We had a drop wall table in our kitchen years ago...loved it. We could put it up in the wall when we needed more space and down when we ate or worked on the flat surface. Our table was big enough to seat 3 people comfortably and four if we wanted to get close together.

I would do two main things. When the dining table chairs have served their time, I would personally replace the set with something more cosy and eclectic. Secondly, I would replace the generic looking artwork (apologies if it's not - can't see it too well through the chandelier) with something that has meaning to you. Don't worry about staging it, or it will just just look beautifully generic once you're done - could be a favourite photograph you want to enlarge, the kids artwork, a family heirloom etc etc. The other stuff is easy - flowers, a nice table setting, etc. No need of a rug under the table unless something truly speaks to you - there is something nice and expansive and uncluttered about the flow as is. Enjoy your new home!

I hate island seating. An island should provide a "landing zone" for things taken from the stove/sink/refrigerator and groceries being brought in and put away. Have a nice big table for eating - it's far more comfortable for everyone, and invites conversation. Islands remind me of the lunch counter at Woolworths. How much distance is required between island and peripheral countertops depends on how one uses the kitchen. If children are allowed to "graze" between meals and while someone is preparing a meal, then having the refrigerator and the microwave out of the immediate cooking are, will be useful. If two people are cooking at the same time - both using the stove at the same time - then space between the stove and the island is crucial. But does this actually happen? I have an enclosed kitchen that is 11x15, wall-to-wall. It has 3 door openings in it. The outside wall is made up of a door to the outside and a huge bay window over the sink. I can't have an actual built-in island - there is not enough space. So I bought an Ikea island cart that is quite narrow - the cart is approx 17" deep and 48" long. It's perfect! It is the perfect landing zone for multiple things. It has two shelves under two drawers (drawers open to both sides and are very useful for oddities). The shelves hold my most used recipe notebook (50+ years of clipped recipes and family recipes as well), a small bamboo holder for dog meds, their snoods, dog bath towels to dry them when it is raining (like today!), and a wicker basket for potatoes and shallots. Keeps all that stuff off my countertops. Most of the time it's just me in this kitchen and it works very well for me. But several times a year, I host family dinners and due to my age/health, I need family members helping me in the kitchen. I can actually have two other people in the kitchen - one at the sink and one at a counter on the other side of the island cart, and another going back and forth from the DR, either serving or removing plates. No one is saying "excuse me" or dancing to avoid confrontation. Each person has a zone and it works so very, very wells Think about how you use YOUR kitchen! All this talk about the island being a barrier to the sink. Well, maybe it is and maybe it isn't. I take things out of the refrigerator and put them on the island. Only a few things require washing in the sink as I wash things that need washing before putting them away in the refrigerator (not berries - should be washed right before serving). I would never want someone else cooking at the stove the same time as I was - it one does, then a 48" stove would be advisable. I don't allow my grandchildren to be in my kitchen grazing while I'm preparing food - they can wait to eat when the meal is ready. If they're in there, they are helping me, but my refrigerator and microwave are not in my stove/prep area anyway. This allows the person at the opposite countertop to get salad/dessert fixings out of the refrigerator and finish the preparation. Rules for kitchens must always take into account how one uses ones own kitchen. Chefs know this and that's why their home kitchen rarely look like ours do! Can't remember where I saw it, but just this week, saw a famous chef's home kitchen - all stainless and just 36" between the stove and the island. Clearly, this works for him!

I do tend to run anti- sectional, mostly because I see posts where people are really struggling with the setup either before or they’ve brought it home. Also I surmise that it looks more current to a lot of people and also that it seems “ one and done”. That’s just my guess though. Plus not many people including lamps. However, I do think they work best for families with children, in that sort of square or rectangular space family room or media room with obvious TV wall ahead, and assuming of course that the space is big enough for pathways. Whereas in these open plans, with pathways may be on an angle & where you might be trying to focus on a fireplace and a TV, there’s a good chance that your furniture needs to be able to be angled and juxtaposed in different ways. So I agree with above comments that it LOOKS like a big sectional is not the best way to go in this space. To some extent comfort is another aspect and highly individual depending on who’s in the home, who visits, as well as the actual furniture construction you get.