First...it's so nice to see someone, in a similar position to mine! We don't have kids (or dogs) but we do have horses, barn kitties, indoor kitties (that don't go outside) and we live on a farm, have lots of mud...and need many of the same features you either have or want to incorporate! :) Rather than worry about the kitchen layout right now, I'd think about reworking that bathroom door (which it says you hate) and making some other changes to the other 'clean up' spaces...then addressing the kitchen. Could you change the bathroom around and put (from left to right) sink, toilet, shower? The window is a bit of a problem, but it could be made smaller (high window) over the shower, if you want to keep some light. This would allow you to access the bathroom, through what is now, the laundry area. What if you moved the laundry to the 'west wall' and put a laundry sink, under the window...with some counterspace? It would only be 24" deep (instead of closer to 30" with the washer/dryer) and would give you more room for the door to the bathroom. The laundry on the 'west wall' would be a better fit (without wasted space in between) and would give you some room for upper cabinets, too. Now, if you could make these changes, I don't think you'd need the door, from the kitchen to the outside, or mud room. Just keep the doorway as is (into the furnace area, but maybe screen the furnace/water heater a bit) and I'd take off the door and have a doorway. This would bring in light from the laundry room (and you'd just see the side of the washer) and provide easy access to the bathroom. Then...I'd keep the exact kitchen layout you have now, but maybe get rid of the table (if it's in the way) and use the peninsula with stools, from Option 1. This would keep people from walking through your work area (a negative I see in both options) and you and your husband would have plenty of space to cook, bake, clean up, etc. The stools would be handy for tea and a chat...and what else do you need, with the dining room so close? If you really want a dutch door, I'd open up the doorway by the stairs (as mentioned earlier) and put the dutch door, between the furnace area and the mud room. They're more practical, IMHO, as an interior door, rather than an exterior door. Hope this gives you some ideas :)

Thanks for the link to the backsplash. I would have been interested in somthing like that, but I had a sheet metal shop make me a backsplsh (stainless) and bought a Grundtal shelf form Ikea...also got the s hooks! I think it will all be hung tomorrow. Still trying to decide about the canisters in pic..have more of them, but they just are not going to work for me. Maybe my DD could find a place for them I know about the Harwich tile shop. LOVE the items you got from them.I am going to do just a simple subway tile in a brick pattern, but I will go and look at their fabulous selection..As you can tell from my name -nauset (as in beach), I am in Orleans.

I suggest you try a medical forum (perhaps one that deals with alternative facts). There's nothing we can do to help with your neuroses in an electrical forum. The PANEL is not going to be a source: 1. It's pretty well shielded. 2. It's a small radiating area. The issue is the wiring. These are almost always unshielded in most areas (type NM or the like) and they are long and provide a much bigger radiating area (especially necessary when you're talking something extremely low frequency like household current). Any electrician can tell you the coupling/radiation from a long wire is pretty easily detectible. Inside a panel (even with the cover off) not so much. So if you are really in a panic, use metal conduit or MC cabling.

I’m unable to edit the post, but it took out all of the numbering I included so it looks like a bunch of run on sentences. I tried to copy it below and add some spacing. Hope this reads better for the questions section. Some of the things we need to do to make this new layout work are. We do have a raised foundation with a crawl space underneath. close up a window because it will be next to the range and we would utilize that space for cabinets. There are window/ French door along side the family room to patio wall and windows in the family room so at this point we aren’t planning to add another window. tear down part of the wall where the storage is make the storage smaller move the electrical panel which is currently on the storage wall. add a wall to the ceiling on the left side of the range counter to close off the pantry Questions: 8 foot counter with 30 inch range oven combo along the wall. Thinking 8 feet will be sufficient? That would leave 10 feet x18 ft for the family room. We would put up a drywall where the staircase ceiling starts to slope where the left side of the counter is. Would that be weird? 8x4 ft or 8x5 ft island? We would like to put a 36 inch apron sink and have the microwave and dishwasher, and trash bin in the island with additional storage. Would like to have seating for 4 of us to sit together. I read the minimum is 2 ft per seat but it might be kind of tight. Would it be weird to have a 36 inch sink and a 30 inch range behind it? the under staircase area where it starts to slow will be converted to a pantry with pocket door. This will stick out a little a foot compared to the range counter next to it. Is that weird? This would be about 3 feet wide and not all of the space is able to be utilized because it’s under the staircase. along the left hand side of the wall which is 9’10’’ we would like to put an appliance garage, 36 inch refrigerator and a 4.5 foot desk for the kids to do homework. with the island and range counter space, I think I’m calculating about 10 feet (but I didn’t count the depth of the island). I read you need at last 13 ft of counter space. Do you think this would be an issue? is the layout a bit funny because it’s not a perfect L shape with island? The pantry wall sticks out a little compared to the range counter against the wall. Appreciate for anyone providing any insights. Best, Alice