My only significant comment is that the refrigerator is a long way from the sink. Try and think about how you prepare a meal. I suspect you do quite a bit of food preparation near the sink. That would require you getting items from the refrigerator. Possibly move the refrigerator to the left of the sink and move the sink down a bit to the right. It is difficult to tell scale based on the small size of the attached drawing. Having a built in refrigerator to the left of the sink would help to define the kitchen area from the rest of the area. Just a thought...

That's a great point that I hadn't considered... and it would be a nice "divider" to define the space. Great idea!

Here's a zoomed in view of the kitchen/living area part of the plan.

Thanks so much!

I actually like the entry location and think that's a great place for a fireplace. Sure, you can't put seating around the fireplace but it would still be there for ambiance and extra heating if you need it. I think an entry door centered in that room will create all sorts of furniture placement nightmares. It's a lot easier to place furniture when there is not a traffic path that has to go through or around the seating.

If you look at most floorplans of homes that don't have a separate, dedicated entry, they are usually on the edge of the room for that very reason. We once rented a vacation home for a weekend with a group of friends and the door opened into the middle of the living room as you propose doing. It was really awkward. No big deal for a weekend but I wouldn't want to live with it.

Wow, that IS a master bedroom suite. Do you really need to use that much square footage? It looks like it's about 1/3 of your house! I guess I'm old school before master suites were such a thing but I'd never give up that much square footage for a room I'm in for such a short time of my day and for most of it I'm sleeping. Just the master bedroom itself looks like it's actually the same size or maybe even a tad bigger than the living room. I'd shrink down that whole master suite and add to the living space.

I'm sure no expert on these issues and am just remarking based on what I'd like if it were my house. If I were you, I'd also ask around in the Decorating forum and Remodeling forum to get more feedback.

It's hard to see the dimensions of the rooms as your floorplan is so small. Would it be possible for you to post just the kitchen area?

My drawing is gonna be small since yours was so I don't know what you can see. I switched locations of the sink and range. I put a pantry in that corner and moved the side entry door down to the living room. I would make it double sliding doors and then put a small deck or patio out there. You could even make your porch a wrap-around porch to that door if you wanted.

I also rotated the island the other way but it's hard to tell without dimensions if this would be better or not. I added a prep sink in the island. Aisle spaces if two people will be working back to back should be at least 48", preferably more like 54". I can't tell if you have the space for that or not.

It will also make venting the range easier to have the hood direct to an outside wall.

You should plan your kitchen space so the work flow goes from fridge to prep area/prep sink to cooktop. And it's nice to have a clean-up area in a separate space from the prep/cook areas.

Well, hope this helps a bit.

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My (inexpert) thoughts . . . rotate the island, as funkxycamper suggests. You might even be able to get 1 seat on the (now) right side as well as two or three on the long side. Having seating on two sides is really nice for conversation.

I also would go ahead and move the fridge to the end of the counter run next to the family room. It'd then be readily accessible to snackers, and it'd keep snackers and browsers (just wait!) out of your work zone and out of traffic paths.

Then nudge your sink down the wall a couple feet, so you have at least 4 feet, ideally 6 feet, between the fridge and sink. I'd put the dishwasher to the right of the sink, both to keep the d/w door from being in the path between fridge and sink, and also because I just always have the d/w on the right of my sink, so that's where it feels comfortable to me.

By moving the fridge off the range wall, you'll have a lot more working counter, and it'll feel more open as well. I think you'd have enough room for a prep sink, either on your range run (very handy), or, my preference would be on the end of the (now rotated) island, as I would prefer to do much on my prep on the island, facing the family room. If you put the prep sink down towards the right side of your island (right of the image above), that'd be a short step from the range, and it'd also be handy for guests, etc to use without getting in the workflow.

I'd look at putting a serving buffet along that empty wall. You could put 8 feet (or so) of uppers and lowers, doing glass front for the uppers for glassware and good dishes (plus on minus a wine rack), then below storage for more dishes and linens, etc.

