I just moved into a place with a living room about 14x17 and getting a loveseat through the door was a bit of a job in itself. I plan on just getting chairs that I can easily arrange for additional seating, so I'm with you. But she can probably handle a full sized couch and love seat if she doesn't plan on having much more furniture in the room (ie, a desk area or lots of shelves), but it'll definitely be limiting and tight. I'm not sure if you've looked at the apartment yet but if you look at it together maybe she can discuss how she plans on arranging the furniture and you can provide feedback on why or why not it'll work. She may warm up to the idea of a loveseat and chairs or you may see how her ideas might work.

kirkhall and engineerchic - thank you for the advice. palimpsest - I agree with many of your points. Believe me I have really struggled with how little additional space we can get and whether the flow is right and worth the money. Our goals were to have an updated and more social kitchen and a kid bath (we have 3). And this plan does that for our budget. But the word "cobbled" feels apt. I just can't figure out how to improve the plan substantially (without tearing the house down to studs and spending $400K). We did look at a bigger option (turning stairs, putting kitchen where right bedroom is, etc) but it is not affordable. Here are some answers to your questions. I appreciate any and all ideas and don't apologize for being a downer. I wouldn't be here if I didn't want feedback. Front entry is used by guests/dh - garage by me. Kitchen entrance is rarely used (take garbage out there and get to grill and back patio down steps). I hate the lack of entry too. But the space is such I can either have an entry or a dining space it seems. 2 kids share the bedroom behind the kitchen and it is roughly 10.5x12.5 plus the closets. I am open to moving door and shrinking bedroom a bit but I think there is some sort of code about a doorway that close to an open stairwell down? Were you thinking of trying to get the bath between kitchen and bedroom? And, front and side setbacks are maxed with latest plan. I was attempting to set the kitchen back a bit with an archway or header and some stub walls so it wasn't so prominent from the front door? For the hall bath I think we would put a shower in there due to space. And for the master we could close the existing door and put one in on the bedroom wall so there is not a view issue from the living room. Let me know if you see any way to improve the plan or if you are simply voting no go on the whole thing. I am terrified of screwing up the house. And have thought I should just update/open the kitchen and leave the rest. But then again we don't really want to share a bath with our 3 kids anymore. Thanks again to everyone...

I was using the dimensions you show with the extra foot pushed out on the side wall. Maybe I added an extra inch. A drawing with precise dimensions would be helpful. "a lowered header, stub walls or a large archway " This would really delineate the entry space. I read somewhere that it's our eyes that need the space more than our bodies do. So any half-walls, raised counters, windows,columns, etc. will make a huge difference in your perceived feeling of space and division. Sarah Susanka is all about different ceiling height, too. I was thinking the same thing as LL - French doors into an office space would make a lot of sense. My son has an "interior subterranean office" in his place. His girlfriend hung a mirror covered with a grid, so you could swear there was a window in there. Makes all the difference in the world. I am really impressed with the function that the porch annex would make to this little jewel. The realtor will have to put on the sign "Must see inside."

We are working on a renovation and adding a slightly vaulted/sloped ceiling in our entry and dining space. I’m having a hard time finding lighting that explicitly states that it can be hung on a sloped ceiling that I like! Then I found sloped ceiling adapters to add to lighting - any insight or ideas on this? Or insights about flush mounts or chandeliers on sloped ceilings? TIA!