I can't quite figure out what the flow is to the rest of the house, but I always thought of a keeping room as more informal than what you have in the one layout I found in the link - that is, sort of a living room you can eat meals in, filled with soft, upholstered furniture that is stain-resistant and easy to keep clean. Kind of like the big comfy chairs at a Starbucks. A more relaxing place to eat than a formal kitchen or dining room. I personally like easy access to the fridge and microwave, so you can get more food or reheat what you have without entering the kitchen, or at least having those appliances at the intersection of the two rooms. If possible, I like the keeping room to flow into the kitchen almost as if it's one room, although that would be difficult with your floorplan.

Here's your plan.
{{!gwi}}From Cottage house plans

Thank you both- I'm calling it a keeping room more because I don't know what else to call it. Right now, there's a garage on the other side of the fireplace. But with the Reno we are adding a huge family room - the existing garage will be pushed out in the back and the new garage will be in the front. So the existing family room has to serve a purpose- it will have sliders out to the deck, a table or nook of some sort, amd it will have to accommodate lots of traffic from college kids traipsing in and out. The kitchen will be white with soapstone or honed granite, a large island, amd a wine bar on the dining room wall side. There will be hardwoods put in throughout and I can update the doors and windows. I've added some more pics.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thesecondhalf

So, the fireplace is on the opposite wall, from the kitchen? And the new family room entrance is to the left of it...with the slider access next to the banquette?

If it were me, I think I'd put a table in front of the fireplace. Maybe a cozy round one with four chairs that can expand, when you need more room. I'd have a comfy chair or two (maybe a chair and ottoman) in the corner, where you show the banquette. With the built in on the other side of the room...I think you're on your way to a cozy, inviting keeping room :)

I wonder if knocking out the kneewall and the fence would help open up the keeping room to the kitchen. Can't tell if there's a step there from the pictures.

Yes, we plan to knock out both the knee wall and fence (thanks for telling me what that's called!) and I love the idea of the table in front of fireplace but DH doesn't think he likes that. I think I'll drag the existing table there and try it out for a few days.
There IS a step down into the fireplace room and we thought of raising the floor but it seems to be a significant expanse without as much payout...
Thank you so much for the comments and guidance! My mom and sister are on the other side of the country and it's hard to judge revision of space you live with everyday.

These are the kinds of things I would think about:

--- Whether to do what you show as the slider wall, or do three linked panels where only one opens instead of the window + door. This gives the tall glass without having to allow room for both door swings. Other patterns may also work better.
--- Whether it would look better to have the dining room opening also arched, but perhaps a little smaller than drawn. Would repeat a little of the new style in the older part of this house. If it didn't look ok in the drawings, then I'd consider whether I was trying to "thrown in" an arch at the new family room even tho it didn't match the house.
--- Whether I needed those ovens to be right there or if they could be moved to the wall with the dining room opening. A lot of people use their ovens infrequently as compared to say the cooktop. It would provide breathing room at the cooktop as well as not feeling closed in by the wall corner and the ovens.
--- List and weight the activities I wanted to happen in the former family room and think about how those would take place. I guess a clearer way to say this is to plan your needs and arrange your furniture first rather than just stick stuff in.
--- instead of long skinny room I didn't know how to arrange, I wonder if it would work to add a wall between the entry space and the main room. Could get some storage, perhaps bulk-item pantry area and a cozier hearth room.
--- I would also consider reversing the door and window on the main entry and make the new cabinets a bank next to the fireplace. The cabinet doors in front of the closet could open to a deeper version of your existing closet.
--- It's difficult to tell clearances on an unmeasured drawing, but it's impossible on a 3d drawing. I wonder if your clearances around the island are enough for you?

hth!

Bmorepanic- thanks so much for the thoughtful list. You make a great point about the wall ovens...and since I'm left handed it' s even more of an issue - where on the dining room wall would you move the ovens...the existing entry to the dining room is where I show the built ins, so I can move it.
We really want a large island though, and that's why we cleared off the wall (which currently houses a behemoth of a frig, a desk, amd a pantry.) In the plan, the clearances around the island are 42".
I love the wall idea but the current family room has a cathedral ceiling so breaking that with a wall could be awkward.
You are absolutely right about the archway...it's a colonial home and the archway probably doesn't fit. And the doors to the deck I've already changed...again, thank you for bringing up some great points.

Look carefully at the fridge and tall cabinet. Looks like you are chopping up a bay with cabinets and seating. I wouldn't be comfortable with either of those. I agree that a table in front of the fireplace (round of a long farmhouse style) would be more in that style. I'd thing about a couple of comfy chairs in the bay space -- but don't chop that space up. The curve has to make sense or everyone who walks in will know you did a reno and where.

I can't correlate the picture with the drawing. So you're planning to cover up that big window with the fridge?

I don't understand the purpose of the front door in the FR/keeping room. People will use the entry foyer door if the one next to the garage isn't there. Replace the door and existing window with a double window (create a garden outside under the windows). Then I would move the door to the garage closer to the fireplace and repurpose those built-ins for a pretty drop zone area around the double window from the garage entry. I also like the idea of a table in front of FP rather than the seating area next to the slider.

You people are great...and even more brutally honest Han my mom and sister!! And that's what I need. Ok so I called the KD and she is revamping design to get rid of banquet, change deck door to triple and no window, get rid of front entry... Will post revamped design as soon as I can.
Javachik- I also don't understand the purpose of the front door in the FR...that room has three doors/openings AND a closet. It's always been an impossible room but I love it because of the fireplace.
I've moved my current kitchen table in front of the fireplace - see pic below.
Lee676- yes the picture window has to go. The new window over the sink is actually a 5ft window and I could go to six but I would lose cabinets. We have a southern exposure and the house is extremely bright. With the new larger sliders we will be bathed in light. Light also will come in from the large dining room windows.

Here is a link that might be useful:

You people are great...and even more brutally honest Han my mom and sister!! And that's what I need. Ok so I called the KD and she is revamping design to get rid of banquet, change deck door to triple and no window, get rid of front entry... Will post revamped design as soon as I can.
Javachik- I also don't understand the purpose of the front door in the FR...that room has three doors/openings AND a closet. It's always been an impossible room but I love it because of the fireplace.
I've moved my current kitchen table in front of the fireplace - see pic below.
Lee676- yes the picture window has to go. The new window over the sink is actually a 5ft window and I could go to six but I would lose cabinets. We have a southern exposure and the house is extremely bright. With the new larger sliders we will be bathed in light. Light also will come in from the large dining room windows.

Here is a link that might be useful:

I like the table and those chairs are lovely...but your dogs are so adorable, it's hard to focus on the room :)

The chair in the corner looks very inviting, too. Great place to curl up and read a book! Can you take a picture, showing the table in front of the fireplace?

Here's a link to the entire album...and the dogs show up in many of them. They like to know what I'm up to.

Here is a link that might be useful:

LOL! I know what you mean...my horses are the same way, when I'm working in the garden. They think they're dogs and love to stand by their fence, to see what we're doing :)

Here's you picture. It's a little easier if it's in the thread...and I really like the table in front of the fireplace! {{!gwi}}From Cottage house plans