Roy - I am in Oklahoma. We do have something similar here though so that is an idea. Ben - You are correct, the posted plan is the reversed image of my actual house. Good eye! LOTS of halls here. They go on and on and eventually get enormous right in front of bedroom 3. Very strange. We use the Study as my husband's private T.V. room (loves his own space) and the Great Room as more of a family room. We were going to use the Dining Room off the kitchen as a "keeping room" because our last house had a keeping room with the kitchen and breakfast rooms and since we don't need two dining rooms, but I think it's a little overkill in this house with the study and great room right there together so pushing the kitchen back is an option for sure and I think it might look very pretty but it will cost quite a bit more than I budgeted considering I would have to change out a ton of walls and windows. Not sure I'd want to invest that much considering this may not be our forever home. The plan is for this to be a 5 year type thing so resale is important and this floor plan is already pretty choppy and not today's style so I know I'll have to keep it under market value when it comes time to sale unless I just get everything exactly right when renovating (which is the plan!). It doesn't look like kitchen image 2 ever uploaded so here it is...

jimandanne_mi & all, They say pictures are worth 1,000 words so I have posted a whole bunch of pics to help answer questions, like what is outside the windows, what are the current views, etc. Also, all of the furniture will be replaced so no need to work that into any plan. Most of this stuff came from my apt 10 years ago. Its mostly modern & we have gone more the other direction. The DR pics also show the other pieces of furniture that will be eliminated but house stuff. If you need any other pics let me know but I tried to capture all of the other rooms. DISCLAIMER: The house is a mess :). Link to Album - Containing House Pics To answer some of your other questions: FIREPLACE: If we were talking woodburning, then I can possibly see an inside wall to keep the flue warm, etc. This will be a direct vent gas fireplace and thus is highly efficient regardless. If I put it in the location you proposed, I would have to vent straight up through the attic and roof. More costs and if I ever decide to tear the roof off and build up (hopefully one day), then the chimney will be difficult to work around. I have also posted a pic of what the view would be if I flanked the fireplace on the outside wall with windows, incorporating maybe window seats on either side. I was thinking of windows because you will see the wall is entirely mirrored now and they create the illusion of a bigger room. Putting windows there would help keep this illusion. It did wonders in my master bedroom (i.e. pic of the rear house and the large triple DH windows on the outside wall - upper left). TABLE: The architect came up with that on his own. probably to fit what he created. My existing DR table is 42" wide but will not be used in the new kitchen. DORR TO DECK/WINDOWS: I will be willing to put windows/doors wherever they will work best. BMOREPANIC: With what you said, regarding space, I am then back to either one of your original suggestions OR reversing of the kitchen (U layout), which then closes you off from the LR. Would have been better if the opening to the LR could be farther down on that plan more towards the FP so then you are more in the middle on the LR and not so secluded. But that can't work because of the fridge/DO & Table. The only other things I have seen other do in my type of house/kitchen was like Plan D, with a peninsula which gives you that extra space and place to place serving dishes, etc but is a bottleneck with fridge or ovens, etc. On your original plans you elaborated on the second one more of the first. What goodness am I giving up on your plan A vs B? What are the benefits of A vs B? Does it make sense to sort of combine Plan A & B and put the counter run along the outside wall, giving more counter & cabinet space and having the island w/ nothing on the wall between the kitchen/ LR? Then any traffic that enters the room, from the hall goes down that side of the island and stays away entirely from the cooking area to get to the table. In plan A you had to walk through and then around the island to get to the table. Maybe put the fridge on the end of the run closest to the table. Well I am supposed to be working today but again getting nothing done ;).

Can you please post a bigger version? We cannot read the #s on the "new" space. What's the scale? (1 square = ??") Since this is all new build in the Kitchen addition, can windows and doors be placed "anywhere" and be "any" size? Is the above layout the entire floor? If so, I assume the Family/Living Room is where the fireplace is. What's in the addition space (above the Kitchen)? ----- "...We are getting rid of the side door and there will be a back door/entry that will be our family's main entrance..." Is the back door location you show on the new space flexible? Is there a garage & garage entrance there? ------ Do you have a basement below the main part of the house? Under the old addition? Will there be a basement under the rebuilt addition and the Kitchen addition?

Measured diagrams required. Hire a Kitchen Designer.