I see three things on a really quick look:

- Make the door to the deck open OUT, not in. That's the usual way, and especially in a multi-function room like you're envisioning, it would make sense.

When you are facing out to the deck, the doorknob should be the right-hand side. Why? Because if you are carrying something (like a casserole) outside, you are probably holding it in your right hand, which leaves your left hand free. Try it with a similar door, and you'll see what I mean.

- I can't read your aisle measurement between the stove wall and the sink island. Have you actually tried opening the oven door and DW door to see if there is sufficient room to stand in front and remove a casserole or big heavy roast? When you are dealing with something that is 400-degrees hot and heavy besides, you do not want to risk any awkward maneuvering by you or your spouse.

- I agree, I think six around that island isn't going to work. BUT:
-o- If you make the door swing out instead of inwards,
-o- Create a banquette in the corner where the refrig is,
-o- Can you do a bump-out (in our area the permitting/cost is much less than a full addition) on that empty wall to hold the frig? That will still give you a large entry into the kitchen. I have a 4' aisle entry into our kitchen and it's very spacious in feel. The addition of a small angled corner cab will give you that needed bit of 'put down' and not leave the refrig feeling isolated on the wall.

You may have already tried this - I haven't been every design thread here so I might have missed previous iterations. Anyway, food for thought (and pun intended, LOL).

Are you set on having an island? Given the blank slate, I think you can fit a banquette in where you now have your kitchen table, and make the working space a U instead of an L. That would put the door to the deck closer to your LR. If you do want an island as a work station, maybe a moveable island is the answer, say a baking center on wheels that you can store in the alcove on the way to the DR (under a counter that you put there as a butler's pantry?).

Here is a link that might be useful: rolling islands

karen_belle, I am open to anything that will get me 6 places to sit in my kitchen :)

jkom51, the door can go any way, anywhere, in or out, right or left, because it's not there yet, we have a slider. thanks for the suggestions on how to align it.

As for our oven door, it only sticks out 18". We have room now, and the aisle is only about 2.5' wide. I'd like a bigger range, or a bigger oven, or two, but I'll stick with smaller if it means I can have room for a table, or seating area.

And do you mean bump the fridge out along the deck wall? So it sticks out onto the deck area? WE have the space there, I never thought of that, but it would buy us some space...could we do that with the current deck or would it all need to be torn down?

Here are some banquette photos I've been accumulating...eye candy for the TKO :)
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{{gwi:1661864}}

we have storage in our banquette benches, which we love. Other thoughts are to have a piece of furniture in the LR that is just used for kid school supplies. It is easy to get to from your kitchen with your redesigned flow.

My kids keep all of their school stuff in their backpacks. When they need something it's usually paper out of the printer. What we don't see in your plan is a home office - where is the computer going to be? Your kids are going to need a computer for their school work and I'd recommend you find a public location for that.

Hmmm...code sometimes is that you HAVE to have exterior doors, open in. If that's the case, I'd have the door swing in, against the cabinetry.

I think to comfortably get all you want in your kitchen, you may need to add on to the space. If that's NOT an option, then I think you have to choose between nice, big work area and comfortably seating six. The island looks too small to seat more than three or four.

Not trying to be negative, just realistic. Are you sure you can't swap out some of your rooms and have them function differently? I like the change with the basement stairs...but if you could swap the living/dining room spaces, make the kitchen into a laundry/mudroom...I still think the family room would be the best place to put the kitchen and get the space you want.

Think about den/living room (maybe with TV) big dining room with fireplace and maybe some book shelves/library feel (great for homework) and a big keeping room kitchen, with banquette, and seating...in the current family room.

I believe you said moving the gas line would be difficult, but compared to the other choices...I think I'd settle for an electric range/cooktop. But, that is completely up to you. Best of luck with the new plan and I hope you find a way to get the home you've been dreaming about! :)

karen_belle, thanks for that plan. I feel like when we tried to get tthis to work before, it wouldn't, but your looks like it could? I will try it and see.

I only have one with a backpack right now, and he brings home sooo many school papers, notes, etc. Then we have a drawer full of coloring books and crayons, glue, markers, stickers, paper, etc. And a cabinet full of play-doh, paints, some puzzles, etc. We don't have a home office...but we have a computer desk cabinet in our living room, right in the middle of the house that everyone uses. We can use the laptop anywhere in the house, too.

