I know, I was so excited to find the bench seat in my car but that vinyl is not so fun here in AZ! I think I will see if I can't make something up myself, I want something that I can slip on and off quickly, I don't need them to look good, I just need them to keep me dry.

I have an eat in kitchen with a solid wood Ethan Allen Table that I bought 12 years ago when I moved here that had sides that go down to make it a little table for two. I decided to invest in a good table that can be very expendable since I am using my dining room as part of my home office. I can make the sides go up to a round table that is 42" wide with the 4 matching chair and the table sits 4. Add the leaf in the middle of the table and the table become an oval and fits 6 people comfortably without bumping into each other. I am not sure when I renovate my kitchen and change out the laminate counters if I am going to extend the counter top on the bar area to allow seating for 2 people like many of my neighbors have since it takes up walking space. Right now I have never entertained more than 6 people formally. If there are more than that, it can be a buffet with people sitting on the sofa and recliner to use the coffee table and end tables. I have a home office in the living room and dining room so IF I have to, I could use the conference big cherry desk for sitting if I had an informal buffet. Usually if there are more than 6 people, we go to someone else's home which is fine by me.

I wouldn't stress too much about leaving the lines exact if you're just thinking of it from a history perspective---if you already have a family room there, sounds like there's already been an addition? But generally, that house style/size is pretty common where I live---if you post a drawing of what your current layout looks like, I bet people can weigh in. I've most often seen the seating done with a little corner banquette at the non-dining room end at the end of the counter run, but whether that would work for your house depends a lot on how the family room was added, I suspect. Some have L-shaped counters depending on where the DR door is, and a few take down the DR wall (though I'm not a fan of that approach). I think I've seen a couple of kitchens that size with galley layouts, too (but I can't remember if those had eating areas or not...)

I have not had time to read everyone's responses but your post reminded me of my kitchen. I got rid of the overhang to add storage cabinets instead and couldn't be happier. My width for kitchen and eating area was only 18.2 feet but I am so glad that I have 5 feet between the arms of the U. It allows 3 people to work comfortably and to move in and out without bumping each other. I will post the layout evolution and the reveal. I LOVE those outside peninsula storage cabinets- one is a "charging drawer" that has a power strip inside it for all those electronics that otherwise clutter the area. My boys think this is genius. Another holds all the office supplies for those who choose to work at the kitchen table. There is a coffee/tea drawer , a stationary supplies/mail drawer (where I hide accumulated unsorted mail when I have visitors), and an "empty" drawer to hold things cleared off the table when we need to eat. We have not used the small undercounter fridge except for company. There is even a large toekick drawer which is full of miscellaneous supplies- backup keys, batteries, dental floss, etc. We had never used the peninsula for seating in the 20 years we had been in the house so there was no hesitation getting rid of it. scrappy25 layout evolution scrappy25 reveal