Thanks for all the comments, all. I did think about sliders on the back. I was actually tending that way. I'll think about it more but the feeling was that it wasn't in the period/style. I'm not a complete fanatic about style but that was were I ended for now. The laundry is structured as cabinets with a countertop. That's high (can't remember 40"-ish?) Someone posted something similar here a while ago. There is no place for a laundry basket in that space. I keep it in the closet. The cottage is being flipped to have the entrance in the back. It has a nice yard behind it and that will become the entrance. The current entrance is in the front but that is space between the house and the cottage and that's being dedicated to the house. The neighbor has the same house/cottage and that's what they've done. Works well. Yeah, the cottage doesn't have an obvious place to throw stuff. But, then, it doesn't have that now. I'd think that'd be done with furnishings ... that's what I've done in the house, up to now. For all the comments on the piano: it's there now (and got in there with the existing small entrance from the hall to the living room ... piano movers can work seeming miracles.) The cutout in the drawing might be a little out of proportion: the piano's a tad under 6'. It's roughly in that spot right now. There's really no option to replace. I know it takes room but it's a lifestyle choice. I love my piano (a 1906 Steinway ... made it through the earthquake and all.) As to U-ing the kitchen, talking to a bunch of people, some wanted a U, some didn't like it taking up that much of the living area. I'm in the later camp. I figure to make the space flexible, I leave it open and then consider non-permanent furnishings/cabinetry to shift to personal preference. I'll make note of the outlet issue. Hate cords. Thanks! It may be more expensive to remodel the cottage but a tear-down is not a possibility for zoning reasons: the cottage is non-conforming but grandfathered in. If I tear it down, I can't rebuild it. That said, not sure what qualifies as remodeling. People always talk about keeping a single wall and that qualifying as a remodel not a rebuild. I'll have to talk to the contractor about that. In any case, the external walls can't move: I've verified that with the planning department. Anything like that first requires becoming conforming to concurrent zoning, i.e., remove the cottage permanently, which is a non-starter. (For what it's worth, I like that constraint. It's hard to find cute little structures in this neighborhood. Mostly things get scraped and maximum-floor-area structures built. I like keeping my cute little spaces. I'm more of the "not so big house" kind of person anyway. And this area desperately needs places for singles/smaller families.) The thing about the bath in the cottage is I can't do a thing with it with permits w/o moving walls. We've tried. There's no way to move anything in that space and meet code. That's what triggered considering bigger changes. I did a bunch of layouts keeping the kitchen where it was and shifting things a bit. There's no way to do anything minor to the kitchen, either, and bring it up to code. It'll require moving walls though that doesn't require moving the kitchen. But the cottage is desperately short of closet and storage space. The living room is big for the size of the cottage and it shows: there's all sorts of stuff crammed in there. I really like the idea of making some out-of-sight storage area, thus the closet. It takes from living room (in the end) but it seems like a reasonable tradeoff? And the walk-in give space for a stacking W/D. (I can't imagine living w/o a W/D at this point.) It's not a huge amount of closet space but it's way more storage than the cottage has right now. Mostly the walls haven't changed in the house, just openings made larger. The exception is taking space in the guest bedroom and putting it into a bench/storage/clothes hooks in the hall. Windows did get moved which does mean reframing, etc. The windows need to be replaced anyway and moving the windows doesn't change the floor area so doesn't trigger the zoning issue. I need to get a read from the contractor on the window movement. Beyond the price of the windows themselves, the siding is painted redwood tongue and groove so not sure what it's going to take when windows move. There's not a huge amount of storage in the kitchen but far more than there is now. I haven't figured out how to make more ... Hmmm ... my current LG is washer left/dryer right (though they're stacked.) but I haven't decided if I'm keeping those or replacing them anyway. Whatever gets chosen, the doors need to swing correctly so we'll make the venting match. I'm a little concerned about maintenance on the W/D in that tight space. The house will be switched to a tankless water heater on the outside, near the W/D. Furnace goes in the attic. So nobody likes the twin closets. Definitely got that. (And it's cheaper.) Thanks! Holly, when you said "change the access doors", what did you mean? Make the doorways larger? Pocket them? Thanks all!

ok exact measurements. the house is not exactly a 20x30 square but its close enoguh. a few of the inner walls are thicker as they used to be exterior walls. the kitchen is 113inches by 141. It does fit a corner banquette with a round table and 3 chairs, and you can seat up to 2 on each leg of the banquette. Most comfortable with fewer than 6 people but up to 7 is possible. 8 if someone sits in the corner . Master is 130x116 (inches). Bedrooms are 80 inches wide and 136 and 116 inches long. Bathroom i was wrong on the measurements. It is 98x 57 (there is a cut out here so its not a perfect rectangle). The hall is 36 inches wide. The biggest benefit of using up that space to me is that people won't be as confined to a tiny hallway where it is awkward to pass anyone else. So I like the idea of taking part of the bathroom and part of the hallway to make another bathroom, and also to take down the walls int eh kitchen. So we would need to get some quotes for this but it seems relatively doable. We could wait on the closets for a while and it doesnt require moving any walls that we didnt already plan to move. Reality is it doesnt improve rental price THAT much to add a bathroom as far as I can tell, but there are only a few other rentals in the area to compare to. So addding the bath is partially for resale partially just because it irks me to have such a wasteful layout. Either way we do make back the cost of the bathroom quickly.

The quartzite is beautiful, but I think the quartz you picked out goes better with everything else in the kitchen.

It is doable project to diy if you are properly informed. You seem to have an idea already. You are not cutting the joist...NO ONE should be cutting joist w/o first consulting a structural engineer...I think most curbless applications on upstairs bathrooms end up building up the subfloor (you already have) to the whole bathroom to accommodate the pan as well as deflection. Which is why you need to be well informed and follow the guidelines that were mentioned here by celadon or JuneKnow (think is the same person) hence why I mentioned John bridge and terry love. Those are forums dedicated to plumbing and tiling. There is a deflection calculator that work if you have regular joist. If your joist are engendered (I-joist) the Schluter also provides info on how to build up the floor. 720 deflection is for natural stone. 360 is ok for ceramic tile. What that means is the needed material on top of the joist to minimize movement. As far as making sure sure the subfloor for the shower pan is flat is so that the actual Schluter pan can do its job of sloping the water you are well informed. I followed the Schluter handbook and talked to the rep and so far it’s going great. You have to be at the ready when you post here I noticed. Seems like if you say DIY two or three common posters on this forum will right away chastised you for doing so assuming that bc it’s a diyer that they don’t know or are not aware of how to do things. Some of the recent post have been asking for help after their contractor did a horrible job tiling, lippage grout lines bigger than other, tile trim off or not centered, so I say better do it myself that have to deal with those issues. Here is a pick of my current shower. To clarify first and foremost, otherwise said ppl would just start saying how wrong you are and how it will fail!: buit up to 720 deflection for natural stone. Framed around I joist and supported between joist under shower pan. Checked plumbing on drain to keep the slope necessary after the p trap. Ditra uncoupling membrane on whole bathroom. Kerdi band around all seams close to the wet areas. Marble is honed. Will be sealed and then anti slip sealer added as well. Epoxy or spektralock1 grout will be used to further keep things waterproofed. Have already ran shower head and handheld and water slopes right to drain. Best of luck!