David, Beautiful kitchen! I am also building and expanding my kitchen. Couple of questions : 1. how do you keep the grease spatters off the wall with the stove top so close to it. 2. Is the dishwasher on the left of you or on the right next to that sink? I am pondering wether to put my stove (instead of a sink) in the center console or go ahead and put the sink there? It's got to be a toss up on that one.
Perhaps a stove and sink and just make the console extra long? What do you think? I'll bet you have some tasty dishes with that setup, and you have the guy's on this forum drooling, and the wifes planning the new kitchen the poor husband is going to be building..:icon_cheesygrin::dodgy:
Sorry about the long delay... planning a marriage, getting married.. and getting used to being married all took precedence.
To answer your questions:
[1] I got a quote of $1200 NZ to install a glass splashback on the wall close to the stove. Then I found a toughened glass sheet that was part of a renovated shower on the local auction site (=EBAY) for $10.
That option involved shifting a power point and painting the wall behind the glass rather than spraying the glass. Guess which option I chose :-)
[2] The dishwasher is on the left of the sink, so you can rinse and then stack the dishes.
Island kitchens are always problematic. In my case, I have the fridge, freeser and storage shelves on one
side of the kitchen, use the island for assembling and preparing food, and have the stoves and gas cookers on the other side for cooking. It works well enough, but you have to plan ahead, otherwise you keep going back round to the fridge and the shelves. Good exercise tho :-) It also has the advantage of partial privacy when cooking, so our guests get something of a surprise when the meal is served - (the dining table is adjacent to the kitchen.)
They say "the way to a mans heart is through his stomach". I have found this is also true of woman - particularly Chinese woman. The shelves are well stocked with things like Hosin Sauce, Sesame oil and a vast array of spices, to say nothing of the Gewurtztraminers and Reilings in the wine cellar :-).
It is a great pleasure to me to produce a healthy fresh and familiar meal for my now wife :-)