Dekeoboe: The mudroom has a closet and a "drop zone" that are across from each other by the side door and behind the half bath. I will either have a table and mirror in the "drop zone" niche or I will have a built in with drawers and shelves. In both cases I will have an electical outlet for charging cell phones, etc. The "bench" will also be a built-in with hooks for backpacks, umbrellas, coats, etc and space for shoes underneath bench. The location of laundry is a small concern of mine, I did initially have a second laundry room upstairs, and I may rework the larger bathroom to have space for a stacked W/D closet. It does have now a laundry chute to the laundry below so that will help some. Otherwise, I only do laundry 2x week (as in 3-6 loads at a time) so it's not something to bother me on a daily basis... I feel that size of an entry doesn't mean an entry is "unwelcoming". In most homes, I feel the entry has wasted space which is why I told my designer to make it as small, but functional as possible. Again, 90% of my guests will be entering through side entrance and mudroom. Also, the guest closet will not be directly off entry so guests will not need to take coats off/on in this area. With that said, I had suggested to my designer a width of 7-8 ft wide... However, to make it wider I would have to reduce the size either of my garage, dining, or study which I do not want to do if not really needed (which then changes room size above too). I could move the doors of the study to the entry wall and remove wall separating dining room from entry to make it feel more "spacious" but that would make the study feel more isolated from living room which is something I am trying to avoid. Also, the back of the home will be seen as much, if not more, than the front of the house. The back yard is adjacent to the golf course and the commnuity pool is on the other side of golf course. So anyone playing golf or swimming at pool will seeing the back of the home. Any more obsevations or comments? I am thinking I may want to move my refrigerator to stair wall and then double ovens to where refrigerator currently is... So that the stove would be centered on its wall.

You ask a timely question. I have the issue facing me. A loveseat and a sofa both of which are really like daybed style, since I don't like big arms and such on my furniture. They both have loose pillows, and a single bottom cushion/mattress. Here is the picture of the loveseat, now on my sunporch. From the back: From the front: The sofa is just about one person wider. Both can be free-standing, since the backs are ornamental. But I want to turn one of them with the back to the new entry, and the sofa might stick out so folks have to go around it. I have two new chairs (dining chairs) to use in the living room which would pair nicely opposite the love seat, or pushed together to make a longer armless white leather and stainless steel "bench." (Think Barcelona chair.) But, I'm also wondering if I can use the SOFA in the front bedroom which will become our study and library. I first though to have back to back (opposite walls) desks for our computers, but now I'm thinking to give MOST of the room to my DH, who is pouting because the Teahouse is ALL MINE. He is of an age now when he likes to take an afternoon nap, and I don't like the living room looking like a flop house when he comes in with his gardening clothes. I am also removing the TV from over the mantle, removing it from the living room. It will be a place to make conversation. Listen to music, which might be coming from the dining room. Yes, the large TV will be hung on the wall above a small buffet and this will be OPPOSITE the window seat. I will also be able to watch/listen from the kitchen. If space is a problem and you mean really GET RID of the sofa or loveseat, I'd keep the LOVESEAT, and get/build an ottoman to use as a coffee table, making that ottoman the same height and width of the loveseat, so it could be used like a sleeping chaise when pushed together, or as a separate seat when another person wishes to sit. We all have our different comfort zones, of how much personal space we need. And adjust for hearing ability or lack thereof. Like my DH is almost deaf at times, and a chair which can be drawn up close or at 90 degrees where he can lip read, that would be good. Also, furniture pushed against the wall with no "breathing" room adds an institutional feel to a home environment. Pull it out from the wall, and you make it more personal and cozier. If your wall areas feel empty, get some potted plants really big ones, or some tall lamps and wall pieces but be sure to leave breathing room so your furnishings will all be special. Oh yeah. Here I found a picture of the sofa while it was on the sunporch. I used that strip of African printed fabric to keep it looking fresh after we sat on it. For neatness, I'd go with the loveseat. And more flexible in arrangement options too.

My biases are biases, they aren't necessarily completely rational. I work in a profession that, when I seems to go to meetings seems to be divided between a large majority that dresses in a bland uniform and a small minority that seems to wear quirky things, (and strange eyeglasses seem to be a part of it). Part of it is that I don't mesh well personality wise with a lot of people in my "real" profession, so I think I associate the glasses with a type within a subpopulation. However, we do have affiliations with our profession in Europe, and especially the German members seem to wear clothes that seem outlandish to the drab Americans. The Japanese contingent all seems to wear identical black suits no matter the weather or location. One well known speaker clinician presented a general session (he's German) in gold lame shoes and he has at least one pair of eyeglasses that are yellow and Swifty Lazar bug-eyed size. Because he is German and dresses like that, he seems to have complete credibility. If some guy from Indiana presented dressed like that, I have my doubts. (And that's just me, I think that would be a general opinion). I feel like my conservative dress is just another form of expression, not that I have become more conservative. I also went through a several year period where I bought nothing but black, except for socks (which were generally white). But the black period was not a conscious decision, I didn't realize it until it was pointed out to me.

arkansasgirl; I think that you have run into a corporate mouthpiece who is not listening to customer's complaints and is shedding the problem by claiming that the customer misused the product. That person may not know much about their manufacturing process other than what their management has fed them. You have the opposite experience with the product, and you have a direct user comparison of the newer version to the older one. In short, the newer version came apart with everyday use whereas the older ones did not. It is true that you hubby gives his shoes high use, but those should fail by wearing out, not by falling apart. By the way, I had a similar failure in a winter boot. Those were very comfortable and warm, but the sole parted company with the uppers after one month of use. There was very little wear. It was a simple case of de-bonding. My belief was the the over-mold process employed was poorly understood by the manufacturer. Also, the joint design was poor. That failure could have put my foot in serious jeopardy of frost bite if I had been caught away from shelter when the sole came loose. Admittedly, it was a cheap mail order offering, but that is not an excuse for this kind of failure. There are a number of factors that must be met to successfully bond two materials. Ignore these is to invite failure. It is sad when a great appearing product fails due to a misapplication of materials and processes. Until that is corrected, that product is doomed.