You know, I agree with you that the island perpendicular to the window wall doesn't feel as right as the island parallel to the window wall. Interesting. I stopped and thought about why that would be. My first thought was that, with the island perpendicular to the window wall, the end of the island closest to the living room now feels as if it's intruding into the walkway between the kitchen and living room. Even though the island ends in line with the side of the fridge closest to the living room, the island still feels as if it's intruding. However, when I look at the island parallel to the window, I also think the end of the island closest to the dining room feels as if it is intruding into the dining room. Even though the island ends in line with the side of the perimeter cabinet closest to the dining room, the island still feels as if it's intruding. So when you're standing in the living room, you like the perpendicular-to-the-window-wall island orientation less (because the island feels as if it's intruding towards you). And when you're standing in the dining room, you'll like the parallel-to-the-window-wall island orientation less (because the island feels as if it's intruding towards you). Given all that, I actually think this shape island (posted earlier upthread) feels the best from both perspectives: That is because the island is completely and clearly inside the invisible borders of the kitchen as delineated by the side of the fridge closest to the living room and the side of the perimeter cabinet closest to the dining room. A square (ish) island doesn't even touch the borders -- it's well inside them by a foot or two, making it impossible for the island to feel as if it's intruding into another room. This home layout is so open that it lacks some of the normal cues (walls/doorways/floor changes) marking where the kitchen ends and another room begins. So in this island's case, a setback from the technical kitchen border helps to clarify things. The island's definitely in the kitchen and only in the kitchen. Here is an edited version that stops the island a foot or two short of the borders in both directions: I'd recommend having seating just on the living room side of the island. Seating on the dining room side puts those chairs back to back with dining room chairs, and I always think that looks/functions a bit oddly.

Pick an EXTERIOR WALL and use it as your 'straight line'. The meeting of tiles in doorways and openings isn't a big deal. Your professional tile installer will have very little issue getting things to work. All you have to do is tell him/her the wall YOU USED to figure out the layout AND THEN make a quick hand sketch of what you 'mean'. Your professional will sign the drawing (you give him/her a copy for their reference). Once they know where to start, they will do the measuring and the tweaking from there.

Neil- It's not about us, or what the name of the style is, it's about you and what you prefer deep inside. When you come home from work and open the door, which room will give you a little smile and and a relaxed "Aaah" Room one is spare and sleek. Although well designed, it doesn't read especially comfortable, or as a place that stimulates conversation. I would wonder about the person that lives there. I would think, he's a loner, he's strict, authoritarian, or emotionally repressed. And I might feel repressed in that room as well. Room two is reads comfy and colorful. The sofa is stuffed and it as well as the art and rug have lively color with curved shapes. It tells me, this person has warmth, maybe he is huggable. Maybe this person has cultural interests (the art, the Persian carpet.) I would want to room two. It is calm enough to relax me and my friends and interesting enough to not bore anyone, and it is interesting without being pretentious. The only thing I would switch out in room two are the lamps. The side table lamp has a bare bulb which I find gives out too much glare. I would get one with a frosted globe over the bulb. And the floor lamp, if someone looked up they would see the bare bulb, so I would get one like that with a frosted glass hemisphere or something like that to cover the bulb.

No, the architect hasn't finished all the details lol, this is a 95% plan. The bedroom will have a door from the hallway. The closet will have hanging shelves for clothes on the far wall with about 4' and on the bathroom wall have build ins leaving about 32" of space to stand.