Good luck! I'm sorry I don't have the knowhow to edit images and draw what I'm talking about. I hope I was more helpful than confusing.

I think you have room to do this: pull the range wall down, extend to the sink wall, making your L, and this creates a side entryway. You could even then have hooks on one wall for your coats. You could leave part of the wall open, but certainly close off behind the range. The corner cabinet could have its door on the back-hall side, for boots, umbrellas, etc.

You know, rarely do people sit and gaze at the fire, but it is nice ambience. I think it's in a fine location, since you wouldn't have a sofa there anyway. And leave the front door where it is!

Oops, I lost you your dining area. What about this? This gives you a side entry that doesn't force you through the working area. The right side of the island can be base cabinets and/or drawers to replace the uppers. And it gives you back a dining area. Just an idea...

This post was edited by bpathome on Mon, Feb 2, 15 at 17:31

Wow, these are all great suggestions!! We'll definitely move the fridge down so that it's a barrier of sorts to the living room. I'd love to turn the island, but have to keep the other side of the room open for the dining table...

I know the master suite is huge and we don't necessarily need or want it to be that large, but it's just the way everything shook out, and I think we're good with it.

Definitely rethinking moving the front door. Luckily we plan to live with it for a while before making that decision- I was just concerned about how the furniture would be arranged.

Thanks again for all of your help and great ideas!!

Personally, unless you think refrigerators are pretty focal points, I would not move the fridge down to the left side of the sink. It will be like the fridge is in your living room.

Maybe I'm biased, but I still like my plan best for function and visual as the fridge will be convenient for snackers and those just getting a drink without intruding into the space of the cook. It will also be closest to the dining table which is always a plus.

Here's that plan with the island turned the way you need it.

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I still think moving that door down to living space and making it a glass door would look nice, add light, and still give you good access and that great pantry. Hope you consider it.

I am rethinking the doors though. Instead of two glass doors, it should probably be a single door just at the edge of the counters. This leaves a wall for a TV. I didn't think about that at first because I don't watch much TV myself and, when I do, it's usually in the kitchen while cooking.

Below is an idea for furniture layout. Whether you put one or double-doors there, this would work. Problem is, I didn't think of seating for TV watching. If that's an issue, you would need to tweak. If you put the TV on the wall beside my proposed single glass door location, you could have a single chair next to it instead of the loveseat I put there. I would get a single chair that swivels so someone can face others for conversation or face TV depending on what's going on. Hope this all makes sense.

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Good luck with your build. I think that's going to be a cute house.

I'm struggling with the front entrance being right next to the fireplace. Is that a door that you think you will use at all? Where will your guests arrive and leave? If you think they'll use the same door as you, then you could virtually ignore that door and leave it as is. But, if you think that you'll be using the front door for guests, I'd definitely think about moving it. I'd slide it down toward the left, so that it lines up with the aisle of the kitchen.

Your fireplace is almost your focal point for the living room by default, so you probably ought to plan your furniture around that. This is part of why the door should move.

Take caution before going totally open concept. It's nice in theory, but can be difficult to live with. Private space is important, too. Where does one person do paperwork while the other listens to music or watches t.v.? Or someone is relaxing in the living room while someone else is in the kitchen chopping veggies, running the noisy blender, clanking pots and pans, with all that noise bouncing around the wide open space. Where do you go for a quiet phone conversation? Are you ok with someone walking in the front door and having your entire kitchen project (mess) on full display with no way to hide it?

Before you move forward, please look up books by Sarah Susanka, in The Not So Big House series. They are widely available in libraries, and are also easily purchased on Amazon.com. Her theories will help you hone in on what's really important to design into your space and help you save significant money on building things that you might not use the way you think you will now.

Is the living room big enough that the furniture can be clustered around the fireplace, leaving enough room for the dining room table at the left end? This would let you run your island parallel to the fridge and stove wall in your kitchen drawing at the top, which really makes for a very nice kitchen for you, as long as you put a prep sink in the island.

Take it slowly, which it sounds like you will. : ) Live in the space for a while and get a feel for what you like and what you don't. It's hard when we want it all done now, but a better plan sometimes comes about by careful evaluation of how the house really lives.

