Wonderful, Tucker. Too bad you aren't here more often to share more of your less often seen bloomers. Especially like the dends (owl regurgitation? That's a hoot! LOL) The oerstedella is very cool, too. Good growing! Marci

with entire working kitchen shifted to dining room location, the current kitchen-at about 12 by 10 can house an island with seating/or a table/. the question would be the space around half wall-is there something this floor of the house lacks as far as storage/utility functions/etc....you seem to want the open/full view across the entire back of house,so maybe just leaving it alone is ok for a later time in the future to re-evaluate. Park some nice plants. Are you familiar with houzz.com-search for things like"corridor or narrow kitchen" ,as in Bell's sketch.... or "kitchen with island" or "eat in kitchen". You really can do this a couple of ways. A big thing is the fact you don't envision a bump out of the kitchen area at any time. The shift of kitchen therefore to the larger zone would have a draw for me/saying that,corridor kitchens have their place and can really be upstyled to be wonderful. You just have to figure out what is feasible even if willing to do a fair amt of work and some cost....what appeals to you....what enhances the home...what will work for the two of you starting a family and likely wanting to remain there. [I'm guessing on that bit]. do you have a printer-I'd have some pics from houzz and run them by the GC as each a different type of kitchen and just see how he responds. The easiest is to have your plan nailed down when GC comes out-I don't think you are that far. So use the time having him look at the infrastructure with different options for appliances/plumbing/gas locations and take it from there.

Yes, it was very cheap. It is also a big plant in a big pot, which would have cost me big bucks around here, in whatever condition. I recall my earlier FWs looking very different when young. The corrugation that I love and rounded leaf shape didn't show up til much later. It's a "filler" so if it's not FW, it's no big deal. It looks like it will grow up to be a large variety, in any event. (I trimmed the crispy parts: have not done that before, but it makes me feel better when I look at it)

I agree with several of the Houzzers ideas previously presented that suggested 3, 4 or more spaces within that large room: Here are the suggestions 1. TV viewing area 2. conversation area: one large one with two sofas plus two chairs, and perhaps a second smaller conversation space further away with two comfy chairs and a side table between them 3. music space 4. library (this can also be the smaller conversation space mentioned in 2. above) or a more serious homework space if you place a table there to work on and have plenty of outlets and wifi connectivity cabability 4.game area with table (for cards, chess, etc) or pool table or ping pong or whatever is your kind of game 5. a tea cart 6. a wet bar I like the image of a lodge lobby, or the first floor of an old-fashioned dormitory where we did our entertaining because no one was allowed up in the rooms.