I like the angled wall because it gives you more footprint in an area that can easily be a bottle neck. Is your dining room deep enough that a person can walk around the table with persons seated?

We have a similar floor plan to you, but the kitchen, dining and living are one large room (19x44). Your DR is a screened porch for us. Wish we had pushed the dining room out to give the room more dimension.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Motherof3sons! The dining room is not deep enough for a person to walk around when people are seated. However, it is wide enough for those seats to be comfortably accessed on each side (in other words, there shouldn't be a need for someone to have to walk around the backside).

We also flirted with lining all three spaces up, kitchen, dining, and family rooms, but also wanted to create more dimension/separation. Hopefully, this will work!

I think the angle can work (not sure what you did with your rooflines), but make sure it is a true 45* cut (right now, it doesn't look quite "straight"). And, when I've seen this done, it isn't so "huge" as to need roof reworking. It sits under the eaves, somewhat. I think you have a larger door there than perhaps you need (a 36" glass door would be fine).

It has zero relationship to any other feature in the home, which makes it awkward looking. If done as large as pictured, it will also create needless and expensive foundation and roofing expenses. I'm not a fan of it at all. I think there was one other prior rendition that had the kitchen and family room flipped, and that worked much better to give a better view from the front entrance.

@Kirkhall ~ Thanks for your perspective. I made the alteration rather quickly just to be able to "see" it ~ it certainly needs tweaking! We like the idea of a slider so that it can be open and out of the way.

@GreenDesigns ~ I agree with you that the angled wall is awkward looking as our plan is very "straight" in nature. It is the classic form vs. function. Do you have another idea of how to make this work better? Or should we leave well enough alone and make our peace with that corner?

We have spent countless hours mulling over the placement of the kitchen and family room. There are certainly benefits to switching them. However, we really want the third bedroom to be visible from the kitchen (to be used as a playroom) and the recreation room to be away from the bedrooms. This layout seems to be the best way to achieve that.

On a side note, given your user name, I'm wondering if you have had any experience with either Durisol or Liteblok? If so, I'd love to hear your perspective!

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to other thread

A sliding door is important to use when it will be crammed in a small room/space like your original design (so there isn't a door swing to impinge on your dining space).

However, when you make the angle, you no longer have an impinged space. The door swing is usually within the new area of the angle. It really doesn't take up any more space.

Do you envision that door being left open frequently?

Thanks again, Kirkhall! It is really lovely of you to be willing to help so many posters here! In looking at the angled wall in 3-D, the wider door definitely makes a difference (it really opens up the view to our daughter's prospective outside play area). We do see this door being left open frequently, leaving my husband to feel pretty strongly that a slider is the way to go.

I cannot believe how much I am struggling with this one particular spot in the plan, to angle or not to angle. There are pros and cons in both directions. My reason for posting was to be sure that the angled wall is even feasible, lest I be debating an issue that isn't even realistic.

Thanks again! I'd love to hear more thoughts if anyone cares to share...

I'd vote against the angled wall. I think it looks awkward, and takes away from your lovely design.

Honestly, the period of time where your daughter is old enough to be outside without you, but young enough to require that you can constantly see her is maybe one season, I wouldn't redesign your house for that. If you really find you need to be able to see something you cannot, you could set up a webcam.

That is a good point, Zone4newby! However, the view to our daughter's play area is only one consideration. As we plan to spend a lot of time at the kitchen island, we want to be mindful of our view outside (in 3-D, that corner feels very "in the way" when working at the island). This corner also is one of the first things you view upon entry to our home. Do you have any ideas of how to make this work better? Or should we leave well enough alone and make our peace with that corner?

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

My bias is that I like the squareness of your original plan. There's a tidy simplicity to it that appeals to me.

I suspect the corner will be much less visually obtrusive in real life because you will naturally look through the windows you have and ignore the wall. I think the view as you enter would be better without the angled wall than with it--- I don't think sliding doors look that great, so I prefer the design that hides the sliding door somewhat.

When you imagine spending time at the island, what will you be doing? If you're cooking, then I think the view isn't that important, because it's not the kind of task that tends to involve gazing out at the view. If you imagine spending time sitting at the island, then you'd be facing the other way. So I can't see making the view from there all that high of a priority.

It's your house, not mine. I think the door could be ok, but it's not the way I'd go-- I have lots of reasons, but I don't actually feel all that strongly. :)

"My bias is that I like the squareness of your original plan. There's a tidy simplicity to it that appeals to me."

Me too! The problem is my husband likes the angle...

In 3-D, I can see a certain openness that the angle provides, however, I feel it makes the family room feel more compressed (though this is an illusion as the furniture is similarly placed).

I think the angled wall takes away from both the family room and the dining area.

I agree, Zone4newby. Now my challenge is convincing my husband... :)

Hey Daisyblue- we are having the same design quandary with a house we are building... I was wondering what you ended up going with since this was posted over a year ago (straight or angled) and if you were happy with your decision!
Thank you :o)

keldel-we have an angled wall. The difference is that our kitchen/dining area are on the outside wall of the plan. Living room is where the kitchen/dining are showing in daisy's. We like it. It kind of separates our space. We don't have a window in it. I think it will make extended seating when necessary feel much less cramped.

We do have some arches in our home and an angled garage so it's not THE only angle. I can see where it's not no for everyone. I almost nixed it as I really really wanted an arch or something separating the living and the kitchen but it just wasn't going to work out space wise so I kept the angle.