Ok I am back..... Wow, I just read thro' all the responses and you guys rock !!! I love this forum :))) So far the consensus seems to be to open it up. To answer some of your questions.... oakleyok: The rooms are small. LR is 13 x 18 and FR is 11 x 18. So if we open it up, it will prob. be around 24 x 18 which I think is a nice size....Not too big nor small... bumbledoodle & jan in wisconsin: Thanks for sharing :) I am glad you love the openess....Its very affirming. We currently have a full set of furniture in the LR(Sofa, loveseat, 2 chairs, coffee & end tables). In the FR, we have a loveseat, 3 accent chairs and the TV which is currently on a console. One wall in the FR is dominated by a brick fireplace, similar to the inspiration photo that I linked. So I guess we will have two separate seating areas, even if we open up the rooms. Prob. one will be near the fireplace and another TV watching area.... lynninnewmex, nanny2a & bronwynsmom: Yes, I def. plan to check with an architect if its a load bearing wall or not. I've read (in cote de texas's blog) that if you put in a doorway, it wouldn't cause an issue to the structure as opposed to removing the entire wall. Is this right?? palimpset & pps7: Thanks for letting me know that traditional homes have open architecture...I never knew that. I didn't grow up in this country, so a lot of it is new to me......Now I feel better that I won't be really messing up with the integrity of the house :) Scanmike: Thanks for sharing your pics. You have a beautiful home. I really love your sunroom..I wish I had one and also some new kittens :) susanilz: I think we'll be here for atleast the next 5 yrs...Maybe 10 yrs...I don't have the energy to move anytime soon...So I guess, it makes sense to make it into something functional for us.... vampiressrn: We don't entertain a lot...But def. a few times a year, we have large gatherings for 30+ ppl....Maybe we'll be more prone to entertaining with an open area...I am feeling really pressurized cos we're having a formal gathering of nearly 50 ppl...Its a prayer meeting, so everyone will be sitting together in the same space unlike a party where ppl can move around... Initially, I was considering putting in only a regular doorway (with a french door or pocket door). But after committing to hosting such a large gathering, I am really at a loss on how we're going to accomodate everyone. This was the trigger to everything..... jamaraz: Thanks for sharing your experience...I am scared about the unknowns...Sometimes I think I am opening up a can of worms :) monablair: I am not sure it would work for us. Like I said, the FR has a fireplace and has a very cozy vibe..Maybe I could place some seating around it and have some bookshelves against the adjacent wall to create like a reading/library room (similar to the little reading nook in Somethings gotta give)....I love my books :))) awm: Thats exactly the look I wanted initially. But somehow DH is against the idea of french doors or pocket doors. He wants a more open feel I don't know if I should really listen to him. He doesn't hang out obsessively in design forums like I do, KWIM :)) He's pretty clueless when it comes to design..... How wide do you think that opening is in the pic?? I initially did want doors. But I am not sure how wide the opening would be if we put in doors(like I said, we're trying to accomodate nearly 50 in one space) Also, with french doors, I am thinking if it will hamper the space/furniture placement when we open the door. tomorrowisanotherday: Yes, I really don't want to lose real estate value...I will have to somehow figure this out and make it work.... dlm: Thanks for sharing your pics :) Your french doors are so gorgeous...I don't have any in my home and I really love the look of one :( teaforwendy: We do have a door connecting the FR to the breakfast nook & kitchen. Its not as open as I would like it to be but I don't mind it too much for now...Maybe it could be a project for the future...... kjmama: Yes, we did talk before :) Infact, I searched and pulled up your thread yday to get more ideas. How's the doorway working for you?? Are you done with decorating? Any pics to share :) Please keep the ideas coming...Right now, I am def. leaning twds putting in a doorway...Our "handyman" is coming to take a look tomorrow...But I need to check with an architect about the load bearing aspect of it before we start on anything....Will keep you all updated and will also, try to figure out how to post pics meanwhile..... Thanks once again :)