I'm just wondering if you need the same seating for 6 in the kitchen once you move the powder room and really open up access to the dining room and living room. It seems like that the flow is much more open with your proposed powder room change and perhaps you can just have a few seats at an island in the kitchen and use your dining room more? Not sure if this will work for your lifestyle, but just a thought.

Also, again with your proposed improved flow, how about converting the oversized living room window to a door and not having a door to the deck in your kitchen? You could have windows and the sink on that wall and a larger u space...? Something like this?

I also put in a little hutch in the walkway to the DR maybe for some of your school papers, mail, etc.

Not sure if any of this would work for your fam - just some thoughts. Good luck!!

Here is that plan. I felt like turning the table gave more room near the sink, and I think there's room for it to be turned? I'm not sure about the uppers? And the corners in a u-shape? I wan to maximize storage, maybe even some full-height cabinets somewhere, near the fridge? I have a FD fridge, and it seems like my island is the only logical landing space, so that concerns me? Will I miss my island?What else?

lavender_lass, it's not that we can't add-on, but I really don't want to. We have a pretty big house, I just don't think we need more space. We just need smarter space :) I am not so opposed to reusing the space as you describe except that our kitchen would be all the way across the house from our driveway, and I just don't think that makes sense for us. So, I'm going to try to stick to the layout we have,m but with the stairs and powder room changed to make the flow work better.

aokat, you bring up some good, good questions. On paper, I feel like my kitchen will be so open to my house, but will it really be that way? It will be open-er than it is now, but it's still around the corner from the rest of the house. Don't I still have years of kitchen table projects and homework helping while I make dinner? So I think at least room for 4 at an island, and maybe I'd agree with island, no table.

Changing that window in the LR to french doors is also a great suggestion, and one we have thought about. But does that work for bringing food out to the deck? And somehow, all the kids traipsing in and out through the kitchen seems more desirable than through my LR, right? I'm thinking of just the other day, when they all 4 went out to play in the snow...and then came back in. There were wet coats, hats, gloves, boots, and snowpants spread across my kitchen floor, but it was my kitchen floor, not my living room. you know what I mean? But I do love that giant U you drew.

I also love the hutch idea. I really wanted to do a butler's pantry between my kitchen and DR at one time, but now with the stairs moved, I don't think I can. But maybe a modified version like you've drawn it. And I do LOVE your kitchen!!!

I actually really like this last plan! It's a smaller work area, but I like the banquette. It's a little tight with the door opening into the last chair and if people are sitting in the chairs, it would be difficult to exit the banquette from the other side. All that being said...I think this is the best plan I've seen, so far.

Of course, I want to use a banquette, too :)

I thought I linked this site in my earlier post, but it didn't seem to work. Anyway, I'm not a customer of this particular site, but I did used to have a rolling island and I loved it for my small kitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: rolling islands & carts

karen_belle, no you DID link it, I just missed it :) those are great islands and could be the perfect solution for me--thanks!

Quick thought--I'd strongly consider Aokat's suggestion to think carefully about the need to seat all 6 in the kitchen. With your limited space, I'd forgo seating for the entire fam in the kitchen proper for a larger work space. You can all sit together in the DR to eat a meal. Seating for the 4 kids seems doable for various family activities you describe.

I put an outswinging glass door to the deck from my kitchen to help with room layout. No code issues here. And, the door won't drip on the floor inside when it's open like an inswinging door would. (I live where it rains A LOT so water is a big concern for me.)

Love the idea of a little hutch/BP tucked into that little niche near the DR!

breezygirl, yes, I think you may be right. That's what we have spent the evening discussing. If we change those stairs, to make room for storage at the entry/exit point, which we SORELY need in our family of 6, then our kitchen will shrink. There's no two-ways about it. So we'll wan to be sure that we are getting the most useful space as possible, and I just don't think a banquette to seat 6 is a good use of our limited space. Island/peninsula seating for 4 will have to be my ultimate goal, I think.

That being said, here are two more ideas I threw together tonight. Viable? or Terrible???

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