Here is a link that might be useful: Not So Big House books on Amazon.com

Here's one idea. (I am novice, but I am learning iDraw, so I went ahead and goofed around with your plan, even though I really know nothing about these things. Take my suggestions with a spoonful of salt.)

I'm having a hard time seeing your whole house plan clearly but if I'm interpreting it correctly, your master bedroom suite is nearly as large as your kitchen, DR and family room. Is that correct? That seems out of scale to me. Are you willing to consider making some changes to your master bedroom suite in order to gain a larger kitchen, DR and family room? Keep in mind that most of family living happens in the latter rooms and not in the former. Kids and their toys take up a lot of space.

Other than garbage cans, what is on the left side of your home? Do you plan to add a deck to the back or side of your home? Do you grill? If so, where do you plan to put your grill? Where do you plan to entertain outdoors? Where do you come in with groceries (the door on the right)? Do you live in a climate where a mudroom would come in handy? If your kids get into sports, their gear will take up a lot of room; where do you plan to store it?

I like the idea of keeping the door where it is and making the fireplace part of a welcoming entry. Here are some inspiration pics for you:

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[Traditional Entry[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-entryway-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_741~s_2107) by Rehoboth Beach Interior Designers & Decorators Bruce Palmer Coastal Design

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[Contemporary Entry[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-entryway-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_741~s_2103)

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[Traditional Entry[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-entryway-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_741~s_2107) by Denver Architects & Building Designers Ekman Design Studio

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[Contemporary Entry[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-entryway-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_741~s_2103) by San Francisco General Contractors Cardea Building Co.

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[Craftsman Entry[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/craftsman-entryway-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_741~s_2116) by Atlanta Architects & Building Designers Historical Concepts

To clarify the house plan a little bit, the master/laundry room/pantry is all new. We didn't plan to have such a big bedroom/suite, but that's how it worked out. I am considering moving the back kitchen wall into the master suite space (just 1-2 feet) to allow for some extra breathing room in the living room, as it's quite narrow (though it is very long). I can't seem to figure out how to make the plan so you can zoom in to look at the dimensions.

Funkycamper, I like your plan a lot, but there's not much we can do regarding exterior doors on the left side of the house. This house is in a downtown neighborhood of a large city, so the lot size is quite small and we don't have much clearance to add anything off the side. We're lucky that the permitting office is allowing us to put a door back there in the first place! We do plan to add a deck off the back corner of the house, where the other exterior door in the kitchen leads.

The front door by the fireplace will be our main entrance in/out of the house. I don't anticipate using the backdoor in the kitchen for much besides garbage because there's a gate on that side that will be closed/locked most of the time.

I'll talk to the contractor about moving the back wall so we gain a little more living space. We're set to begin construction next week (we've been waiting on the permit for FOREVER), so time is of the essence.

Thanks everyone for your ideas! I am certainly mulling over all of them, and reconfiguring the kitchen as I type!

I would turn the island and add a prep sink. This will keep traffic away from your main work area and give you nice island seating.

The family room has a large sofa and three comfy chairs. If you need a small dining table, you could add a larger table on the left. The small circles (with x's) are lamps...and I would add sconces on either side of the fireplace.

Hope this helps :) {{gwi:2139415}}From Home floor plans

I'm not clear about the dimensions but I came up with 2 layouts (covering some suggestions made by other posters) and also pplayed with your bedroom hall and bath.

Flipped counters in this.

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Moved the exterior door to LR side in this. Range and sink walls same as in your layout, but tried to fit a prep sink and more counter on the island across the range wall.

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Both island seating and banquet are not very common I believe, but there are some examples of it.

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[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Waukesha Interior Designers & Decorators Anne Francois @ Collaborative Design

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[Rustic Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/rustic-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2111) by Plymouth Interior Designers & Decorators Studio M Interiors

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[Contemporary Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Shelter Island Architects & Building Designers SchappacherWhite Architecture D.P.C.

The bedroom hall and bath:

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