Dekeoboe- Sorry, I missed your post. I was over on the kitchen forum, fine tuning my kitchen/island situation. We will eventually be going to an architect...and engineer, if necessary. I'm not sure of the exact square footage, but with the mudroom and porch...probably close to 2200. Thank you, I think it will be very comfortable...not too many rooms, but the rooms are large enough to entertain our large family, when they do come out, but cozy enough for just us. Marti- Thank you! Yes, it will also be a guest room, so I wanted it close to the hall bath. There will also be the small upstairs area, but I think for now that will be unfinished. I love everything about the plan...except the kitchen island. While I don't want people (especially nieces/nephews) lined up along one side...the big 5' x 5' butcher block just felt too big. So, I was looking at the Country French magazine and came across this picture...and got a new idea. With the help of the kitchen forum, I made a few changes. Picture... From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures I like the two surfaces...butcher block on the island itself (now 6'x 3') and the small marble table for seating. Here's the plan with a few other changes, including 18" upper cabinets...on each side of the sink and the range. I also made the hood/vent a bit bigger, for my husband's french fryer and George Foreman grill :) From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Just bumping this up. I made the same mistake on another thread from Oceana and my post dropped her post down letting us know about the new additions.

Thank you so much for your response! Yes, fortunately, my husband is extremely crafty and can handle the stonework. I have included a photo of the space (before we painted the wall) so you can see the overall layout of the room. I appreciate the idea of putting the TV over where the bar is located, but how would you layout the furniture? We have two large sofas and two reclining chairs. Yes, we are on the same page as far as laying a tile over the existing marble. Thanks again, and I look forward to more suggestions!

Thank you very much. I figured it would be better to pair back and simplify things. My husband likes the cabinets but I thought about painting them black or grey, if I can't convince him it would be better to remove them completely. Love the idea about the black frame on the fireplace.