Nice to have a mudroom! I wish we had room for one.

But, homework room...are you sure you want to isolate it? My experience w/my children is that you need to keep an eye on them (1) to be sure they're actually doing their homework, (2) to be able to easily help them when working in the kitchen (making dinner, for example) or the rest of the house, (3) b/c once they start using computers you really need to keep an eye on them (yes, you trust them, but curiosity is a very strong instinct in children & teens!), and (4) b/c I wouldn't want them so isolated that they spend very little time w/the family...which is what I've found happens when you isolate any one functional area so completely regardless (except bathrooms of course!) My children are 11 & 13 so I've reached the point where I'm seeing some of the above.

Regarding your first 2 concerns:

1. If you plan on having a seat at the end of the island plus seating at the bay window, I think 48" is necessary; definitely not too much.

2. A mudroom entrance at the driveway is a good idea...that's where most people will be coming in. Several homes in our neighborhood that have mudrooms have exactly that. Do you have a garage? If so you might consider putting the entrance in the garage. If not, then I think your best location is off the driveway.

Do you have room to make that new entrance on the side of the house instead of on the front? I notice that you have "possibly another door" to the side, so I assume you do. If you could make the entrance there and move the powder room to the front, you could have the mudroom connected to the homework room. That means that the kids could access their backpacks easily, and homework would be more likely to make it back to school. You could also have the homework room open to the kitchen rather than the dining room, making it easier to supervise. It would also eliminate any "weirdness" from having two front stoops.

Also, is raising the bottom of the window an option? If so, I would consider flipping the orientation of the kitchen so that the sink looks out that front window, with plenty of counter behind it for a little herb garden. This would allow you to open the kitchen up a little more to the back of the house where you entertain.

I'd also close off the entrance to the kitchen from the foyer. Since you'll be bringing groceries in through the new entrance, you won't need it for that, and you won't have to worry about a mess in the kitchen being the first thing people see. It would also give you another wall to work with as you plan your layout.

I'm thinking about something along these lines...

Thank you both for your input.

Beuhl, good point on the computer locale. And I like Holligator's way of opening the kitchen and mudroom into that room. They definitely need easy backpack access from the HW room! As a bonus, that also gives me an unbroken wall in the dining room.

I have thought about flipping the kitchen w/ the cooking zone near the front window (and have drawn a few layouts). I hadn't tried closing off that foyer/kitchen wall, and thinking about it gives me pause...I'm worried it will make traffic (e.g. getting everyone off to school/work) more circuitous.

Right now, the kids get dressed, shoot down the stairs, rocket through the kitchen, grab their shoes and backpack and are out the door (same for hubby w/ laptop). I don't love having a freeway through the kitchen, but I think it might be too much to go down the stairs, thru the LR, around the island, etc. I'm not wild about that weird front/side door in the bumpout, but it does put you right out at the car.

But I will play with these ideas...it is amazing how one or two ideas can spark a whole bunch more. Back to my drawing board. Would love to hear more ideas, thank you so much for the food for thought!

Chris

I like holligator's concept a lot - except that the desk configuration isn't going to work well. Those three chairs can't be occupied at the same time.

{{!gwi}}
I know it wouldn't be "mudroom", but I'd like it better.

I like the configuration bmorepanic has presented very much -- excellent computer station space and powder room is off the kitchen down a hallway. One thing to consider is your appliances. With three kids and all that baking/cooking, you might want a cooktop and separate ovens so that the kiddos can join in/help out. And, given the ages, you might want to look at the MW drawers so they can easily make their own meals/snacks.

I hate to imply that I have any insight into your finances but I hope that before you become too attached to your plans you have an idea of how very expensive additions are. Speaking as one who has learned the hard way....