I wouldn't worry at all about not moving in a straight line through the mudroom. You won't even notice that slight jog. We used the kitchen door exclusively which was set about 3 ft to the left of the doorway from the kitchen to the DR. It was never a problem. Not awkward at all. I can't see why you can't just move the existing cubbies. And remember as Buehl said, they don't stay little long so the cubbies may not be as important as getting a great layout. An island with seating never gets outgrown! One possibility for the pantry wall is bathroom vanity base cabinets. Sometimes they come in 18" depth then you wouldn't have to do custom. I think 18" deep base cabs with 12" deep wall cabs down the the counter would look great. If it were me and I was going to do tall cabinets, I wouldn't go deeper than 15" (I'd probably even consider 12") because stuff is so much easier to access when stored on shallow shelves. Many people have microwaves installed in the island. Looks great and seems to function well. I do believe you can get them it fit in an 18" deep cabinet; it depends on what size you use (we have a small one as we use it only to reheat beverages and snacks or pop corn). Can you fit 15" between the fridge and range? 18" would probably be better but I think 15" would work. We have 18" between the sink and fridge at it's plenty of space. I don't think it will look like too much stainless with the sink and fridge so close to each other. Were you considering moving the patio doors? If you did that, and put the fridge on that wall, it would be more easily accessed from the family room and the deck (if that's what's on the other side of those doors). I worried about putting a tall appliance next to a doorway the first time I did it, but it turned out to be just fine. I never felt like I was walking through a tunnel or anything. The swing of the garage door looks like it will function well in either direction but I think I prefer it the way it is.

A shower bench is a no brainer. The shower bench makes using the shower more enjoyable and does add to any romantic encounters you may have. If you have a wife like mine you better add two shower heads because mine steals all the water. I have a collection of shower bench photos that I show my clients to help pick a style. The shower bench detail can affect the placement of the drain so its wise to plan the build completely before picking or roughing in the drain. SHOWER BENCH DESING IDEAS - 150+ PICTURES another good source of info is here SHOW ME YOUR SHOWER BENCH AND HOW YOU USE IT

Huge improvement, IMHO! Looks much more inviting. Now move the clock, and put the two watercolors somewhere stacked where folks can see them up close. If it were me, I'd put them to the left of the bay window (as you are looking at it). That way I could always see them when I came downstairs or was passing from the front door into the living room. You can always move them later and group them with other art you acquire. You could also place the art closer to eye level to the right of the bay window, then folks would see it as they were sitting on the couch and it would be illuminated by the lamp in the evenings. Oh, and sorry to be so nit picky, but I'd move the furniture just a wee bit closer together to make the living room more intimate. Again, just my .02, your home is lovely and I really dig the wood floor!! And the art! And the clock! And the wall color! Etc.! :)

I mis-spoke about the direction, it is more south facing. Zone 5b. We are northwest of Toledo. There is nothing behind the bench, but then about 15 feet away is a forest which is an odd mix of norway maple, oak, walnut, honeylocust, black cherry and hackberry with some sumac around the edges. It's being restored but slowly. It gets a medium amount of maintenance, but a lot of deer pressure. We are trying to work on that but it is a constant battle. I'm thinking the tree to the left of the bench where it will get the most sun. I was thinking the fothergillas would form the hedge behind the bench (yes, well away from it at maturity so they don't mess up the seating) but I was thinking in a semi-circle creating a little cove. I'll try a triangle arrangement. I can take photos this afternoon, I'll be out there arranging plants. The view is in front of the bench as one is seated, looking down the hill, and it is gorgeous! Edited to add that it will have to wait til next week for photos. Don't want to leave them out over the busy weekend and don't want to drag them out and back for a photo op.