cleanup artist)!

Ditch the "interesting shape". It's the driver for the dysfunction. Or, do the family room as the bay. Or something other than the kitchen. Just not the kitchen.

How about a smaller DR, if keeping the range and the cab next to it at the wall near the FR is important for you? I agree with others that prep takes longer than cooking most of the time, but this is your kitchen.

I moved fridge next to the FR entry (a paneled one would be better I think, since it will be in full view) , moved shallow pantry (?) cabs next to wall oven. Left some room for fridge landing next to the sink in the island (couldn't find a better landing space nearby).

Edited to add image

This post was edited by sena01 on Wed, Dec 3, 14 at 12:53

What direction does the bay face? If it faces north, the bay really isn't going to capture that much direct sunlight for you, especially with the squared-off roof overhangs. If it's south-facing, it makes a little more sense for light, but only if that side of the house is relatively unobstructed (ie, your neighbors are more than 50 feet away). I don't mean that windows here are pointless, just that a squared-off addition would do the same thing for less cost and more function.

Additionally, what style is your house? The bay with a gable roof works on Victorian cottages but little else.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:2140592}}

I see I misinterpreted the dashed lines as a roof plan instead of a "see detailed inset" designation. So how would the roofline work, and does it fit with the style of your house?