Thanks everyone. I was definitely leaning towards the equidistant columns plan. Holly, that's a great idea, but my concern with that is two fold--first, these columns are bloody expensive, but second, our porch isn't terribly deep, and if these are 18" x 18" at their base, it does not leave much room behind each column. Four columns would leave little space for chairs between the columns, and I'm afraid would look a bit busy. Thanks Autumn, we are thrilled with the little girl! But there are definitely some bright spots form the house planning, as well. Frankly, the plan we're getting is not clearly worse than the one I created, and in a few ways is better. And, had I not struggled over that plan and received acres of great advice here, I would not have known what to change about the plan to make it really work well for our family. Here is a cut out of the floor plan of the front. I know this builder has had problems with people copying this plan illegally, so I'm not sure I'm comfortable posting the whole thing without his approval. The plan is scanned a bit crooked, but assume it's straight (and I had to reverse the plan to match our house). I've drawn in the lines and measurements to the center of each 18" column base, the window, and the door. Off to the left is the garage; the room on the front right is the living room, and there is a 6' deep entry hall as soon as you enter the front door. See how I really don't think it changes too much to have the door move the door around--it might change the view through the sidelites and what you see when you first walk in, but I think that is minor compared to how the house will look from the street.

WhiskyWoman - in our case it's our prep sink and it's a small sink, so only one person can work at it anyway. Our cleanup sink is much bigger and is along a straight run - two people can easily work at it. The point I was trying to make is that it often takes some creative thinking to come up with ways around a "corner". I think it's Plllog that has a corner cabinet of drawers - it's another alternative to corner usage. However, I still believe that a corner susan is a much better use of space than just deadening out a corner - which some people do. If you have a ton of space, then fine, but in a lot of cases I've seen people with little storage space deaden out a counter b/c they've been convinced that corner cabinets are useless/waste too much space. In our old kitchen, our lazy susan (w/center pole) held all our pots & pans, colanders, and larger serving pieces. I was planning another corner susan to hold small appliances in our new kitchen. I was actually disappointed when my DH took me up on an idea I just casually threw out there about the corner - turning the cabinet 90 degrees (it's our Pet Center - it holds our dogs' food, treats, spare collars, leashes, etc.). I now have to store all my small appliances in my rather small pantry. The cabinet is really a great use of space and an excellent location for the dog stuff, but I really wanted a place to store my small appliances other than in the pantry or basement! Neitsdelf - do you have a walk-in or reach-in pantry elsewhere? Also, your island, as shown is too wide. There is not enough room b/w your island and the table. It looks like it's approx 33", and that's too narrow. 33" is the minimum aisle width if no traffic ever passes behind the seats. In your case, it's the path to the sliding doors (at least I think that's what they are - or are they just windows?) as well as a path to the kitchen. You need at least 48" on that aisle. Can you change the window in the kitchen? If so, I would consider a bumpout behind the sink (6 to 9 inches) and then 28.5" deep counters rather than 30" deep. You seem worried about the deeper counters with regards to the corner cabinet - slightly shallower counters would help. You have plenty of work room on your island, so are deeper counters that important on the sink run?

My advice: you paid by the square foot for your house, walling over the wet bar is like stuffing money in a hole and throwing dirt on top. If you cannot think of a good way to incorporate the nook tearing it out creates by removing the sink/counter (for example, could your Christmas tree be displayed there, a play space, etc?) then turn the space around and access it from a different part of your house. Your sofa isn't forever. A families needs change over time. Who knew four months ago that countless homes would need an office or two or even more? For example, we had a really ugly wet bar in a 70's era smoked mirrored glass with gold veining. Really sleazy looking. But when you think about it, a sink or at least a water line is so incredibly useful. We turned plumbing around into the kitchen and installed a prep sink using the wet bar plumbing. If your laundry room is on the other side, why not put a utility sink along side the washer? How amazing would it be to have a place to soak things, rinse things, etc etc.

If it were me I would make both areas double function, meaning, I would have a comfortable dining capacity in both areas, but I would also have a place to just sit and relax in both areas, either enjoying the view out the window or the warmth of the fireplace and the conviviality of the kitchen. I’d also want a table near the kitchen for those times I didn’t want to haul my lunch or breakfast or evening soup all the way across the house. I’m a big fan of off-center dining areas utilising banquettes and benches, so that is what I would think about doing in your dining area: A high-backed dining bench on the wall to the left of the window, fronted by your table and chairs, and then make the rest of the room a place to soak up the sun (your pooch has already figure it out) and to read when guests aren’t there for lunch. I’d give the living area near the kitchen a clubby feel, with a deep swivel chair positioned at the fireplace, and a table at a height comfortable for dining while sitting in the cornered sofa set. If you can find a table on wheels might even be better. You definitely need a serving trolley if you are keeping the dining table at the opposite end of the house from the kitchen.