First of all, I'm not a landscaping pro or any type of expert, just a homeowner who likes maps and plans. So I'm wondering about the actual usable amount of space in your front yard. I see a distance of 24'6" (maybe 24'8"?) from the front of the lot to the corner of the window on the right. Is the front property line the location of the curb? Will there be a sidewalk along the street in front of the house? Will it be right along the street, or will there be a parking strip (grass area) between the street and sidewalk? One of the lines in the front yard is labelled "ACHD easement." That's your county's Highway Division. It's 8' from the front property line, so it's 16'6" from the front of the house. My county doesn't allow trees -- or even tallish shrubs -- in the easement, so ask before you plant. The other line -- 12' from the property line, so only 12' 6" from the corner of the window on the right -- is the utility easement. That's another area where planting large shrubs or trees might be restricted, if power lines/pipes are underground. And hopefully they won't put any unsightly boxes in front of the house. But in any case, there may be significantly less space in front of the house where you're free to landscape as you wish, than you expect. Boise's snowfall averages only 19" per year, but you might want to ask the neighbors how much of the street snow will be dumped in your yard.

Clau soil particles are a mineral and do not "break down", it is the organic matter thaat gets mixed into the clay that gets digested by the soil bacteria. Some types of clay do not seem to allow organic matter to mix, there seems to be some kind of barrier at the soil/mulch interface that prevents mixing so those soils need to have some organic matter tilled into the soil first. Once that is done then mulches add to the OM in the soil with no problem. However, wood chips and shredded bark seem to be the most common types of mulch material that presents this problem. I would find some good compost and work that into that soil first and them apply the mulch.

Also, cpartist, dining room only used on major holidays 3-4 x's at most a year so no worry. So if you only use it 3-4x a year, why are you building one in? Wouldn't it make more sense to combine the kitchen/dining into one space with room to expand at holiday times? I'm in the same boat as you. Mostly I do buffet style parties and with the exception of holidays, we don't sit down to dinner so I have one dining area that is part of my kitchen and can extend into the living area if needed. Why build something that will cost major bucks and only be used 3-4x a year? Guests will access front door and not garage door so no powder room there to see. On the small area you showed, it looked like the front entry since it says entry. As far as pathways,good input. I think I will have to really think my new furniture as to make sure the new stuff isn't overly large and overstuffed to maintain those thoroughfares. It will be mostly just us two at most times but I will really have to plan for furniture so thanks. Make sure your house has an organizing "spine" to it because when you have an organizing "spine" it helps make it much easier to move about and have good flow throughout. I've been in builder open houses where my friend and I were constantly guessing where to go next and what would be behind door #1. When a house is laid out well, with rooms only 1-2 rooms deep, one doesn't need to try and figure that out. It seems to lay itself out in an orderly flow. I'm excited to have kitchen so close to master. Dogs get up early and nice to be so close. I don't have an issue with it being close to the kitchen. That's personal choice. I have an issue with you having to walk through your work zone to get to the kitchen. That is not so good. The best homes I've seen with the kitchen near the master either have a path between dining area and kitchen to master or the master is off a separate hallway. In either case one doesn't have to walk through the kitchen to get to the master. Again this speaks of good flow and natural flow. The pantry will have a hidden entry (will look like wall cabinetry but will have a concealed door.(look like uppers and lowers but the "cabinet" pulls will open the one large door on either side) I like a hidden entry but I absolutely would not do a double door entry. And in this case I'm not sure it's the best use of space. Also, what do think about swapping the fridge and wall oven placement? Since cpartist said its roller skate distance, maybe I should. Yes that will help but your kitchen will not work for aging in place and that should be a consideration. I realize you're healthy now, but stuff happens. The best is to have an L shaped perimeter so you can slide your food stuff from sink to cooktop. That's what I did with my perimeter. In fact, I bucked what is commonly done by putting my cleanup sink on the island and my prep sink on the perimeter for just that reason. My Mom had Parkinsons and used a walker. She could easily wash and prep her food stuff and then slide it over to the cooktop because the sink was on the same counter run. However she needed help for carrying stuff. Roller skate distance can also indicate a barrier island and/or a kitchen that's overly large. You can have a smaller, efficient kitchen, esp with a large pantry, and you can have a large, inefficient kitchen. My parents had the latter at their retirement home, which influenced us greatly for our new house. So very true. Do yourself a favor and in your mind try making a meal in that kitchen. You'll quickly see it's very inefficient. And the other comment about where we would eat, BeckySharp, we sit at the bar mainly all the time. If you had the dining table as part of the kitchen and not so far away, you'd use it more often. Especially as you age in place you may or may not find the counter height stools harder to maneuver onto. Hence my suggestion that you build the dining room as part of the kitchen. We've had a formal dining room and basically hardly used it but when we do have the larger gatherings it's nice to have. So you're willing to spend what is possibly $20k-$30k for a space you'll use 4x a year when as mentioned you can combine the two spaces to make it much more functional for now and the future? How many can I seat comfortably on that size bar? Is the rule 24" or 36"? 24"

True...each architect has their own, individual approach to design. If the OP has lost confidence in her architect she should select another, not try to design her on her own and crowd source it here. I wonder if the OP understands that architectural design is a simultaneous consideration of site planning, interior space planning, exterior massing and style, and roof design. In other words, design is a three-dimensional activity involving all aspects of a house. A decision made in one sphere has direct impact on all the other spheres. Architectural design is never a single isolated consideration of a floor plan, one floor at a time. That's what drafters and CAD operators do to manage their clients and minimize time on each project. I hope the OP can work closely with her architect, and not in isolation from her/him.