Wow. I really liked the first one, then I got to the 2nd and think I prefer it. I like the flow of the house better in that one, and the kitchen is still great, too. I like that the long side of the island faces the stove for roomy prep space. Will you leave the coffee bar area open to both the kitchen and the family room? That could be cool.

2 ideas about the pantry:
1)If you leave it at 2 ft deep, I'd still prefer a 'closet pantry' to pullouts in cabinets.
2) or maybe it's just an addendum to idea 1...You could build the pantry at 3 ft deep, still creating a giant, step-in, closet style pantry. This would still leave 5 ft of floor space between it and the closet across the aisle, which seems like it should be enough.

The thing I dislike about the second compared to Plan 1 is the laundry room. Unless you're very neat about the organization of dirty and clean clothes...No piles on the floor, or on counters, it'd be a pain to have people walking through. It also brings the dirt and dust of the mud room into the laundry.

I could really like either. You're right about both having some great qualities.

Nit-picky notes:
a) In Plan 1, you'd want to move the dw's and sink a foot to the right, so the left dw isn't jammed in the corner.

b) In Plan 2, you have the same issue with the dryer.

c) In Plan 2, I'd move the prep sink one square to the right.

d) Also for Plan 2, I don't see any substantial dish storage, which in a kitchen this size, you should have...I'd want about 4 ft of some type of storage dedicated to that at the right side of the right dishwasher.

Here is a link that might be useful: See the great closet pantry shown by Melaska in this thread

I also much prefer the second plan. You're not losing by bumping out, you're gaining a lanai! If you make the door from the family room smaller so that you can put furniture against the glass, that can be a great outdoor room, with the roof extended over the whole (i.e., continuing beyond the square), or with a permanent awning.

I agree with Rhome's comments, for the most part. I love my pantry cabinets, but you can sacrifice a foot or two of that wide aisle easily, and Melaska's pantry is wonderful. I think you'll have enough storage in your kitchen that you won't notice the walk to the pantry.

In moving the prep sink over to the right you can room for someone at the stove and sink not to bump butts, and the sink closer to the butcher block makes it easier to scrape shards into it, etc.

I really like plan 2. I take it the coffee bar is open to the family room? That should give you a nice look, though it would be fine with a wall. That's the SubZero integrated 27" with drawers? I once saw an installation of these with more fridge/freezer drawers in between, and a high cabinet over the counter. The whole think was done up like a big freestanding cabinet unit and was very cool.

The garage access is also much better in plan 2, with the pantry right there and the coolers just beyond.

I have to say that Plan 1 doesn't make sense to me, unless the study is really a front parlor. I don't get the not-large closed off formal dining room without a formal living room to retire to. You're basically inviting your guests to go from prandial splendor into the kitchen. With plan 2, the kitchen is sectioned off with the coffee bar which makes a nice separation. And if that is completely open, and you want to hide the mess, you can put shutters or a screen or something there.

You actually could close off the laundry room from the kitchen in Plan 2. It wouldn't be so much different from Plan 1 in that way, though it would affect access to the pantry. I do like it open, though. Instead, you could slide the laundry pair over toward the coats and use the corner area for some built in sorters.

I don't think my solution would work in your space, but I had the whole side wall of my laundry walk-in closet ("room" is too grand a word for it) made as cabinets to the ceiling. The lower portion is a big double with small laundry baskets on them. I sort into those, and there's a little extra shelf space for bulky items. No more piles in the kitchen!!! LOVE IT! but you could also do several pullout hampers under the counter. You could even use corner drawer rails to make the corner itself a hamper. You can line the hampers with canvas bags with grommets in the top, and pegs on the inner top edges of the hampers. That makes it easy to get at the stuff in the bottom and to clean them (i.e., tug on canvas to raise bottom, and remove and throw in washer to clean (can you tell I hate cleaning hampers?)).

Off topic question: Where's the linen closet?

Rhome, you probably liked the first one because you gave me quite a bit of input when I was planning it several months ago. It changed a little after all the great advice I received here. Initially I had the island in that one turned parallel to the range but it was only 6 ft long and I wanted a bigger island so I turned it perpendicular to the range instead.

It's funny that you both ask if the coffee bar is going to be open to the family room. It was this photo that inspired me to start playing around with the plan a few days ago...

quarrystone

I'm so glad I did because I really like the look of plan 2 on paper. I don't know though if I will leave the coffee bar open or not. The interior stone would not be an option, price wise, but I love the way it looks. I had also thought if we do close that wall in, about just doing some shelves above the counter on the kitchen side. What's the word from the other post? Anti-upperitis?

Of course, seeing the two side by side like this I notice that my plan has evolved in several other places also over the last few months. That's what I meant about having too much waiting time to play around with it...

