spacer around the fridge for door opening? What about a slender utility closet to do double duty with that spacer need? Any need for a vertical storage cabinet (trays and larger baking sheets)? where is the microwave going?

Will you add any shallow storage on the LR side of the pony wall? For books, objets, etc?

PS, I like the coffee table.

Hi AnnKH! I have seen your name ever since I joined GW around 2013. Nice to see you working on a new to you kitchen.

I see you have a 36” fridge in the corner butted agaist the pantry wall. Are you planning to get a fully integrated zero clearance fridge? Something like these?

I believe a 3” spacer is what they recommend, but with your door trim, I would add a little more.

To use every inch, I liked this idea for a very narrow P/O. I think this is still with an integrated fridge, but maybe you could get away with a built in? You would have to ask your KD as I am not familar with either. I wish, but it is out of our price range.

Now if you are wanting a regular CD french door fridge, you will need more space to the wall. Your model’s specs will say how much clearance you need for the doors to fully open. I would say at least a 9”-12” P/O or normal pantry with doors. Also you would have an additional spacer next to the wall so it clears the door trim. The pullout would be like these.

As far as the island not moving. The isle space at only 40” is pretty tight.

Since you don’t need stools can the island be pushed back to where the overhang ends or a little less perhaps? 40” with the DW opened will impeed the work flow from sink to fridge or fridge to stove or at least make it very awkward. Ideally 48” would be awesome, but I would at least push it out so the isle is 45“. Also you could then make the island all one level, unless you like the sink more hidden.

I have never used a pullout cutting board. Were you thinking one like this over the trash? Cool!

Why wouldn't you remove the pony wall and change to an island with no stools? Or you want to keep the backsplash?

Thanks, rebasheba! We've been using that fridge for 2 years, and won't replace it (until it dies). The wall to the left is short enough that the fridge opens just fine. It's a full size fridge, so the right door isn't an issue.

There is a bathroom toward the garage (shares a wall with the short side of the U) that has a big linen closet - that's where I keep the broom and dustpan.

I'm planning on a toe kick drawer to the left of the range for baking sheets and shallow pans. Cutting boards hang on a rack on the back of a door under the sink.

The MW is a small unit with a round back - it's in the corner of the L. I replaced the OTR MW with an under cabinet hood last year (recirculating, until I can get someone in to put a vent through the ceiling).

Thanks, bpath! I thought about doing just that with the pony wall - I think I could eliminate the wall and have the cabinet maker build shelves there instead. Not sure I want to add the clutter on the living room side.

I liked that coffee table too - the top lifts up, so one could use it as an actual table at the couch. All the furniture is from the previous owner (it was easier to just use the listing photos than take my own). We had living room rugs, so the rug in the photo went to our daughter.

I have plans for almost all of the old cabinets: most of the base cabs will go in the garage (replacing a crappy old cabinet that's there, and about 40" tall, which is inconvenient for my 5'4" self). I do a lot of projects, and the old cabs will be great for storing small power tools, flower pots and birdbaths in winter, etc. We have a huge closet in a bedroom in the basement that I use for storage - I'm going to move a bookcase and a plastic shelving unit out, and replace with one base cab and all of the uppers. The stuff from the bookcase (mostly jigsaw puzzles) will go in the cabinets.

We're also replacing the flooring. It's Coretec, and I think it's fine, but we had hardwood in our last house, and Hubby really misses it. Eventually it has to be replaced anyway; we might as well do it with the kitchen, do it right, and get it over with. I hope to salvage the LVP to use in our son's townhouse (he has cheap crappy laminate that was not installed well). I'm not one to throw things out that still have use.

I'm out of town for a week, but I found a more recent photo.

Hi Rebunky ! Thanks for chiming in!

I know the aisle is not ideal, but the entry from the garage goes right past it, and we have more furniture in the living room than the previous owners, making the walkway tight (even without stools). But I plan to reduce the width of the counter atop the pony wall from 18" to 12" (maybe less), so I could probably squeak out a few more inches on the kitchen side, especially if I have the cabinet maker build something. We're replacing the flooring with hardwood, so moving it shouldn't be an issue.

We're keeping the existing fridge. The laundry room (which you can see in my last photo) has a lot of shelves for pantry storage - I have more need for counter and drawer space in the kitchen, rather than pullout pantry.

anj_p, I do like that counter - we use it for fresh flowers, a candy dish, outgoing mail. The outlets for the island are on the pony wall. I appreciate the bit of separation it provides between living room and kitchen (since there is nothing else separating them).

We had a pullout cutting board in our last kitchen. The cabinet installer commented that he doesn't understand why more folks don't have them. My Mom had one in her house, and it was used all the time, which is where I got the idea. One of the few regrets we had on our last kitchen remodel is that we didn't put another cutting board next to the fridge. I love how it didn't interfere at all with the top drawer, and it could be pulled all the way out for cleaning. This time around I'm planning one next to the sink (above the trash) and one next to the range.

Oh ok, I thought maybe you had switched or planned to get a counter depth because in the drawing it looked like the laundry room wall extended beyoud the fridge by about 6”.

I do see how the full depth fridge overlaps the door trim so it can open into the laundry when the door is open. You only need it fully open when you need to pull out the bins to clean. Plus you probably just keep the door open unless the machines are going and it is too loud.

Other then adding what you can to the isle width, the only other thing I would suggest is to leave a 36” opening so a future 36” vented hood would fit above the 30” range. It is better at capturing cooking fumes. Keep us posted on the progress. I love your vaulted ceiling!