I'm with rhome in tossing B first. There are things I like about A and C, but I think I'd have problems working with either. If non-cooking traffic is a major concern, A could be a problem, especially if you are having to carry pots of boiling water or pans with hot grease across that end of the kitchen to get to the sink. That layout needs a prep sink in my mind and the island would make more sense than giving up limited counter space in the cooking area. Also, make sure you'd have room to get into the corner cabinet -- the dog dish and shelves look like they are too close. The fridge is too far removed in C -- I'd want to put in some fridge drawers near the range so you have a tight work zone there and let the large fridge store food to the table and extras. But that would take away storage for pots and pans unless you want them under the top of the work table. Without it, I'd have a very hard time working in that kitchen. If it were me, I'd keep working on DH and working with mock ups of the layout (tape, boxes, move tables and chairs, take notes about every move you make in the kitchen during the day -- and try to walk through planning a big dinner party, birthday party, etc. I think the sink island and shallow storage idea or the prep sink in the island give you your best use and function of that space. Is DH afraid of the cost or just saying it can't be done? I moved gas to my island when we bought the house, then capped that off and ran water and electricity to the island to have a prep sink when we remodeled. We have a slab foundation, no basement and a bathroom above. That aren't a lot of arrangements more limited than that and I used to think it was not a possibility for us, but we did it and it wasn't that expensive (about $500 for running lines under the slab). We got so much out of it too. We also closed off a doorway (we had 3 going to the driveway and garage along one wall of the kitchen and breakfast room) and gained a hutch with refrigerator drawers and and espresso machine that has turned out to be a popular favorite -- but we almost didn't do it because we thought it would be too difficult and expensive. The cost wasn't that great (spent more in cabinets and the fridge drawers). The challenge came when both reusing and matching brick were more difficult than we expected. Instead of a brick wall, we put in a faux barn door that ties in with the garage door. There are ways to work around many things that are less trouble and expense than you might think. I'd at least ask those questions before you close doors on possibilities.

Well, yes cost could be a factor. If it's $10 grand I don't know if we'd still want to do it but we can find that out. Either way, the fireplace isn't centered. Even now, without any reno, our furniture is larger on the left side (chair, table, lamp) than the right side (chair only). Furniture is another factor I agree. I've been moving furniture around and looking at measurements of new furniture trying to see what works. One reason we were not sure about stairs was b/c we'd be gaining space but it's not too usable like others said above. (b/c of a door for the stairs, too) An idea would be to put the door at the BOTTOM of the stairs and although we'd have to leave some space we could put a chair or something on the yellow wall on the left. Without moving the stairs we still are taking 2.5' off of that corner and even our love seat wouldn't work that well b/c the sofa isn't lined up well with it. It's possible though. We have a really nice coffee table that isn't being used in this house b/c the 12' LR doesn't allow room for a sofa/loveseat/table and still a good walking space to get into DR. Thanks for your comments. There's pluses and minuses to everything of course. We'll have to weigh it all out.

Or hubby's private entrance into the master closet. I've seen that before, but only in expensive custom homes. Tikilyn, I love that Texas Hill Country look. It's going to be so nice. Regarding kitchens, your progressive designs are showing the effects of kitchen creep, an extremely common syndrome involving adding just a little this and a little that while the kitchen steadily gobbles up other spaces in the process. An 18' width is pretty nice for a living room that will serve as a central intersection of trafficways for the home and still need to be a great place for your family living. I'd put the kitchen back where it starts in #1--at MOST--and make sure it stays there. Maybe DH could stand guard if necesssary? :) Since their placement seems to be breaking up this nice central space to the detriment of the living area, I likely wouldn't do the columns, at least where they are. I also personally wouldn't feel any need to line up the right wall of the dining space with the end of the kitchen counter. I see what you're doing, but to me guarding the feeling of spaciousness would be primary and good space definition can be done other ways, with rugs, ceiling treatments, etc. Among them, I'd almost certainly use a kitchen island or counter with a long side to the central area, like 2 and 3, for a nice trim definition that way. Kitchens become messy, noisy work areas, and a firm feeling of separation from that can be a comfort to people trying to relax in other areas. Regarding what we so absurdly still call the "breakfast" area, for the vast majority of us this is THE dining area. Given its central location, I suspect it will be for your family, and the space allotted to it really needs to reflect this very, very important function. We get fooled into cheating it by denigrating its real function these days and shorting it accordingly while focusing our design thoughts on the less-used front dining room. Am I wrong in thinking this latter is a sadly misguided approach when it can be closed off from sight while the so-called "breakfast area" is ALWAYS on display to everyone? A pretty view out back will trump a glossy mahogany table any day, but it still should be just as well designed inside. In any case, it might be helpful to draw that table and chairs in real-life scale, with the chairs be pushed out as they would be each time someone arrived and left. Assuming a 4' table, and a minimum acceptable distance to wall of 3' for each chair, you're at 10' with nothing extra. It'd work but is cramped compared to the spaciousness of all the other areas. Just one more foot here would make a real difference in the way it looks and feels when you're sitting there. Ideallly, you shouldn't need to even notice the walls as you walk in and push back, certainly not worry about busy kids accidentally banging chairs into them. I personally would take those inches from the master bath by pushing the entire master suite wall to the left a foot or so. We have a large master bath, our kids have large ones in their homes, and, honestly, we'd all move a bit of that extra space to more important areas if we only could. Moving that wall to the left would not only give you more table room, it'd also make that window wall longer, more like #3 but without robbing the living room.

The combinations are beautiful but I am completely confused ... there are more than just two tiles and two mosaic boards in the pictures: There is the LA, a simply gorgeous beige limestone looking tile (is it a limestone or is that the crossville tuscan clay?), a long & narrow set of big tiles with what I think is a crossville tag (which means my beige limestone tile hasn't been addressed at all :-( ), and there is also a crocodile tile there. Then there are the two mosaic boards. So, I can't really figure out which of the figures your four options refer to nor where would those be used. For my part, I LOVE the Labrodor antique tile and I assume you're considering that for the counter (Check and I approve ;-) ). I also love that beige limestone looking thing - but don't think that should be a counter option if you're considering it for there - make it the floor and you're a-okay in my book. Don't care for the long narrow big tile especially if it replaces either of the other two. The mosaics - both are gorgeously beautiful but if callieandkarin say that theirs is the WZ weave, then the bamboo weave gets my vote although the other is lovely too. With the LA, though, I would double the vote for the bamboo weave as it will complement the LA and not fight it for independent validation. Beautiful choices. But please, what is that gorgeous limestone stone/tile???? I need to know this!