No furniture placement suggestion. We have a very small keeping room ... wish we had made it larger. We practically live there. Never would have imagined that when we built the addition.

I did want to comment on your screened porch. With only two open sides you'll be blocking a cross breeze. Since you're still in the design phase that might be something to look into.

i really regret not putting a fireplace in our kitchen 9yrs ago...thought about it...i think you'll love it!!
just based on your drawing, i assume the fireplace is already in. i would probably put my kitchen table length wise in front of the fireplace and tuck the chairs/loveseat/whatever furniture you put in there more off to the side(r corner) and out of the line of traffic and kitchen prep. i think a cozier seating area would be ideal, and i think the table will be nice in front of the fireplace.

Jenswrens- I'm not going to comment on the furniture, since I've already responded on the kitchen forum.

Just wanted to say, I like the mudroom/screen porch change. It really opens up the porch and great view from the front of the house through to the porch :)

I know you really need a mudroom, so if you open the french doors, wouldn't that help with a cross breeze?

Thanks lavendar lass! Loved your suggestions - they worked out really well, switching the F/F and ovens that way. Also wanted to say thank you for your enthusiastic support this whole time. You don't know how much I've appreciated it!

I too was concerned about the lack of a breeze just yesterday when I was sitting out on our current porch in the heat - and welcoming the slight breeze. We will also have a front porch (not screened though). Perhaps making the mudroom narrower and longer, extending to the north edge of the house and allowing a few feet of the porch to stick out would work. ??

And nothing in this plan is built yet, so yes, the fireplace can be moved.

What is the purpose of the closet in the hearth room, specifically? How about the hutch with drawers next to it?
Is the closet storage that should specifically be accessed from the great room? Is the hutch to create symmetry with the other one?
I don't want to minimize the need for storage, but with the closet there you lose the only wall against which you can actually anchor furniture.

With other types of storage it is sometimes possible to place furniture almost against it and have adequate access.

Since I've been unable to figure out where to put a walk-in pantry, I was thinking of using the closet for things like vacuum, brooms, cleaning stuff, bulk paper towels, extra coats/boots, pet food?, dry goods not often used, etc.

I originally had the kitchen table in that corner so hutches were for dishes, coffee stuff, etc. But I think I like the table near the corner windows better.

Those sliding doors go directly out to the deck where we would have the grill, patio furniture, etc., so weÂd use the doors quite often.

You said: "rather as a cozy place to sit and read, talk or play on the laptops"

Then do you really need a formal eating area with light? How about the couch?

Cozy to me would be a smaller game table that could also be used for laptops(maybe one that would expand for company?) and more club chairs as pictured. Perhaps an ottoman or 2.

Jenswrens- Happy to help...and you're going to have a beautiful house!

I know you want a walk-in pantry...don't we all? :)

Is there any way you could push out the north wall (I think) even with the rest of the kitchen. Also, could you possibly add 3 or 4 feet to the mudroom/screened porch side? I was thinking, maybe you could enter the mudroom (from the kitchen) and have a walk-in pantry on your right, in what is now part of the mudroom. The rest of the now larger area could be the mudroom and you could have the exit either onto the screened porch, out the back, or both.

Just a thought, but what good is building your own house if you can't have everything you want...well, at least a walk-in pantry...and maybe a clawfoot tub? Wait, that my dream house! LOL

Which slider will you go out of more, the one in the seating area or the one in the table area? Is it possible to select which one opens?

If there were *no closet there, you would have the depth of the corner for a seating group although it may overlap the slider a bit. Not so much of an issue if it is the slider toward the FP that opens.

Is there a way to have the closet open into the other room or would that be too far out of the way/impossible?

Is there plans for a TV?

Is the only outside entrance to the mud room from the screened porch? Wouldn't it be more practical to have a separate outside entrance?

Something else ... how do you access the screened porch? Through the mud room? Why not French doors from the hearth room instead of windows?

Natal- I believe the windows closest to the mudroom are French doors...at least it looks like it in the picture.

Jenswrens- If you ever do decide to do a corner fireplace, maybe you could repeat the three windows and a French door or slider with access to the deck. Then you could have the fireplace in the corner, where the closet is now. While I love the hutches, what if the one closest to the kitchen was a hutch and the other a bookcase? You could always "mirror" the hutch, somewhat, with a closed storage area on the bottom (maybe 1/3) and open shelves above.

It sure would bring a lot of light to the dining area and make easy access to the deck, between the table and the seating area :)

Very nice rooms. The only thing that bothers me is that when you have guests in the hearth room and you're in the kitchen the sofa effectively forces the conversation away from anyone in the kitchen.

Maybe a love seat where the chair is and 2 swivel chairs where the sofa is would work better?

My question would be how you entertain. Do you have another eating area, because your table only seats 6. I thought our table that could expand to 8 would be sufficient...but now I add card tables into the library to seat everyone at the holidays!

Does the sun porch have to be so big? Can you incorporate that area into your room?

Based on your current layout, I'd second putting the table in front of the fireplace. Put a small table and a couple of club chairs where you've got the table. But really, to me, that seems redundant with the sunroom so close.

What part of the country are you in? Do you plan to use the hearth in the winter? If so, what about draperies in the winter? And use of the sun room? I'd be thinking of the four seasons use then figure out seating, but that's just how my brain works!

Jenswrens- I noticed that you put a door by the kitchen sink...does this go out to the garden?

If you did put a walk-in pantry in the mudroom and expand that area a bit (as mentioned earlier) it might be fun to have a door from the screened porch into the mudroom and one across from it going outside (north side). This would give you the (west?) wall of the mudroom for a whole wall of storage. Have you ever seen those mudrooms with the storage and the high (clerestory?) windows above? Those are so nice, since you get lots of light, but don't lose any wall space :)

You would also have the wall opposite (other side of the walk-in pantry for storage. If you took about one foot off the screened porch you could tuck in 10"-12" behind the door from the kitchen into the mudroom and have more storage. Narrow storage is perfect for cans, cookbooks, even pegs for coats, leashes, etc.