I'm guessing the bath is accessed from the existing DR and the utility room access is behind the LR chairs?

Perhaps you've considered and rejected this possibility, but my first thought to make the space really livable is to switch the kitchen and office space. Since the plumbing is already there for the bathroom and it looks like you plan an electric range, this should not be too much trouble. Doing so would make it easier to access the DR from the kitchen. The spaces appear to be similarly sized. The current kitchen space could become the office, the play area could be used for casual dining and what you are listing as the breakfast room would make a nice size family/play room.

If that doesn't appeal, another option would be to keep the kitchen in its current location, make the breakfast room your DR, the DR a wonderful family/play room and the current playroom a library/study area.

In answer to your question, I would not install permanent cabinets in the space as your needs will change over time, and you can achieve your goal with furniture. HTH!

Absolutely extent the cabinets into the breakfast room...along the wall with the windows I think it will look fien andw ill be sooo useful. It's a breakfast room....not a formal dining room. The people who owned my house before we bought it did that in the breakfast nook....and it became a TV/hpmework spot. 25 years ago we did a wholesale shake up....and that situation no longer exists...I miss it, but like other aspects of the re do better.
Don't believe everything someone says who doesn't live in your life!

How often do you use your formal dining room? It's present location makes it seem inconvenient, since you have to walk through the living area from the kitchen to get to it.

I think I'd convert the breakfast room into a more formal dining area, and use the dining room for the kids playroom/study room. Move out everything kid related from the breakfast/play room and use that space for dining, since it's adjacent to the kitchen. You could even add bench seating along one wall, (if your windows aren't too long), to maximize the space.

I could sure see counter-height cabinets in the breakfast room along the solid wall that abuts the laundry & kitchen. They could be a different finish than what's in the kitchen: painted, white Formica-type finish, etc. Think of the great storage for computer supplies, things that don't fit in the kitchen, etc. I think this would be more versatile for you than a separate desk. They wouldn't need to be as deep as a desk, either. (My built-in cabinets in the breakfast room are 16" deep - adequate for a laptop, & the DR buffet is 19 1/2" deep - plenty deep enough for desk space.)

It looks as though there would still be room for your 5 ft. table & a bench, which sound great.

Good luck with your remodel.. :)

Is there a reason you aren't moving the kitchen into the breakfast room space, and putting a dining table where the galley kitchen would be? I would MUCH rather have a more open kitchen.

Thanks everyone. We wouldn't really consider moving the kitchen - I guess the floorplan above doesn't really make this clear, but with the entryway the usable space in the breakfast room is really 12x12 and smack dab in front of the front door. I don't really want to have my kitchen sink located a few steps from the front door. And swapping it with the office would entail major plumbing etc, without really any benefit since it would effectively give us the same size kitchen as we currently have.

We don't really mind the fact that you pass through the living room on the way to the dining room - eventually we'll make that all a sort of great room by knocking the wall down between them (presuming we stay in this house, which is likely, we'll add a 4th bedroom and master bath upstairs.) The living and dining rooms were additions by the previous owners - they actually used what we have made the dining room as a MBR, which is why our downstairs bath has a fabulous 1980s jacuzzi in it! Originally it must have been a tiny Cape but they expanded up and out. We will need to do more to stay here permanently but for now we can't handle the disruption or the cost of anything more than pretty basic kitchen remodel.

I think because there really aren't that many different options with the galley, this is my only real "decision" to make - everything else basically comes down to cost and size etc. Building some cabinets into the breakfast room is the only judgement call I have to make and I just want to get it right! Thanks for all the help and suggestions - I really appreciate them!

{{!gwi}}