I think it's an improvement, but the layout still doesn't feel intuitive to me. Some thoughts:

• I like that you made it more open concept
• I would want my pantry to be decently close to the garage to minimize the distance I need to carry heavy groceries from the car.
• It feels a bit awkward to me to have the kitchen be the first thing I see upon entering the home. Maybe a narrow wall, maybe 4 feet wide separating the kitchen from front would address this?
• The mudroom seems unnecessarily large
• Don't know where you're located, but consider a closet near the front entry for coats
• Does the living room really have no windows?
• It seems like a long walk from the living room to the powder room. Perhaps make it a bit more central?

Good points and thank you for the helpful feedback!

for the pantry suggestion of moving it closer to the garage, I understand your reasoning. Unfortunately our kitchen isn't right off garage. Do you think the pantry by the garage is more important than pantry in the kitchen?

i agree it's awkward to walk right in and see the kitchen. I'm trying to create more space for the living room and besides an addition that's all I can think of. I do agree with you though and wish I had other options.

You're right -- the mudroom is unnecessarily large. The original Floorplan of the house intended this to be the family room but it has awkward doors on 3 out of 4 walls and the 4th wall has a fireplace and it's a tad too small for a family room yet way too big for a mud room. It's our temporary formal dining room and a total waste of space.

Windows in living room - that was a mistake on my part - there are 2 windows in the front of the living room identical to the dining room window placement.

i am stumped on powder room location. Right now it's off the kitchen, and I've heard negative feedback abt proximity to kitchen. I'm stumped on where to put it with what we have to work with.

Can you post the layout of the second story? I ask because I think your layout would be better if you flipped the floorplan. I'd take the left half of the living space and make it one open concept living room and eat-in kitchen. Doing this would put both kitchen and pantry close to the garage, and make for better entertaining. It would also put you closer to the powder room (which Id flip w the living room) But this would require moving the stairs to the right half of the living space, and front entry, too.

As for the right side of the room, I'd put the formal dining on that side, and then you'd have a bonus room for.....whatever?

You can't have a walk-in pantry that's 2 feet wide.

I love that you've gotten the range off the island.

The powder room and laundry look like they were randomly carved out of the mudroom (which they were). The laundry closet isn't very practical, if there's any traffic at all through that door. It also turns the porch entry into a tunnel.

Your proposed plan has island seating and 2 tables - do you need 3 different eating spaces? Do you expect to use the formal dining room often?

How about this? Move the island to the left, and get rid of the 4-person table. This brings the kitchen work area closer to the dining room, and gets it out of the view from the entry. Move the fridge to the far left side of the range wall (and adjust the window accordingly).

Keep the laundry room where it is, but make it smaller if you want more space for the living room. Move the PR to the mud room, and add a closet to fill the rest of the wall it's on. Lockers along the dining room side will help utilize the space and add storage.

after seeing my neighbors spend over a couple thousand for architect and kitchen and bath designer plans only to find out that the architect's estimatate of 250 per sq ft in costs were off by double I worked backwards. I called GCs for estimates prior to hiring an architect for plans. After I knew what scope of work we could afford I moved forward with a plan to renovate and add on. My initial dreams though would have cost twice as much as I could afford to spend on this house.

My aforementioned neighbors found it cheaper to move. The thousands in plans were spent wastefully. Show your ideas to contractors for true estimates than decide if it is a feasible idea for your present house and budget then hire an architect for good design.