Sounds like you all are making great progress. I am being consumed, sucked dry, by this outdoor project which is getting more and more out of hand. Started with DH wanting a hot tub for his birthday in July. One thing led to another - though I'm still not sure how gutters crept into this project... I've vetted more tradespeople and learned more about building codes, concrete, decking, electricity, etc etc than my brain can handle. Oh, and tubs. Cripes, I don't even like hot tubs. I don't even like to be wet. I'm part cat. Sheesh. Good news is all the progress on the worst part of our yard. Ditching the 10 ft sattelite dish was huge. Salvaged my favorite perennial herbs and flowers and will be able to make a great new bed for them when the concrete guys get done. And we will have a real cement walkway rather than the ugly, heaving, crooked, weedy block walk that's been there forever. Cement guys asked if I wanted to keep the blocks. Obviously you know I thought I should, after all I might want to recreate that ugly walk somewhere else, right? I might need them someday, right? And they cost like a dollar each, so that would be money wasted if I need them later, right? Then the voice said, "No, Celtic! Cull! Cull! Remember? Cull!" I just watched the truck loaded with nasty old blocks pull away. Whew. That was a close one. Really. Thanks for the collective shout. I heard you.

Ah! Yes, I thought you meant range + 2 other ovens! That's better b/c now you have another 30" of storage and can add it to the 15" for 45" to be divvied up as needed (e.g., 24" + 21"). New layout - with tweaks: . Zone Map: . Regarding locating the refrigerator & pantry together - I would rather have the refrigerator convenient to the Prep & Cooking Zones than put them together just for the sake of putting away groceries. How often do you bring in large amounts of groceries to put away? How often do you need to use the refrigerator while prepping and cooking? If you're like most of us, you use the refrigerator while prepping & cooking far more often than you're bringing in large amounts of groceries. You can easily put the grocery bags for the refrigerator on the island and when you're done bringing the bags into the house, go to first the refrigerator and then the pantry to put the items away. No extra carrying of any bags. Why did I move the refrigerator? (1) To make it convenient to the Prep & Cooking Zones (2) Minimize zone-crossing (crossing through the Cleanup Zone to go b/w the refrigerator and Prep/Cooking Zones, for example) (3) To make it convenient to get to the refrigerator from the Dining Room, Screened Porch, Living Room, and Family Room (4) To allow everyone to access the refrigerator without getting in each others' way. It's even better now with the new information - see Layout #2. There is some overlap, but I think the aisles are wide enough that it won't be much of an issue. Note that I adjusted the aisle widths a bit. Visual of paths of refrigerator access: . To contrast the original refrigerator location: Notice the crisscrossing of the paths b/w the refrigerator and primary work zones. In particular, crossing through the Cleanup Zone repeatedly b/w the refrigerator and Prep and Cooking Zones. In addition, the island is a barrier b/w the island Prep Zone and the refrigerator. Another thing to look at is the very real possibility that people going to/from the LR and Screened Porch may be tempted to cut through the Kitchen if they think it will be a shorter path (human beings like the shortest distance!) It's represented by the green broken line below.

For the door placement, it kind of depends how your family lives.. Do you have frequent gatherings? Like to grill or dine outside? Is cooking and being in the kitchen where most of your time is spent? Kids regularly play outside?...Run in for drinks from faucet or frig? A snack? A container for the caught frog? Quick hand washing, etc? A door in the kitchen does provide closer access for these things. If choosing this route, I would opt for the sliding door. No need than to worry about clearance issues or a door hitting anyone while carrying the iced tea or barbecue sauce. :/ If your goal is to try and keep traffic to the minimum from your kitchen zone, than having one in your living room might be the better decision. This also gives you a straighter shot to the powder room. But, I would definitely measure and account for your furniture layout, even on your patio. Consider door swings as well. Maybe the answer is both? You could lock the one to make everyone use the other. Or you could lock all when you want no one in! :D Another quick idea- if just having windows in your kitchen, a pass through with counter outside... -Off the topic, I do agree your master bath could be better arranged to function for you :)

Thanks for clarifying. I'm not super quick to picture these suggestions (especially with the mental inertia that this design has). So I need to spend some time to try to sketch and see what that means on each level (right now swapping the entry/stairs sounds to me like opening the door into the guest suite or into the kitchen/living space). We were trying to keep mudroom and entry close (for flooring/tiles and easy path to coat closet -- an entry zone like bpath mentions), and rest assured the walls won't be blank. The upstairs purposefully walks into a wall as well rather than walking right into the bath, but maybe to make the left end of that hallway more meaningful, we can pull the office south so the doors are the end of the hallway? (rather than doors off of the hallway, and it ending in a not-to-be-blank wall) I see it's worth addressing each area where the angle disrupts rather than improves, though, and the three different segments of the stairs is one of those areas (the open basement might be the only space that "improves" with the angle, or perhaps it isn't as awkward as the others to draw attention to itself). If the area can't be fixed (kitchen seems like it needs some thought), then that really drives us to a different footprint.