Nice place. You've got a great blank slate...stick with it and it will come. I agree about the kitchen backsplash, but I don't think I'd start there. There are a number of things I would think about, but first it's important for you to make the space work for you and your lifestyle. Do you need more storage? Do you entertain a lot and need more dining space? Do you cook a lot and need more surface area to work? Do you need more seating in the living area for parties and such? Or is the seating you have now adequate. So, for example, I would think about adding an island to the kitchen which people could sit at with their backs to the long wall. It would add storage below and work surface above and not block off the light from the living area. If possible, think about adding pendant lighting over the island. I would move the dining area so it is closer to the long wall. I would help define that area by using an area rug underneath. In the living room, you could use another area rug to highlight the space. The drapes look skimpy, especially with the knot in them, and the color isn't helping to bring in the strong colors from the tile floor. I would think about getting a bookcase style entertainment unit to add more storage and mass, and I would put that on the long wall...put the seating area more into the corner to make it feel cozier. If you're open to new furniture, a sectional sofa might be nice there. A lot of it will come with more wall decor as well. Right now there's only a few pieces and they are small in scale relative to the size of the walls. But you've got a good start.

I like a lot of light as well. I think everything is well lit except for your family room. Definitely not enough light in there (especially if you want the option of a brightly lit space. There is no center lighting and everything has been arrange around the edges of the room. IMO, what you have is a HUGE span with zero lighting which is not at all adequate. Some people prefer room edge lighting and that’s what they’ll recommend. But if you like a lot of light, I don’t think the way your designer set things up will satisfy that need. If it was my home, even though the ceilings are only 8 feet, I would want a center fixture (small chandelier or semi flush)...something pretty. If you are not sure about your furniture placement they can always install the box with lots of extra wire looped in the ceiling so you can adjust it later. Just take pics of your ceiling joists when it’s all opened up (if it is opened up) so you know where everything is located. Makes it easier later. You’ll have a little sheetrock repair, but completely manageable. I would add more cans/wafers around the center of the room and put them on a dimmer. You can always turn them off or dim them if it’s too much light, but if there’s nothing there, you’re stuck with a dark room and no real way to fix it (other than having your electrician return and hack up your ceiling). I’m not a fan of LED, but some people love it. Just make sure you like the type of light they put out before you bite the bullet on them.

Okay, without having dimensions, I took a stab at it: - It's a large space, but it's very spread-out, and bigger isn't automatically better ... I'd divide it up like this: - Carve out a U-shaped work space in the middle of the large kitchen. This keeps all your functional items close together /easy to use. Within this main kitchen space, you can have 2 huge drawer stacks + 1 smaller drawer stack next to the kitchen for cooking tools + 1 chef's drawer to the left of the sink + 2 big super susans. - I'd do uppers only on the side over the range, which would leave the whole space wide open ... and with light and breezes coming from both sides, this would be a very pleasant space. - To the right of this main work space, you have either a cabinet run OR pantries ... with the refrigerator in the middle. Loads and loads of one-step-away storage ... and it's space you can step to without walking around an island. So super convenient. - Because you have so much length to the kitchen and because you value table-time, I'd add a bay window to the front of the house /add a small kitchen table for more intimate dining ... then continue the kitchen cabinets (but more shallow) for another huge amount of storage near this small table. - I'd us this by-the-small-table cabinetry as away-space for the kitchen. That is, I'd use this one-step-away counterspace for the things that clutter up /clog up the kitchen counters: the coffee pot, a bowl of fruit or a cake-under-a-dome. This away-space will mean that your real work space is always clear /ready for use. It'll also be a nice sight line upon entering from what I now know is the front door. - Because I think dishware would be stored in the cabinets /uppers by the smaller table, I moved the dishwasher to the front side of the kitchen. - This leaves the back-bar as a large, open space, which will function well as a buffet table when you have guests /will be using the larger table. - This whole layout can function in multiple ways ... the center is the real work space, yet it relates to either the small eating area OR the larger eating area ... or both at once.