Ok I am back..... Wow, I just read thro' all the responses and you guys rock !!! I love this forum :))) So far the consensus seems to be to open it up. To answer some of your questions.... oakleyok: The rooms are small. LR is 13 x 18 and FR is 11 x 18. So if we open it up, it will prob. be around 24 x 18 which I think is a nice size....Not too big nor small... bumbledoodle & jan in wisconsin: Thanks for sharing :) I am glad you love the openess....Its very affirming. We currently have a full set of furniture in the LR(Sofa, loveseat, 2 chairs, coffee & end tables). In the FR, we have a loveseat, 3 accent chairs and the TV which is currently on a console. One wall in the FR is dominated by a brick fireplace, similar to the inspiration photo that I linked. So I guess we will have two separate seating areas, even if we open up the rooms. Prob. one will be near the fireplace and another TV watching area.... lynninnewmex, nanny2a & bronwynsmom: Yes, I def. plan to check with an architect if its a load bearing wall or not. I've read (in cote de texas's blog) that if you put in a doorway, it wouldn't cause an issue to the structure as opposed to removing the entire wall. Is this right?? palimpset & pps7: Thanks for letting me know that traditional homes have open architecture...I never knew that. I didn't grow up in this country, so a lot of it is new to me......Now I feel better that I won't be really messing up with the integrity of the house :) Scanmike: Thanks for sharing your pics. You have a beautiful home. I really love your sunroom..I wish I had one and also some new kittens :) susanilz: I think we'll be here for atleast the next 5 yrs...Maybe 10 yrs...I don't have the energy to move anytime soon...So I guess, it makes sense to make it into something functional for us.... vampiressrn: We don't entertain a lot...But def. a few times a year, we have large gatherings for 30+ ppl....Maybe we'll be more prone to entertaining with an open area...I am feeling really pressurized cos we're having a formal gathering of nearly 50 ppl...Its a prayer meeting, so everyone will be sitting together in the same space unlike a party where ppl can move around... Initially, I was considering putting in only a regular doorway (with a french door or pocket door). But after committing to hosting such a large gathering, I am really at a loss on how we're going to accomodate everyone. This was the trigger to everything..... jamaraz: Thanks for sharing your experience...I am scared about the unknowns...Sometimes I think I am opening up a can of worms :) monablair: I am not sure it would work for us. Like I said, the FR has a fireplace and has a very cozy vibe..Maybe I could place some seating around it and have some bookshelves against the adjacent wall to create like a reading/library room (similar to the little reading nook in Somethings gotta give)....I love my books :))) awm: Thats exactly the look I wanted initially. But somehow DH is against the idea of french doors or pocket doors. He wants a more open feel I don't know if I should really listen to him. He doesn't hang out obsessively in design forums like I do, KWIM :)) He's pretty clueless when it comes to design..... How wide do you think that opening is in the pic?? I initially did want doors. But I am not sure how wide the opening would be if we put in doors(like I said, we're trying to accomodate nearly 50 in one space) Also, with french doors, I am thinking if it will hamper the space/furniture placement when we open the door. tomorrowisanotherday: Yes, I really don't want to lose real estate value...I will have to somehow figure this out and make it work.... dlm: Thanks for sharing your pics :) Your french doors are so gorgeous...I don't have any in my home and I really love the look of one :( teaforwendy: We do have a door connecting the FR to the breakfast nook & kitchen. Its not as open as I would like it to be but I don't mind it too much for now...Maybe it could be a project for the future...... kjmama: Yes, we did talk before :) Infact, I searched and pulled up your thread yday to get more ideas. How's the doorway working for you?? Are you done with decorating? Any pics to share :) Please keep the ideas coming...Right now, I am def. leaning twds putting in a doorway...Our "handyman" is coming to take a look tomorrow...But I need to check with an architect about the load bearing aspect of it before we start on anything....Will keep you all updated and will also, try to figure out how to post pics meanwhile..... Thanks once again :)

Oh, gosh, the pics of all your former-dining-rooms-turned libraries are wonderful! I, too, think that it's a great idea . . . if you're not using your present dining room. Repurposing space to fit your needs is so darn practical. For us, though, it wouldn't work. We eat every dinner in our dining room and our weekend breakfasts, too. And, I ENJOY having sit-down dinners with friends and family. Most are fairly casual, but I enjoy sitting around the table for a good couple of hours, chatting and enjoying food, friends and family. I'm not Italian or Spanish, but I do admire their dedication to that time you spend eating and enjoying the company of each other . . . and we're not overweight or over-eating because of it, either ;^D. We just had a big taco party here the other night and I loved having so many people laughing and talking around my table. We have a kitchen peninsula with very comfy stools, but I prefer looking at my family while we eat . . . instead of the tv or the kitchen cabs (LOL!), so we limit it to occasional quick lunches or snacks. But, getting back to dining-rooms-turned-libraries, I agree that if you're not into entertaining around a dinner table or you have a table in your kitchen for family dinners, this sounds like the ideal solution. Now I'm off to see Justgotabme's slide show! Lynn

I, too, have a 1974, 2200 SF ranch. I have 6.5 acres and dogs. I have to tell you that you'll use a darned mud room, laundry and open kitchen far more often than you'll set up a bunch of guests for a formal dinner every day. Since you seem to have a bug about what people will say in the future, keep in mind that if they're buying a working farm and you tromp right into the kitchen to sit down at the nice dining room? Someone's gonna wish they had a mudroom to take care of all that mud and grass mess! My house, like many ranches, is linear. If you enter from the garage, you have mudroom (where the dogs have their door to a fenced yard), kitchen, (peninsula) dining area (seats 6 comfortable, can be more). Then we have a wall, behind which is the MBR, then MBR bath. Turn left and you're into the laundry room. Continue turning left and you keep walking back down the house to end up at the den. That was the former "formal" dining room, which doors to the kitchen. So we make a loop. Can you picture this? It's all functional and if you live in the country, it works. Drop boots & coats in the mudroom, then in the MBR, drop dirty clothes in the adjoining laundry. (No one walking nekked thru the house with GIANT windows!) I'd make the mudroom as big as it would allow, while still making design sense. You've got a lot going on in there. Kennels, laundry baskets, folding areas, food, (water? I have a dump sink, thank God!) coats, boots, umbrellas, (kids?) sports equipment, (stop me....!!!!) I wish I had one of those single, deep tub type things to wash my dogs in. That might be in the future. Anyway, it'll look big until you fill it. I highly recommend you go for it. Particularly once you mentioned mud and grass. [LOL] Christine

I meant to respond about the dishwasher needing to be where it is because I want the kitchen sink to correspond with the window above it. The dishwasher in its current location will work great for me. The trash cans are in the peninsula on the sink side of the kitchen. There is enough space for them to open there because the cabinet next to them faces the opposite direction into my dining room as you can see in the attached picture. Hallett, my concern about having no cabinets under the back peninsula is that I would then need to have posts which I’m thinking could eat into the seating space - I’ve been told they are 3-4” each and that peninsula is only 57” long. What do you think about me putting an 18” depth cabinet there (one facing inward toward the rest of the kitchen and the other one the back, accessible below the overhang), which would allow a 12” overhang off the back (Assuming I stick with a 30” peninsula depth where the counter edge ends 40” away from the back). you still think I should reduce to 24” for 46” clearance? I was thinking 40” is enough based on the stationary door not being a passage way now...