rodboyz3, we did this exact thing in 2007. We added a large den (24x26) behind the kitchen in 2002. The LR, in front of the kitchen became a wasted space. Just a walk thru. Like you, we walk into a small foyer (at the front door), take a left and enter what used to be the LR but is now a much needed dining room. We tore down the wall between the kitchen and new dining room and added a counter height bar...an extension of a kitchen counter run. This opened up the kitchen and made it and the dining more open to each other. The 60" round table seats 8 and the bar can seat 4. The flow is excellent. No more turning sideways to get past people from one room to the other (when there's a crowd). I also worried about the dining room coming off the entry but it's absoLUTEly not a problem :) I'm sorry I can't embed photos right now. I don't know if it's me or GW, but I've been having problems for a couple months now. Below is a link to three pictures. In the first picture, I'm standing in the kitchen looking out over the added bar into the dining room. You can see the small entry foyer. You can also see that over a year later we still haven't decided what to clad the base of the bar with (LOL) Click "next" in the lower right corner. See the alcove and door to the left? That alcove used to be DH's closet. The door leads to our master bedroom. That layout also concerned me but, again, it's not a problem. We created space that WE needed and worked with what we had. For this last picture, I'm standing at the large picture window you saw in the other photos, looking thru the kitchen into the den (and a lovely shot of the "nekkid" bar and back of the trash compactor :o) We're very happy with our customized space. I think you will be happy with yours too :) Monica Here is a link that might be useful: LR to DR Conversion

I vote for hardwood or engineered wood through the whole space, including the kitchen. Opening the wall would be nice, but I suspect your appliances are arrayed along that wall? I'd paint the wall the same pale color as the living space, and hang a really big mirror on the wall if you can't open it. Then you open the wall visually, and reflect the light from the sliders back into the space. (I know...me and mirrors. They are great manipulators of space, particularly when you commit to making them big!)

We also have a living room (huge, and in the center of the house), dining room (tiny), family room (just right) and a small breakfast nook off of the kitchen -just big enough for a vintage chrome and formica 4-seat dining table. When we entertain, we set up tables and chairs in the living room, and it's worked out great. It's open to the galley-style kitchen and the dining room. We usually do a buffet style if there's a crowd, and we set up snacks and the main meal on the kitchen counters, drinks on the small table in the nook, and desserts on the buffet and butler's pantry in the dining room. The areas are all open to each other, so you can still carry on conversations, and there's plenty of room for everything. When we first bought the house, I wasn't sure how I'd decorate that living room, and so far, I just haven't done anything, and it's worked out fine. We're planning to replace the fireplace mantle and the light/ceiling fan, but other than that, during our day to day living, we just use that whole huge room as a pass-through to get to the rest of the house. Everyone thinks I'm weird for not putting any furniture in there, but we would never use the space as intended, and I'm not big on buying furniture just "for show", so for now it's just a big, open space in the middle of the house. Maybe I'll buy a rug? LOL!

These are the listing photos from the prior owner. The room is empty and I'm looking for help. In the dining room all I have is a table. I really like this Robin Bruce sofa that a local store has but I was thinking Navy. My husband thinks that is too dark in the room and also not practical with the dog. But I'm really wanting advice on furniture placement/arrangement. Would you do 2 sofas facing each other and tv over fp or put a console on long wall with tv?