As far as the laundry room, I'm thinking of having several pullout trash bins in the lower cabinets, that I replace with a hamper to keep clothes out of sight. When redesigning from plan 1 to plan 2, I deleted 2 ft from the left side of the house, resulting in the dryer being jammed into the corner like that. I didn't notice it so thanks for pointing that out. I could easily swap the w/d with the laundry sink so that it is not quite so crowded. I didn't show a door on the drawings between the kitchen and laundry but I like the idea a swinging door here. Do you think that would be a bad idea? Or should I stick with the opening from the kitchen just going to a walk in pantry and keep the mudroom as it is in option 1?

For the fridge/freezer, I am planning for the 30" thermador columns. I would love to have the sub zero, but don't think they are in my budget. Good point, phllog, about how much easier groceries would be to put away in the second one. I was just trying to free up some floor space in the mudroom and didn't think about this added benefit.

After changing the plan, I then followed up with scale drawings of what each wall of the kitchen would look like. It was then that I realized that I needed a little bit more cabinetry on the sink wall. Here is my rendition. No making fun of my subways now....I love excel! I would like to have the windows (learned on GW) brought all the way down to the counter and extend the soapstone into them to act as a sill.

I moved the prep sink to the right one square as suggested. Do you think there will be an issue with crumbs getting between the butcher block and the soapstone? Should I have the end cabinets where the butcher block would be lowered by removing the toe kick?

Oh and phllog, the larger vanity in the master will have a tall linen tower attached to it for towels and such. As well as the dedicated closet in the guest bath. I was planning a space for extra sheets/blankets on the second floor, but I could probably convert one of the three coat closets into a linen closet.

I knew I recognized your name, but couldn't remember what your kitchen plan was.

I don't think you had too much time, I think you had just the right amount of time to get this right! :-) I think the 2nd plan is a better house. It's funny that your kitchen plan 1 is a lot like my kitchen, and your 2nd plan is a lot like what I've dreamed of if we ever do another house.

Swinging doors scare me...If it were me, I'd opt for a pocket door instead.

VERY tough decision about making a walk-in pantry and separating the mud room. I like this more open concept, but I think, for me, separating them like in option 1 might work better day-to-day and be more practical.

Laundry organization: We have tuck-away bins for dirty clothes, too...But then it's sports time or swimming time or too many decide to change their sheets at once, and there are piles of laundry on the floor.

Could you put a bead of clear caulk in between to keep crumbs out from between the butcherblock and soapstone?

I'm not sure what people usually do to lower the island counter. Removing the toe kick could make using a drawer or door tough with it opening along the floor? My dh made our cabinets, so for the lower ones, he just made the cabinet boxes shorter...so that's all I know.

Pocket door. On the exterior side between the kitchen and laundry. Yes it's a door. Yes there's no door. Win win.

Re the rocks, better to have the bump out, though they are lovely. I forgot to mention how nice I think the breakfast area in Plan 2 is as well. It has definition and purpose. :)

Re the divide between the stone and block, yes, crumbs can get in the crack, but it should be filled with silicone or something. Whatever it is that they use. So even if they do, you should be able to get them out with a brush. Or, if you're really concerned, you can put a surface trim strip, but then they won't be flush and you'll have a stripe. One thing to think about with your stone window sill is how deep it is, and how that's going to affect your templating. Some soapstone is just a little wider than two standard counters, so you might not get two widths where the window is.

Re the coolers, I was guessing the SubZero because I forgot that a quarter of a square was 6", and was thinking 3". I have Miele, which have the same shape, and they're really well designed for putting things away organizedly. I was just thinking that the other day.

I hope the numbers work out!

Oh, yeah, lowering the block. Depends on what you're using it for. If it's mostly for chopping veg, the best height is about 4-6" under your elbow. For dressing a stag, you might want it lower. Even for whacking apart a chicken. In a lowered position it would also be good for rolling dough. I think it would be nicest flush with the stone for a continuous counter. There'll be no onions and apples rolling over plop, gaining speed from the drop and rolling onto the floor. It's a function issue, though, and needs to be what works best.

OH!!! Unless you meant lowering the cabinets to accommodate the thickness of the block? No, don't get rid of the toe kick. Where do you want to tuck your toes in more than where you're chopping? If you're buying stock cabinets you can still alter them. Choose a drawer base where the top drawer is at least as deep as the thickness of the block, and it's easy. Unless you're really going to be dressing stags in the house you don't need the full height block. Three inches would be plenty. Six if you want the look.

Okay, I have one more question (I think) but I first want to say I don't plan on dressing any stags in the kitchen, unless I can convince Bambi to come in and let me put one of my daughter's dresses on him or something....

For the end cabinet where the butcherblock would be should I have two 24" cabinets side by side facing the coffeebar of should I have a 24" cabinet facing the range and another behind it facing the hearthroom? Either way I would have a 24x48 inch support for the butcher block.

There will be seating for 3 on the hearth side of the island.

Oh and I forgot to say how much I like the pantry posted in the link by Rhome in the first thread. I love the pocket doors rather than the traditional bi-fold doors.