What kinds of items do you need to drop off in this area? Jackets, backpacks, how much stuff are you talking about and where does it currently go? When you say bench, do you actually need to sit? Are shoes involved? How many in your household?

Can you post a pic of the inside of your laundry room? I wonder what needs can be gotten out of well organized space in there.

if you put the washer/ dryer in laundry room behind louvred doors and remove the actual hinged door into that zone you can use those side walls for hooks/cubbies/bench etc/ some high cabinet storage..figure out what you mean by "landing" and what are the realistic behaviours from family members about use. The space to implement is behind that laundry room door ...not disruption and tearing out in the kitchen.

if you dont mind exposed washdryer...heres this / otherwise bifold doors as shown below if you want them enclosed when not in use.

Otter + Howell Mudroom/ Laundry Room · More Info

Extreme Makeover · More Info

View of Laundry Room with Louvered Doors · More Info

If you remove the 48” cabinets and alsomthe pantry, there istons of room for a drop off area. But then, where doesmthe pantry go? Is there space in the breakfast room? What about a beautiful,piece of furniture in your ”overly large” living room against the laundry room wall?

Need a space for purses, backpacks, mail, and jackets. No shoes so much. Right now everyone just drops everything on the island, which drives me crazy. I thought about using some space in the laundry room but I didn’t want to have to open a door to get to the drop off space because I fear my kids won’t do that.

I s the breakfst room the only eating spac ein the house? IMO corner pantries are a huge waste of space but when you say redesign do you mean a new layout or just a soluyion for this drop zone? Is the garage heated ? I hate drop zones in kitchens if at all possibe to avoid . We liv ed in house with no real place for coats etc the 3 boys and us learend to take stuff to the bedrooms but I know hard to each new tricks. Is tere a way yo bump out the laundy space into the garage ? If a complete redo of the kitchen then the possibilites are a lot different . Then we need a to scale floor plan of theat whole spce every window and doorway marked clearly every measurement and if plumbing cannot be moved mark where that is . Then you will get some real helpful advice . Do the drawing on graph paper post here in jepeg format in a comment DO NOT now use anything but comments for all issues with this space .. I do not think the kids will bother to take stuff to the LR no matter how much you try . So tell us what you are actually wanting to change completely .

Beautiful kitchen.

If you reverse the door so it closes on the other side, you can use that adjacent cabinet's surface as a drop off area for purses, mail and backpacks without changing anything else.

A couple jackets and purses could be hung next to the laundry room door (which would be behind the newly reversed door to the garage), or four jackets if you provide a top row of hooks for adults and a bottom row of hooks for kids.

It's quite likely that jackets would be flung onto the backs of the chairs at the island because that place looks obvious to a kid. But that has less impact than putting all their stuff on the island countertop.

Ok, adding up apple pie’s suggestion with mine and including Patricia‘s disdain for corner pantries, here‘s an idea. Switch the door opening from the garage. The drop zone is the existing counter. Retrofit the pantry with hooks for coats. Fine a place in the great room or breakfast room for a pantry cupboard.