Right now I'm too tired to look at the specifics, but I have to ask why by Sat? With anything this major I would take my time to make sure I had it like I wanted it. Whatever it is that's driving the Sat deadline - is it worth ending up with something you don't like?

Did the architect draw this plan??
You mention an architect and I wonder why you have to have the headache? Let him do his work.
Now, my personal opinion is that I do not like the hallway. I can not see the plan details or dimensions but it seems that there are areas that are not proporcionated.
Is there a way that I can see the whole plan? Maybe you can post a pdf. I might be able to help.
...and I agree with Kangell, You need to make sure that something this mayor will be done the right way. Who is rushing you? The contractor?
Good Luck

I'm sorry to confuse you. We're meeting this Saturday to review our changes, and this is the only area that I'm concerned with. I want to move this along, but yes, I want it right. Since this is a remodel, things might look or be out of proportion, and I am limited with some changes obviously.

You're right, he needs to give me ideas. I guess since I've been thinking about what I would do when we put an addition on since 2000, it's hard to let go of that control.

How do I post a pdf?

Your kitchen island seating is very crowded. Compare it to the table in the dining room. At the island in our current house, we seat two in 59 inches, which gives each of us plenty of elbow room. The island in your drawing looks like it gives each person only 17 inches on the long side and 16 inches on the short side, That is not nearly enough.

If you got rid of those angled cut offs, you would have about 20 inches per person on the short side and 19 on the long side. It's still not enough, but it would be an improvement.

I didn't like that section of cabinets next to the pantry when you posted on the kitchen forum awhile back. It seems to crowd things and believe a different configuration could make it more useful. Too bad you didn't let us know you wanted to open up the dining room more...Or maybe you did as the discussion got going? Anyway, it seems some of the kitchen plans would allow a more open plan that would give the dining room more light. The dining room doesn't look too big to me. If you're going to have one, no use having it too small to have a nice holiday meal, etc.

If you put the "HMTL for websites" address into the text box we can see the plan (see below) although it is so big that it will be difficult to read the long text now.

The plan doesn't seem too well worked out, too many awkward corners, useless open spaces and the CAD symbols/references didn't print properly (doors shown as rectangles in plan etc.) If this were my project I would be showing my client a hand-drawn sketch at this preliminary stage rather such a sloppy yet stiff unresolved CAD drawing. I can see why you would be prone to panic; you don't have much to work with and a long way to go.

I hate to ask but what is the level of experience of the "architect" and is that term used literally or figuratively?

Well, after talking to my husband about the extra expense for a couple of steel beams, we agreed the walls in the dining room need to be opened up. I really should have explained to you that we are more of a casual dining family. Many people here post about not even having one, which was a thought, but I'm glad there is a space for large family gatherings. I've seen so many beautiful dining rooms, china cabinets,etc. on this site, but it's never been something I desired. I will have a buffet of some type to keep my mother's china I'm sure.

rhome, when I sit in my house and picture my dining table in the kitchen, you're right, it's not too big. I think the plan is deceiving to me, but I'm getting it now. And my dining room table is nowhere near as big as the one drawn. It seats six. We'll be getting a new one though.

Let me know what you think. I just uploaded the picture to my shutterfly account. I hope you can see it.

Here is a link that might be useful: changes

Shutterfly demands that I sign in to look at the updated plan.

It's a bit of a long story, but the plans the "architect" gave me has the doors, etc. shown. My brother did me a favor at work and when he emailed them, his CAD must be an older version and I lost some things.

marthalena, I knew you were going to question, I was actually a little bit scared. ;)

He would be considered a draftsman, no disrespect to architects. I guess that would be like calling me a substitute, and I wouldn't like that. We told him we didn't want to change much on the first floor, since money is a big object - my DH and I are both teachers ;) He is definitely, not comparable to a highly skilled architect, but his final products in our town have been to my liking, so I guess we'll get there.

My DH was trying to use the space we had, but I had other plans, and things are being changed, especially the rec/mud/bike area. See the plan from my previous post.

How do I make it public?

I have to get myself and my kiddos ready for school. I will check back before I leave and try to make it public. Unfortunately, this site is blocked at work - how dare they!!

FYI - the den on the plan is really a bedroom.

It looks like you have to use their tools to create a free personalized website within Shutterfly. Not exactly hassle free, if true.

Most people seem to use photobucket. They let you link directly to your own photos without any hassle.

Here is a link that might be useful: photobucket

To me this plan has serious shortcomings. There are two baths shown on the plan, but neither are very convenient to the center of the house. There is an 18' hallway that apparently exists to access the laundry.
Is the laundry in that particular place because it's closer to the bedrooms? Is the dining room long and narrow (has no view of anything that I can tell)for a reason? This plan creates rooms, but they have no sense of identity or reason. It need serious work, but not by us folks here. There are probably lots of limiting structural issues at play. Until you show where headers and point loads are, we are just whistling Dixie. Without that knowledge, we can't suggest moving anything.
Casey

The house was built in the early 1900s, so there are some odd things which are out of our control. Originally, I had planned to move the laundry room over by the mudroom, but then I decided it could stay to save on costs. The wall which divides the dining and living room is a bearing wall. The dining room is where my kitchen is now. I don't know if the other wall in the dining room is bearing too. You would die if you saw where we eat now. It's about a 7 by 10 space.

I'll post the plan when I get all the details on it. I feel bad putting you guys through this confusion.

If money wasn't an option, I would knock the sucker down and start over. We moved here for the neighborhood primarily and the closeness to work, schools, etc. We can't afford to live on the river, but we can afford to live "near" the river. It's beautiful!!! So, I'll suffer through the odd things so we can stay.

I had to use the zoom to see it better.

Here is a link that might be useful:

You might try putting the laundry in the interior and let the kitchen slide around the corner from the living/dining spaces.

Wow mighty!! How awesome are you? I'm going to show this to my DH. You are too kind to take your time to help me. I REALLY like this! I keep walking around the house, visualizing, measuring, etc. Another plus is the fact that I can see out to the backyard from the kitchen, and the pool area, which is to the left behind the deck. And there's much more light! I could just kiss you.

Are you ready for the second floor? :-o JK, I'll give you a break for a while.

Incase you're wondering...the rec room might seem odd to some, but it's an attempt at a basement/fun room since we don't have one.

It's just an obvious idea that puts the important spaces on the perimeter and the less important spaces in the interior... I still can't put a kitchen in direct sight of the living room; I grew up before houses lost all sense of formality and separation of uses. I would never let my kids eat at a counter unless it was at a beach house. A shared meal is the center of family life; when you see them face to face.

However, making it work will require some serious tuning by someone who understands your needs.

Something tells me things will change some years down the road, and kitchens will be separate again.

We eat our dinners at the table every night...then again we really don't have any other choice! ;) I don't want my island to seat our whole family either. It just makes it easier to not sit down, even if our dinners do seem to fly by with 3/5 of my family dashing out the door soon after for baseball, football, etc. We have 3 children, 2 boys 10 & 7, and my sweetheart DD who's 4. People always ask my husband and I how we got our children to be so respectful and well behaved (best compliment I could ever get), and we always think, "Is it really that hard?" I think it has a lot to do with those shared meals.

My children go to the same school that I teach at, and I watch my students stare when I squeeze the heck out of my kids when I say goodbye for the day, kissing them and telling them I love them every time. They always look so longingly as if they wish they had the same. Most of them go to bed so late and never sit down as a family for a home cooked meal. So sad.

Well, thank you again, and here's to home cooked meals. That reminds me...I was supposed to make Italian Wedding Soup tonight to have for tomorrow night's dinner. So much for planning ahead.