I like #2 best as it is very open and not as closed in as the other 2 options. 1 way to increase storage would be to put either 12" deep wall cabs or full depth 24" base cabs on the back side of the island. You definitely have the space for it.

Gingerjenny, how do you see yourself entertaining and using your dining room? Often? Seldom? Not at all? My biggest problem with your plan is that the dining room seems quite far and quite cut off from the kitchen. If you plan to use your dining room I would go for plan #3 as my first choice and #1 as my last choice.

we plan on using the dining room about 3 times a year max...ugh when i say that it really seems wasted. maybe the kids will use it to do homework at.

Are you going to have a pantry in the corner? Then you will have loads of storage space. I can see Lilly's point about the DR. #3 does seem best if you will be using the DR a lot. I don't understand the dotted line on #2. Is that seating space at the counter? The floor space in #2 looks tight.

Ginger, I would get the dimensions and lay them out on the floor, including the counters, and see if it feels small. You asked for other ideas - have you considered cutting into the MBR to make the kitchen larger? I spend way more time in my kitchen than my BR. Just a thought.

what shape would you call #2? galley? modified galley? I haven't a clue. In #2 would you do a staggered island for a bar sitting?

my dream home? i'm not sure what you mean by 24 inch base on back of cabinet. do you mean under the island or the ones on the wall? I don't really know much about cabinet sizes. thought they were all standard. i have so much to learn

the dotted lines are nothing. its just where i cut out the previous plan and pasted the new one.. sorry about that.

i think we will do a corner pantry. ive never had one. i currently have a wall pantry that is 5x2 1/2' and its a lot of pantry space.

i have considered taking some sq feet from the master bedroom but can't figure out how to do that and still have a door that will go to the master from the hall and bathroom. basically i can't figure out how to do it on the layout. we like how the master bed is corner to the breakfast room so later we can add a screen porch.

Twogirlsbigtrouble had a house layout very similar to yours. She took her kitchen out into the great room a bit to get a fantastic space. Her breakfast room was also above the kitchen in her plan, with the great room to the left. Photos of her kitchen are linked below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Actual photos of Twogirls' kitchen going together

I like 2 best. Feels more open and better traffic flow.

in plan 2, a guest will have to enter into a side bedroom or walk by your laundry room to go to the lavatory....I would reverse the half bath and laundry-put a pocket door between them and a 2nd pocket door from hall near dining[opposite that closet].A guest should not feel the powder room use is 2nd citizen status.Can you place front entry door to the right, run the foyer closet from front and end well before stairwell opening...[front door in new spot now won't hit closet door] Move basement stair opening some inches to the left and the closet between dining and kitchen can be widened and place opening on great roomside [possibly a walkin now]. Now the entry to half bath is pleasant in that passage. Does the laundry room really need to be open to half bath anyway? If you are doing laundry and need to use-the master bath is a few feet away. This hallway entry to half bath is also plenty usable for all as well as guests.[I'd think of doing away with that passageway closet because the dining and kitchen access will be widened and better as a result.]

gongerjenny--I'd call design #2 'open to family room'.

There are pros & cons to doing a split level design--Pros-easier to find bar stools the right height, hides the mess at the sink. Cons--the raised portion is 15"+ of space that you could have had at counter level for work space, harder for little ones to climb up on the higher bar stools, more backsplash ($$$) required.

The cabinet question you had--instead of just having cabinets on the kitchen side of the island, put cabinets on the back side of the island too. Standard base cabinets depth is 24" (that's what will be under your island as drawn), standard wall cabinet depth is 12". Basically, you would need to decide how wide you want your island + countertop overhang--as currently drawn, it is around 40" wide. With 12" deep cabinets on the back side, it would be about 52" wide & with 24" deep base cabinets, it would be about 64" wide.

We went with 12" deep on the backside for ours due to a space limitation. If I could have accomodated 24", I would have. We debated back and forth about split level countertop & ended up deciding on all one level. With the undermount sink, I have 10" of deep sink to hide the dirty dishes from view in--works great, so the island always looks tidy.

On another note--The door from the breakfast room to outside seems ill-placed as it will make accessing the door or the table seating difficult in it's current spot. Have you thought about doing away with the breakfast room altogether? Do you need 3 dining spaces? The island (or peninsula based on which plan you choose) will have plenty of seating + you have the dining room. Deleting the breakfast room may be a great place to save square footage ($$$) + gain another wall of counter/storage space + bring more natural light into the kitchen. If you wanted a more "table" atmosphere for dinner every night, that would give you the perfect excuse to use the dining room more than 3x a year! Just something to think about.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the reply Mydreamhome. that makes more sense.

I may just do a sliding patio door on the breakfast nook.

If i do the island seating we may just use the dining room as an office til we can afford to finish one in the basement.

I'm rethinking the whole corner pantry thing.

#2 with a bigger pantry on the left as you walk in from the mudroom. That way it's a straight sightline and convenience when walking in with groceries. You also can make the pantry a little bigger with it on the left by shifting the galley style counters down a couple of feet toward the breakfast room. I would make the door to the outside the end of the counter and the island stop even with it. it's ok is the great room is a tiny bit closed off from the kitchen. the end of the wall run closest to the mudroom is where you could keep your phone, junk drawer, etc, so it would be a little visually hidden.

We're a family of 4 with an open galley (and a pantry smaller than your design and 3 steps away). It works for us, but we do miss having a formal dining room. You would have both. What luck!!

thanks for the photo kim. Do you wish you had more seating at that island or was the cabinet storage worth it?

I like the open plan, #2, the best as well. I'd work with that as a starting point.
Renee

editorial mode on....I've been to a lot of Parade of Homes houses with this newish concept of dining room plunked at front of house and distant from kitchen. It has a tremendous artificiality to it. The 19th century parlor which was used for guests and funerals and was otherwise unheated and closed off was about as useful as these phony dining rooms.

If you designate the front dining room as the "formal dining room" you should really call the other dining space the "daily dining room." You have children and there they will grow up with real-world experience sitting at table, setting table, conversing at table. These are invaluable experiences that many of today's eat-at-countertop kids lack. I also strongly urge you to include your own family in meals in the fancy dining room--treat them like guests and really use those museum-like serving piece wedding presents that will be in the cabinets of the room. Don't just use this space to entertain the boss and the out of town guests--the kids need to experience the china and the centerpieces and the thought-through menu. Same with you two as parents--you can escape from the greatroom into a truly inviting personal space to converse and court one another, if the formal dining room welcomes you back. Otherwise, up the ante in the furnishings of the family dining room and use the back of the house for all meals and turn that valuable front room into something else--an office, a library, a craft room, another bedroom, a formal living room with a sound system and reading chairs and a good view and a liquor cabinet and no t.v., or a showplace for collections.

Florantha

We will use the kitchen bar mostly for snacks and breakfast cereal on the go. We will eat most of our daily meals at the breakfast/nook room table. We need the extra dining space since we do the family holidays at my house.

We currently have no eat in kitchen at all! So, yes all our meals are at at a formal dining room table now.

I think its a little weird you assume I never sit down and eat with my children.