Does this help (or fit)??

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1565958}}

I hope you are working with a qualified architect and contractor. Too many times, plans for expansions are done piecemeal, and that not only gives poor continuity and flow to the existing home, but it also hits you big in the wallet if resale ever comes around. Moving a kitchen is one of the most expensive remodels that you can do in a home. Take a look around at what that 100K+ would give you if you bought a new property and just sold this one instead.

I agree with the above poster that moving your kitchen is super expensive and risky in terms of things that can go wrong or things that are unanticipated such as relocating pipes, gfi, not to mention support studs, etc. In my opinion, relocating the kitchen should be avoided on the basis of cost as you instead try to improve the aesthics and utility of your stock kitchen location.

Here is a link that might be useful: kitchen remodel cost

Coupla questions. The space beside the old kitchen (to the left) is formerly pantry or stairs or what? Is that powder room new? I'm asking to see if the pantry-unknown space-powder room maybe could have a different arrangement. The pantry seems like it would be smaller in real life than it probably seems right now in your thoughts. This is partly because its smallish, but also because there are usability constraints because of the door and window positions.

Does the chef want more of a connection to the family room or the informal eating area? Are y'all big eat-or-cook-outdoors people? This would determine whether you want/need the opening towards the family room/deck.

Do you live someplace warm? (It's 19 F here) I note the lack of closet space. Where will the vacuum and such-like live?

Personally, I'd wall up the informal eating area on the front door side, but perhaps open a patch up near the "can't touch this" corner. This would be to keep stray visitors from seeing whatever is going on in the informal areas of the house. I wouldn't want vistas of my flour strewn floors or dh's piles of table stuff or of a few partially dressed family members to become the stuff of legends.

"L" plan
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Modified Island Plan
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Thanks to all for the responses.

kimberly623: Something to think about. I liked the idea of the "L" shape creating partial separation from the Family Room but you have given me "food" for thought (a little kitchen humor).

GreenDesigns and arocbuild: Great points. We are working with a very experienced contractor and a kitchen designer. We used an architect in the beginning to see if we could find a design for the existing location that met our needs. That was not useful - except to get us to this point! Plan will definitely need a structural review before we get too much further. Because the "new" kitchen area currently houses a laundry room, some of the plumbing is in place.

bmorepanic: The space beside the old kitchen is currently a long powder room and a closet. I share your concerns about the pantry size. We plan to use a pocket door to gain a little space. That window may need to shrink... or go!

The primary reason to move the kitchen is because everyone is always in the Family Room and I am always in the kitchen. Want to make that connection.

We grill outside but don't eat out there a lot. The back of the house exits on the second floor (walk-out basement).

I can sympathize with your climate. We're outside of Boston and freezing! There is a fairly large coat closet at the side entrance (that rectangle). Vacuum lives there now. Other things will probably be relegated to the laundry room, although that seems far away for things like the DustBuster.

Finally, the front hallway is SOO cramped we thought we should take this opportunity to open up that wall a bit. I see your point about making a spectacle of ourselves though!

If you left the powder room where it used to be, would that give you a bigger pantry?