Ok I am back..... Wow, I just read thro' all the responses and you guys rock !!! I love this forum :))) So far the consensus seems to be to open it up. To answer some of your questions.... oakleyok: The rooms are small. LR is 13 x 18 and FR is 11 x 18. So if we open it up, it will prob. be around 24 x 18 which I think is a nice size....Not too big nor small... bumbledoodle & jan in wisconsin: Thanks for sharing :) I am glad you love the openess....Its very affirming. We currently have a full set of furniture in the LR(Sofa, loveseat, 2 chairs, coffee & end tables). In the FR, we have a loveseat, 3 accent chairs and the TV which is currently on a console. One wall in the FR is dominated by a brick fireplace, similar to the inspiration photo that I linked. So I guess we will have two separate seating areas, even if we open up the rooms. Prob. one will be near the fireplace and another TV watching area.... lynninnewmex, nanny2a & bronwynsmom: Yes, I def. plan to check with an architect if its a load bearing wall or not. I've read (in cote de texas's blog) that if you put in a doorway, it wouldn't cause an issue to the structure as opposed to removing the entire wall. Is this right?? palimpset & pps7: Thanks for letting me know that traditional homes have open architecture...I never knew that. I didn't grow up in this country, so a lot of it is new to me......Now I feel better that I won't be really messing up with the integrity of the house :) Scanmike: Thanks for sharing your pics. You have a beautiful home. I really love your sunroom..I wish I had one and also some new kittens :) susanilz: I think we'll be here for atleast the next 5 yrs...Maybe 10 yrs...I don't have the energy to move anytime soon...So I guess, it makes sense to make it into something functional for us.... vampiressrn: We don't entertain a lot...But def. a few times a year, we have large gatherings for 30+ ppl....Maybe we'll be more prone to entertaining with an open area...I am feeling really pressurized cos we're having a formal gathering of nearly 50 ppl...Its a prayer meeting, so everyone will be sitting together in the same space unlike a party where ppl can move around... Initially, I was considering putting in only a regular doorway (with a french door or pocket door). But after committing to hosting such a large gathering, I am really at a loss on how we're going to accomodate everyone. This was the trigger to everything..... jamaraz: Thanks for sharing your experience...I am scared about the unknowns...Sometimes I think I am opening up a can of worms :) monablair: I am not sure it would work for us. Like I said, the FR has a fireplace and has a very cozy vibe..Maybe I could place some seating around it and have some bookshelves against the adjacent wall to create like a reading/library room (similar to the little reading nook in Somethings gotta give)....I love my books :))) awm: Thats exactly the look I wanted initially. But somehow DH is against the idea of french doors or pocket doors. He wants a more open feel I don't know if I should really listen to him. He doesn't hang out obsessively in design forums like I do, KWIM :)) He's pretty clueless when it comes to design..... How wide do you think that opening is in the pic?? I initially did want doors. But I am not sure how wide the opening would be if we put in doors(like I said, we're trying to accomodate nearly 50 in one space) Also, with french doors, I am thinking if it will hamper the space/furniture placement when we open the door. tomorrowisanotherday: Yes, I really don't want to lose real estate value...I will have to somehow figure this out and make it work.... dlm: Thanks for sharing your pics :) Your french doors are so gorgeous...I don't have any in my home and I really love the look of one :( teaforwendy: We do have a door connecting the FR to the breakfast nook & kitchen. Its not as open as I would like it to be but I don't mind it too much for now...Maybe it could be a project for the future...... kjmama: Yes, we did talk before :) Infact, I searched and pulled up your thread yday to get more ideas. How's the doorway working for you?? Are you done with decorating? Any pics to share :) Please keep the ideas coming...Right now, I am def. leaning twds putting in a doorway...Our "handyman" is coming to take a look tomorrow...But I need to check with an architect about the load bearing aspect of it before we start on anything....Will keep you all updated and will also, try to figure out how to post pics meanwhile..... Thanks once again :)

I have sort of the same thing but without the curve. Just a straight line down then cut at a 45 degree angle to the wall. If you think that might look a little *off*, then perhaps you could either take it straight from the wall down (past the curve) and finish with an L to the other wall. Or - take it from the end of the cabinet to the wall. I can tell from your tiles that that almost lines up exactly. Except I'm not sure if that would cut off your kitchen area too much. Play around with a large measuring stick or two.

