I like that idea a lot....but if you are family that likes to be able to sit at the table and watch TV then have the dining between the kitchen and FR. It' really about how you envision using the space.

Most people prefer a kitchen abut a family room so the person who does the cooking can interact with any guests in the home. I, too, prefer it next to a family gathering room.

Take a look at the house featured on Cote de Texas. The layout has the kitchen in the middle. Beware, the pics take forever to load!

Here is a pic taken from the dining room, looking toward kitchen and living area.

Here is a link that might be useful: Virginia Reno

Never Thot of that idea! Looks nice in the pic above... But my family is too large to fit everyone around table, so some of us eat in family room plopped down on couch, but still can communicate with each other, even over the football announcers on the Telly...guess it just depends if you want a more formal dining w/o it being toettaly secluded?? I could see it working for some...they DO say the kitchen is the HUB of the home...

that picture is gorgeous!

i wonder how that works from a "work triangle" perspective. there's not a lot of triangles in a straight line. :)

would your sink/stove/fridge all be on the same wall?

would your kitchen "stuff" all be on an exterior wall or interior? i love natural light in the kitchen!

just the practical stuff to think about but from a prettiness perspective it's lovely. :)

we're building an open concept familyroom/kitchen/dining room as well, and i think both the kitchen and the family room are sort of "featured" as they share an exterior wall. the kitchen has a huge 9' long window and the family room has a big fireplace and you see them both equally from the foyer.

I think you'll get a lot of traffic through your kitchen with this layout...so be sure to plan for that. I like the picture, though!

Another idea is to have an L-shape, with kitchen in corner, family room on one side and dining at 90 degrees. I've seen these layouts and there's usually an island buffering traffic around the kitchen, but you have a little more definition of rooms.

Think about how you will use your space and also...how clean a cook you are. I love the idea of an open kitchen, but then reality slaps me in the face and I remember what a messy cook I am! LOL Then I think a small table and a few chairs in the kitchen might be a better choice :)

Thanks everyone for your input. The kitchen stuff will be on an external wall with a wide window so will have natural light. one thing with the design is that the dining area is narrower than the kitchen and family area(by about 6 foot) which means the kitchen is hidden away from the dining area a bit and not as open as the picture above. This worries me a bit as I love how open the picture above is. It does allow us to create an l- shaped kitchen though if we wish.

Thanks everyone for your input. The kitchen stuff will be on an external wall with a wide window so will have natural light. one thing with the design is that the dining area is narrower than the kitchen and family area(by about 6 foot) which means the kitchen is hidden away from the dining area a bit and not as open as the picture above. This worries me a bit as I love how open the picture above is. It does allow us to create an l- shaped kitchen though if we wish.