I would not want a separate or formal dining room. For us having rooms work for more than one purpose is better. Like your sun room/tea room being the same. I was never bothered with how messy a cook I was. We used to have dinning room table in kitchen right in the mess and it was not a problem. I do try to keep cleaning up as I go. I have always cooked this way.

We do not entertain and have no family so maybe not good for me to comment on this???

Shades- Of course it's good for you to comment on this! You're in a similar situation as we are and I always value your opinion :)

I like flexible spaces, too...but I've found that one of the problems we have is that my husband has such a huge family, there's never a big enough dining table to seat them all...so why try? Then, I started thinking...maybe it would be better to have the tea area in the dining room...because that's where I plan to put all my roses, when I start my garden.

The back of the house faces northwest and is not really the best side for the sunroom. The front faces southeast and is best for my gardens, since it gets so hot in the summer. The view out the back is nice (since we can see the horses) but it's also where my husband wants to put his 'manly pavillion' which is a covered area with a BBQ and table with chairs or stools. His friend has one and it is wonderful...so cozy with a little fireplace built in :)

I've never really thought I'd use a dining room, but a tea room I would use...and it would be so much easier to set out fancy desserts and have all the pretty dishes set out, if I had a larger table. Hmmm....still thinking about it, but I can see some possibilities!

My SIL (who I really like) came to visit our farm, for the first time in many years. She went into the farmhouse (which is looking better than it has in some time) and was quite 'bummed out' you might say, that it had gotten so run down.

Now, this SIL always speaks her mind, shoots from the hip and can be funny/obnoxious on any given holiday...so it came as a bit of a surprise to me that she reacted the way she did. But, there's a lot of memories tied up in this house for everyone, so I can understand it, too.

So, anyway...now I'm rethinking my plan. Yes, I like it, quite a bit...but I'm not sure it fits the house, as well as it should. I'm starting to wonder if I should keep the rooms (more or less) the way they've always been, which means the dining room and living room staying 'as is' and making the kitchen bigger, expanded towards the back a bit.

Now, this isn't all due to 'family reactions' but also...I think maybe I've been watching too many 'Big Valley' reruns lately. (LOL) A dining room seems like such a fun, versatile room, if it's designed with flexible storage and maybe some french doors, off the entry. And, those darn pictures I found are making me want a kitchen with a smaller table and open to a small den. What to do? :)

Pictures... {{gwi:2066432}}From French Country Cottage

{{gwi:2066433}}From French Country Cottage

This would also let me move the bedroom, to the left side of the house and maybe make it a little bigger. It seems very small, lately...especially with the hot tub no longer an option. (Lilacs are too close to house to bring in heavy equipment on that side).

Good thing I'm still in the planning stage! I guess this is why it helps to have things cleaned up a bit and be able to walk into the house and look out windows, etc. before finalizing a plan. The view out the back right corner (current bedroom) is much better than I thought...and might make an excellent den, sort of open to the kitchen. Then, I could make my living room look like picture above and put the sofa/lounge seating in the den. This might really work, but we have to plan on using every space, evey day...or I'm not going to pay for more square footage. I don't like spaces that are for 'show' and not used daily. It seems too much like a museum.

LL Those pictures are Gorgeous. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the seating around the fire.

This morning I sat on our love seat in the dinning room in the morning sun to drink my coffee. I usually just sit in the living room a few more feet to the left. But when I started to walk to living room the sun on the love seat called to me.

I use our dinning room so much more for just sitting in then eating in. I am enjoying my tiny gate leg table I added against the cabinet.

Shades- How have you been? It's been a nice autumn, so far...how about you? It's supposed to be sunny and almost sixty degrees, today. Once it gets a little warmer, I'm going to go out and do some gardening :)

I really like these pictures, too. I remember seeing a whole layout in a magazine (BH&G?) many years ago. I liked the way the kitchen opens up to the little window seat/table area and the small seating area. Not as big as the normal kitchen/nook/family room layout. Just a sunny place to sit and talk or have a snack...and perfect for a 'spot of tea' too! LOL

OH Yah and I would love to lay down some glass on that darling table.Maybe some roses china.

I already did the garden thing for now, today. Resting for a few minutes. REALLY wet out there.

I have not been well at all with this psoriasis. Attached to it is arthritis and I can barely walk for the splits on my feet.Hands and feet look like I got attacked by razor blades. Just the nature of the beast. Hate to whine but it is cutting DEEPLY into my play time.

We had frost in a couple of areas of the yard this morning. Not all. Garden is still ok. Might not be tomorrow.There is snow on the mountain tops. It has been two really lovely days after a week of needed rain. We even had to turn on the heater the other day. I am so looking forward to winter. Hoping maybe then I will heal. Survived several bouts with cancer and this psoriasis crap makes me want to kill myslef.:^((((

I REALLY am enjoying my little dinning room sitting area so do not give up on one for you.I actually enjoy it so much I am thinking of bring the antique hospital bed tray thing in to be able to sit there with my lap top and tea feet up kind of thing. LOL I GRABBED this at a yard sale and almost had to fight for it. LOVE it and have used it in so many areas of the house. Every one should have one only I have never seen another old one like this. It has purple fabric on it and you can see a knob on the leg to make it higher and lower.It had a much larger top. I made it smaller to fit in my smaller space. I can always put the top back on.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hospital tray.

Shades- I'm so sorry to see that you haven't been feeling well. I just thought you were busy in your garden, this summer.