Lilac, welcome to the group. If that doorway is 70 inches WIDE, that will be too wide for a tension rod to span. However, you might think about getting a SHOWER ROD, WHICH IS ABOUT 6 FEET LONG, and a diameter of more than one inch. You could even put a sexy shower curtain on that rod and also hang the canvas drop cloths on the same rod. Shower hooks are great, or even the set of shower rings. I have used the 9 strand 100 pound stainless steel picture hanging wire to hang curtains. In my case, I bought a 100 foot roll of it, but you can get it in lengths. OR, you might go to a place like RESTORE which is a Habitat for Humanity resale place. They have many many doors that came off closets, like the bifold shutter doors. I've found many nice doors that way. If you cannot screw them to the woodwork, and you want to take any purchased items with you when you go, think about attaching the doors to a bookcase or entertainment center at the side so you can open/close the bifolds. It is possible, depending on the size of the room and the location of that wide doorway in it, that you could position an entertainment center in front of the opening, and leave only enough space to have a 28 inch entry to your bedroom. I'm assuming that closing the passage to the kitchen from the dining room will still give you another entry to your kitchen? Quite an interesting question, and you can definitely make your choice attractive. Also note, I use the regular canvas painter drop cloths, available in all sizes, very washable and quite durable, as slip cover for my furniture, bird cages, curtains, pillow covers, bed throws, and I can paint on them and make them tough and hard for small rugs at the doors. Very washable, very durable, and the cheapest thing you can buy. Sort of the color of oatmeal denim, and as durable as a canvas bag.

Reading back on my post 2-1/2 years later, I am a bit shocked at how far I moved from there... I ended up purchasing a 36" Wolf induction cooktop, Wolf 30" M-series oven, and Wolf convection-steam oven. Despite kaseki's very fair warnings that induction cooktops have a notable failure rate, leaving one with a unique cutout in your countertop that is very limiting, I went with the Wolf cooktop because I liked its configuration, and its price, though costly, was a better value than other $$$ brands. I gave up on the Benchmark bc it had consistent negative feedback on a few features. I gave up on Thermador as a brand bc it had more consistent comments that Thermador customer service was lacking, and its oven models lagged behind other company's in innovation. For example, their combi-steam oven (and Benchmark's), had a water container that took a lot of space from the oven. However, I will note that one GW poster rigorously tested the Wolf, Thermador and Miele ovens in one showroom (~1-1/2 years ago), and felt that Thermador was the most even-baking, even if their convection fan technology was not the obviously best-designed. I went with the Wolf convection-steam oven bc it offered more useable space and was a lot less maintenance/easier to clean than the Miele, although it has fewer features and lacks a broiler, as the Miele has (although I originally thought the lack of a broiler in the Wolf was a deal-breaker for me). I went with the Wolf M-series oven bc I needed to stack my convection-steam oven and 30" wall oven. While I am not certain that I won't have problems with blue porcelain crazing and cracking, Wolf has had a long time to work on the issue, and it is an entirely new design from the L-series with the porcelain issues. We STILL haven't gotten our kitchen up and running, and are in the last 2 months of a 3 year building process (way too many problems!). I will add that in the last year, I once again started thinking that I should have put a Wolf convection-steam oven in my island and purchased side-swing double ovens where my 30" wall oven and 30" (front) convection-steam oven are stacked — and I would have come out significantly ahead in ergonomics and $$. I hope this summary of my decisions catches someone at the right time in their decision-making! Sorry to veer off from Thermador and Bosch here, but I seriously considered those brands, so summarized here.