I've been wondering what happened to you and watching for kitchen photos!

When you say '2 cooks' do you mean 2 actually working at the cooktop, or one cooking and one baking? Honestly, the cooking/baking area is looking a little crowded for 2.

What is happening with different counter depths on either side of the stove, and why the space between the fridge and cabinets? I assume the shallow cabs above the fridge are an oversight?

Is that for a doorway to the dining room that isn't drawn? If that's not needed for a doorway, I can see a couple alternatives, or, at least, places for mw and oven.

Is there a doorway to the left of the refrigerator (b/w the ref & counter that leads to the range)? In your pics it looks like empty wall. If it is empty wall, consider putting an oven stack w/the single oven & MW there.

If there's a doorway to the DR there... Then that won't work...is that doorway wide enough to carry hot dishes, etc. to the DR?
Not ideal, but I suppose the oven stack could go to the left of the DW and next to the banquette seating. But, there are safety issues w/that location...e.g., if you open a hot oven while someone is sitting at the table they could get blasted w/very hot air.

If there is a DR door, could it be closed up? B/c the DR & LR are open to each other & the DR appears to be right next to the opening to the left of the hutch, I don't see much of an advantage of the DR doorway at this point. If you close the doorway you eliminate a view of the dirty dishes/kitchen from the DR and you now have a good spot for the oven & MW stack.

BTW...I strongly suggest you build in the refrigerator. Right now it has a "hulking" look to it. Using a full-depth cabinet over the refrigerator would help a little, but also surrounding it w/finished end panels would be even better (you could then just bring that 12" deep cabinet forward so it looks like it's full-depth, but I really like the extra storage space a full-depth cabinet offers).

To answer your multi-cook kitchen question, yes, I think there's plenty of room for 2 or more people working in the kitchen. Person #1 could be cleaning up while #2 is prepping b/w the range & sink, #3 is working at the range, and #4 is working to the right of the range. (Or combine #3 & #4 or combine #2 & #3 for a 3-person setup.)

Are you sure you'll like the different counter depths on either side of the range?

1) Yes. There is almost 7ft between the counters. That's room enough for two people to stand and work, especially since each would likely be working more in their corner than facing the stove directly.

2) I'm going to skip answering this one until further down.

3) While understanding that your design is probably a rough sketch, there are a number of things that bother me:

a) The lack of symmetry with space that will be left around the window over the kitchen sink due to having the upper cabinet on the right of the sink start about 6" from the window while the one on the left is shown starting about 18" from the window. Also, the upper cabinet on the left starts at counter height while the one on the right is a typical upper cabinet. I don't usually get hung up on symmetry, but these cabinets essentially "frame" the window and having such on off-kilter frame seems like it will look really odd. I think it would be okay to have the cabinets start at different heights IF they were the same distance from the edge of the window. I think if you center the sink on the window, you could still have 24" of clear space between the edge of the sink and the cabinets on the left.

b) The odd jogs in the counter-top by your by your stove. Is this just a rough sketching issue or are you planning for the countertop to be cut like that? I'd straighten the line.

c) I'm sorry but I really don't like that island thing-a-ma-jiggy with the two upper cabinets sticking up like support posts. If the idea was to open up the kitchen, that island totally defeats the purpose. Two doorways plus an arch are just too busy! And, the island doesn't even manage to block sight lines to the sink which, in my house at least, is likely to be the messiest part of the kitchen!

I'd get rid of the island. Or, if you really want to keep it, at least clean off the top unless you HAVE to have support posts. Also, if you're going to have an island centered between two walkways, CENTER the island. 3'8" on one side and 3'3" on the other is just going to look like somebody screwed up badly in placing the island. Either make both sides 3'5.5" or make the island a little smaller so that both sides can be 3'8"
But, given that that small section of wall to the left of the island doesn't line up with the wall on the right, I'd get rid of the island entirely in favor of a serving/breakfast bar placed on top of a 42" high pony wall and positioned in front of your banquette. A pony wall with a serving bar on top would disguise the fact that the two walls don't line up.

With a single walkway, you would have room to extend the wall between kitchen and dining room another 18" or so giving you room to put your wall oven beside the refrigerator and still have room for a "landing space" (albeit, only a small one) to one side of the fridge.

A 42" high serving bar would also effectively hide the kitchen messes and, if you don't put any cabinetry above it, the upper half of the wall will be open for over half the length of the kitchen so the area will have a much more open feeling.

If you HAVE to have a support post for the ceiling, put a single post at the open end of the penninsula and then wrap the edge of the other wall to match. Keep the two posts in line with each other.

In reading over the above, I realize its not too clear what I mean so here is a sketch that might help.

I can always count on you all for constructive criticism. Thanks. Clearly, I should have explained that this is just a rough drawing, the different counter heights near the oven are just incorrect, as is the not-deep enough cabinet over the frig.

Rhome--believe me, I'm sorry I don't have a finished kitchen to show you. It is usually one person cooking with the other doing prep/clean-up. I usually bake by myself, and would love a "baking height" counter but don't see the space. So please offer ideas on oven/mv placement and anything else.

The opening in the wall next to the frig is where I thought a wall oven would go (and didn't add to the drawing).

Buheul- I'll definetly take the advice on the built-in look for a frig.

Bevangel- Thanks for your thoughtful comments. Even though it is still rough, I will look at it again for symmetry. Asymmetry would make me crazy.

Support posts are necessary, but not the reason I created the island. I was trying to open the space to the living room and keep it a bit more formal. Is it too weird to walk out of the kitchen into the living room as opposed to walking into the dining room (which is why I created 2 walkways)?

I'm not keen on a breakfast bar, but I like the idea of a pony wall; perhaps I can make it into a wine...something. Again to combine the spaces. Keeping a pony wall in the space you showed does solve one problem--there would be a line of sight from the kitchen table into the courtyard and backyard--which provides a nice view.

Last question for everyone,especially those who remember my older plans: does this plan seem too claustrophobic, pushing the kitchen down to the end of the room?

Hai! Nice to see you again.

If you add water to the SE corner, between the range and ref, I'd like it. If you added a porthole so the cooker didn't feel so cut off from the dining room, I'd like it even more.

If you have two people cooking, its way better to have a second source of water and a second drain. The clean up sink is 8.5 feet from the range - further than I'd want to drag a big pot of water.

maybe you could lower the counter to the far right of the stove for a baking counter?

and if you like the island idea maybe if the posts were just plain posts and not cabinets on either side it wouldn't look so bulky between doorways? then again maybe it'll look fine IRL.
I do like the 2 doorways. i have 2 going into my LR/DR area - and plan to keep them. it looks more open that way.

I like bevangel's plan. I was going to write many of the same things myself, but I never thought of a pony wall and I think it's an excellent idea. Closing off that doorway shouldn't cause much hardship when you only have to walk the length of the refrigerator to reach another one.. Mind you that area will get a lot of traffic, but it makes a better layout for the kitchen

OK, with your explanation, I don't think it's crowded for 2 people. If baking is important to you, we should work on that baking area, though.

I don't think the work areas at the one end are claustrophobic, but do you want better access to the dining room?

Do you want to give up part of the kitchen to an island that isn't work surface?