Your tray is wonderful! How handy and also pretty :)

Still playing with my floor plan, trying to make this all fit in the allowed space. It's a challenge, but fun, too. I'm thinking of making the living room more like the photo (above) and have the TV in the den (what's been the bedroom). This would open up much better views and also work better with the HUGE fireplace in the living room! LOL

I'm still working on the dining room, too, but I like the idea of making it a library/dining/office area. Still very cottage feeling, with lots of bookcases and built-ins...and a bay window seat, of course. I've become so used to living all on one floor that I'm not sure I want to have to go up or down stairs every day. This way, my husband's 'man cave' would be in the basement, along with the furnace and storage...that's it. Upstairs would be a guest suite and I should have enough room to have a small bedroom on the first floor, with the master. It sounds huge, but actually, not that much more space added on than in the other plans.

How do you use your extra bedrooms? Isn't one your sewing or craft room? That would be very nice!

One of the bedrooms is a guest room /sewing room. We do not have a lot of company come to stay over night. I can still use the room as a sewing room with the futon down as a bed but of course there is much more room in there with the futon up as a couch. Ray was going to come visit this week so I made the bed up and then he changed his mind. He will be here soon so I will just leave it made up. This room is small at 9 foot by 13 foot. No closet in it.

The other extra room is my glass studio room. I only use it for that. ALL MINE!!! LOL I need it this way as I must keep the animals out of it. The glass bits are too dangerous for their feet. This room keeps my project from making messes all over the house.

I use both rooms quite a bit. I even use the sewing room as a nap room or quiet reading spot. I REALLY use every bit of this house. It has been the most comfortable house we have had. We did do lots of customizing.

Shades- After a couple of weeks of thinking about all this...I've decided to have a big, open kitchen/dining room, rather than a formal dining space. It just seems more 'farm like' and I think it will keep the living room from feeling too formal, too. Also, there needs to be more views out the back, since it's a nicer view than I thought. It makes such a difference, when you can actually walk up and look out those back windows! More cleaning and sorting, still to do, though.

And, I've brought back one of the older plans (with lots of scrawling on it...sorry) showing the kitchen up front and the dining room open to the sunroom. It's actually a sun/screen porch area, without the back door. I have a new photo that shows what I'm hoping to accomplish.

Still love the windows over the sink, corner wood stove with the brick surround, and the sunroom's corner banquette with the pergola outside. Also added a little pergola over the kitchen window...and maybe one, outside the living room. I really want a cottage feel to the outside, with climbing roses, wisteria, clematis, etc. So, here's a quick plan and thanks for 'holding my hand' through all this decision making! :)

Plan, again sorry it's messy...I'll try to do a better job, tomorrow. {{gwi:2066434}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Sunroom picture {{gwi:2066435}}From Kitchen plans

Kitchen window {{gwi:1989881}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Dining area...love these colors {{gwi:1540178}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Corner wood stove {{gwi:1416730}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

And, I know you like this desk as much as I do :) {{gwi:2066436}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

oops sorry I missed this LL. Been a crazy couple of weeks for us.

YES I GASP every time I see that desk and want to paint mine so badly!!!!

I always liked this first plan. The last plan you are showing now. We have the open areas here and I love it. Not on as such a grand scale as you are going to do but for us what we have really works. And we do not have family to come visit. Makes a huge difference.

That sun room picture is fantastic. LOL Was thinking of Loretta this morning when vacuuming the dinning room sitting area. Her little porch area and was brain thinking how I could turn the love seat to face out the window and still have the room work. LOL Yes I would be looking at the porch but still could see the street past the porch.
Maybe some day my porch will become my sun room. Will be a scorcher unless I can come up with some way to shade it better.

Shades- Thanks for the response! I just posted, yesterday.

Today, I was trying to organize my pictures on Picasa and separate the plans from the pictures, when I think I accidentally deleted them, rather than moved them. Right now, it's still showing the plan...but if it disappears...sorry.

I think your porch sounds charming, but I know what you mean about whether to glass it in. In the winter, you want all that nice light, but in the summer, I think a north side porch, might be best :)

Shades- Thanks for all the help and support! I'm posting the cottage I found, yesterday. I also think this plan matches the feel of the cottage, the best. What do you think? I didn't want to get too big...and the little sunporch on the back will be a great space. Thanks, again :)
{{gwi:1416725}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures
{{gwi:2066437}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

LL I think this is one of my favorite versions of your plan. the mudroom and pantry to die for. Really like the little sitting room in kitchen. Maybe because I have similar and love it and use it. With your large family it will make a nice conversation area for those not helping to cook.

DANG it gal every time you show me that desk I start to thinking HOW I can move mine to be able to leave it open like that. If I can figure that out it WILL be painted.

Do not know if I ever told you this secretary was a trade. A friends Grandmothers for my mothers that was close to the same only mine was smaller and this one is a couple inches wider. Not a big deal. Mine was all intact and this one had broken glass in door and drawer was falling apart. Easy fix. When we traded I told her I would keep it in tack in case her boys wanted THEIR grandmothers secretary back. That was over 13 years ago.The boys are grown now and I am sure gone from home. I have not heard from them for five or so years. Wonder if she would really care now if I painted it. I doubt the boys want to make the trade and they are some where in California. No idea if they have moved from where I last knew they were. Suppose I should ask before painting. LOL Will be making some phone calls. It would look so great painted!!! The finish on it now is awful. Came to me this way.