Rhome-thanks for all your input-the ideas for the extra 'kid free' room sounds great! Seems as you have been in our home before! Linley- the banquette makes a lot of sense as an idea -doesn't require much room yet uses the space in a nice way. bmorepanic- thanks for at least reading so much of the posts that you could comment even without a 'good idea'. I agree, it could cost a lot for the wall /plumbing moves and we definitely don't want to get to that stage and then wish we had paid just a little more for the full addition so we will look at all these options carefully. And yes I will have a range in our plan somewhere -I just marked that spot as oven. I think of all the ones we have posted I like in this order 1) Full addition Plan (9/26) 2)No addition plan -one of the 1st ones posted in this series like 9/24 or 9/25 with a wet bar in the nook and maybe the banquette or simple cushion bench along the columns(build a half wall like mahlgold suggested). 3)Partial addition plan (9/27) but not sold on the island blocking the access to the dining room space as Rhome mentioned. Haven't relooked at some of the other ideas rhome suggested here as to flipping the DR location.

Thanks so much for all the advice so far! I guess the issue isn't so much people getting in the way when they try to grab a drink from the fridge or sample something on the stove, but that they have to cross through the cooking area just to get inside the house! Jillius, benjesbride, & CRL, I would LOVE to get that entrance out of there, but the only way to move it further down the kitchen wall is to run it through the already-small garage. I have to try to get in there and measure; IâÂÂm doubtful there is room within the garage for the necessary staircase, but moving that entry would solve a host of problems. bpathome, Please excuse my awful renderings, lol! Everything varies wildly, since it was my first venture with the merillat online layout tool, plus I am just roughing it out from memory at this point with no exact appliance dimensions. The heavy use entry would be open with no door, but youâÂÂre right, it still might not be a place to put the fridge. ItâÂÂs currently an IN-SWING door bumped up against a WALL OVEN. If you try to enter the house while someone has the oven open, BAM!!! Judging by the gash in the door, it happens a lot. I have toyed with the idea of closing off the hall entrance. I have think more on that! Aqualove, I just noticed a house (same model) in the development that must have done that. The benefit would be an kitchen with far less traffic! The drawback would be that if you used the front door (like for company or larger parties), the work area would be in full view from the main front door and the windows facing the street. I have to maybe go ring the doorbell of the person with the flip-flopped kitchen and ask for a tour⦠controlfreakecs, I LOVE that kitchen! thank so much for the link. Gorgeous. Aqualove, I just noticed a house (same model) in the development that must have done that. The benefit would be an kitchen with far less traffic! The drawback would be that if you used the front door (like for company or larger parties), the work area would be in full view from the main front door and the windows facing the street. I have to maybe go ring the doorbell of the person with the flip-flopped kitchen and ask for a tour⦠Sena01, Thank you for that image? How did you make it?

I don't like the second one...it seems proportianately out of whack...plus the shower would feel claustrophobic. Couple of points...my bathroom door is 24 inches just as a reference, we find it to be fine. You can eliminate that little shelf space, (my daughter has one and she finds it handy though, so personal preference) You can go with a single sink and tall cabinet for linens next to it (we used Ikea kitchen cabinets in my mom's remodel and the "pantry" unit is perfect for that...once again it's what you think you need/want) The third one, I would prefer the door to open out...the closet doors will be closed, won't they? I think you're doing a great job... (the graph paper comment wasn't literal....anything you want to use is fine as long as you can work out the details correctly.)

The doorway was by design because you wouldn't gain much with corner cabinets. by avoiding corner cabinets you have full access and can maximize all-drawer base cabinets (rather than inefficient lazy susan type things). Could you eliminate the side door and direct traffic through the front door where you could have more of a mudroom hook and boot tray situation? maintaining a traffic path through the public space to the driveway will further limit your space. I personally think homeowners can plan a remodel just fine with the help of a structural engineer consult and a draftsperson (that's what we did), but if you want to bump out, add on, or raise the roof that's definitely architect territory. As soon to be empty nesters, I'd sacrifice the fireplace to have a kitchen-dining-living and master suite on the main floor that are more proportionate to a 2500 square foot house before I'd add more square footage.