Was the original dining area between the kitchen and the living room? Where the stair is? And the way you're using the space is a dining room in an addition? The kitchen just seems disproportionate to the living spaces.

I would not do a pony wall. I'd do a glass or minimal railing so you can continue to enjoy the view and natural light from that nice stairway window.

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I like B

cpartist's advice is truly the best.

If living there for a year before renovating is not an option you'll consider, at least post a layout of the whole house so we can see how all these rooms relate to each other.

I agree - live with it for a year. And don't replace the bannister to the basement - you'll lose light and that pretty window.

absolutely wait.....great benefit to be had by using space first for 6 mo minimum.

Thanks for your quick replies!

@benjesbride, love the idea about a more minimal bannister instead of a pony wall!

@cpartist, we have lived in the house for 5 months now and really want to get this done in time for the holidays.

I'm attaching a layout of the house that our architect has done showing other changes we are making just to show how the rooms relate to each other. DISREGARD the kitchen in this drawing, it was done before we decided to blow the whole thing out!

Yes, the kitchen is a bit small in proportion to the living space, but we are restricted by the stairway going down to the basement and don't want to do anything too major as far as reconfiguring the entire space. The original house ended at the kitchen and the living room and sun room were added in the 90s. The "sun room" will become our dining room. Not ideal, I realize, but we will make it work!

For now, I'm really looking for input on the kitchen layouts in my original post, and how to best make it work given our limitations, but any other thoughts are welcome! Thanks so much!

Does the kitchen door go to the garage? Is it the primary family entrance?

The kitchen door is not the primary entrance. It goes to the side yard, and our garbage cans are right there. DH does not want to give it up!

I like B, also; but sitting 4 comfortably at the island might be tight.

Is it a 1 person kitchen?

Does anyone else use the entrance from kitchen to side yard?

Where will you prep? 7'6" on the island in version B with a large sink is not enough prep space. The other two versions don't work at all.

If the garage entrance is off the sunroom, I'd take a serious look at putting the kitchen in the sunroom. If you're moving plumbing and electrical anyway, you might as well. A large dining table at the staircase near the formal living makes sense too.

If you provide dimensions of the sunroom I can draw up a quick suggestion for you.

I think B could work.

Is the refrigerator going to be a true built-in as opposed to a counter-depth refrigerator?

Unless this is a one-person and always a one-person Kitchen (i.e., no one ever helps cleanup, prep, or cook -- one person does it all), I have concerns about your aisles -- they're no wider than 39" and in places even narrower.

If this is your retirement home where you will be trying to age in place, wider aisles may become more important in a few years.

Your layouts do not show counters, only cabinet boxes. 24" is the depth of the cabinet box. The 24" do not include the door/drawer front (~1" past the cabinet boxes) nor do they include the counters (1.5" past the cabinet boxes). So, your work aisle is really 39" wide, not 42". (1.5" x 2 = 3"; 42" - 3" = 39")

What is the aisle width b/w the stairs and the island in Layouts B & C?

7'6" will only comfortably seat 3 people. 4 people in a pinch -- assuming no "legs" or other obstructions on the ends of the seating overhang. If there are "legs" of some sort, then you will only be able to fit 3 people. The 4' depth is fine for seating -- assuming no cabinets deeper than 6" to 8" are under the seating overhang.

What do you have planned for the oven cabinet? You have a range with at least one oven. Is it for another oven + MW?

Several dimensions are missing from your layouts, but I think you are cramming a lot into a small space.

What's the room "below" the Kitchen...the room with a fireplace and french doors to the Master Bedroom -- the Living Room (as opposed to Family Room)?

Could that wall come down or be moved back 2 or 3 feet into the Living Room to give you more room in the Kitchen? I know you said you don't want to do anything too major as far as reconfiguring the entire space, but you will be spending a lot of money on this Kitchen, why try to cram all into such a small space when you have an excess of Living/Family Room space?

ETA:

Maybe you should stop for now and think about the home overall...

• How it needs to fit with your lifestyle now and in the future
• What would be the most functional/efficient/cost effective use of space
• etc.

E.g., if you plan to stay here "forever", then I strongly recommend putting in a Laundry Room (or at least a "Laundry Closet") on the main floor, preferably not too far from the Master Bedroom/Master Closet.

Then, make up the entire plan. If you cannot do it all at once, then consider doing it in phases.

@benjesbride, the room is 15'2" along the french door side by 14'3". And yes, the door in the drawing does go to the garage.

@buehl, I will be the main user of the kitchen but certainly hope it will not always be a one person operation! I'll have to look again re the cabinet boxes, counters, aisles, etc. These were just very quick, preliminary ideas, hence why I threw them out here for input. Not sure yet about what I'll do for an oven. I could combine a stovetop/oven with MW above to create a bit more counter space. I'm fine with seating only three at the island. Yes, I am concerned about the space, but it is what it is!

The additions to this house are a bit random in their layout. The room you ask about is the main living area, a casual family room. There will be no formal living room in the house. The room with the French doors was built as a "sunroom". We will use the two spaces as a family room and dining room.

Looking back at all of your input, I have a thought. How about moving the sink to the end of the island (off-center doesn't bother me) with the dishwasher next to it toward the middle to give me more prep/counter space? Also, while B seems the best layout overall, what if the island is pushed out more into the family room area as in plan A to give me the 48" aisle between workspaces? I can give up that space in the family room.

On a different note, any new layout ideas if I can talk DH into giving up the door to the side yard?

Thank you, thank you for so much helpful input!

Could you please let us know the dimensions in the layout below? (A, B, C, ...)

With the exception of the blue items, the measurements in the drawing are all estimates or unknowns (red, black, white text).

Here's a take on kitchen in room you're planning to use as a dining room...

I was referring to this front room as the formal living room. What will this space be?

So sorry for the delayed response, I've been gone for awhile and off of this site! @benjesbride, WOW, thank you so much for your ideas. I will take a serious look! The front room will be an office. We don't want a formal living room.

Also, DH has agreed to getting rid of the door to the side of the house in the current kitchen so that opens up new possibilities for a layout in the original space.