First of all, THANK YOU for taking the time to read this, look at my plan, and assist me. In response to some of the questions/comments... The right side that desertsteph mentioned not being able to see/read on the drawing - right now there is a large old butcher block table there, with 3 wall cabs and some shelves above. We do not use the table - it basically collects junk. I think that area could be used much more efficiently. Yes, this is mostly "steamlining and prettying up"! I'm not opposed to changing things *if* it really makes sense to do it but am not looking to change things just for the sake of change. I think I have a good base and there is no need to tear it all out and start from scratch. I just want to be sure that I am making the most efficient and effective decisions. I was thinking of putting another oven beside the refrigerator; it seems like the easiest place for a new appliance. I do have a floor-to-ceiling pantry that holds a ton of stuff. If I don't put in a second oven, the space beside the refrigerator would probably be a combo of deep drawers and a good sized pantry cabinet, and/or some kind of built-in microwave as right now we have a countertop MW that just sits on an old dresser! The floor is pine planks - very pretty, warm color - all the first floor floors are the same material, and it will remain. The hall door sees the least traffic, so it seems like the cook center is already in the best place given that I need to keep 5 doors into this space. The space between the island and the kitchen table is basically a corridor to the living room, so that needs to stay clear. I briefly considered a new countertop with an overhang on that side but the overhang would make my existing top drawers unusable, so I ruled that out. We do not have an entry room or mudroom at this entrance to the house; there is a brick patio outside this door. Our laundry room is as long as the kitchen but about 6 ft wide; part of this is a half bath, some is laundry, and the rest is storage and "mud room" functions. There is a lot packed into that little space but it works pretty well. I have aspirations of building a covered stoop at the back since we do use this entrance all the time, but that will be a few years away. I don't think our site setbacks would allow a full mudroom or entry here. I like the shelf above the cabinets too, although I'm not much of a collector, so I don't know what to put up there. I'm short so it is too high for me to access for storage, and works as display only. I'm having outlets installed above the shelf as part of this project so I can install lighting up there to light the ceiling. My finish plan is: *keep the floors *cover the ceiling with an anaglyptic wallcovering that looks like tin tiles which will be painted white *install crown mold all around, painted white *paint the cabinets white, add a "light rail" piece of trim to the bottoms, switch out the hinges with something less obtrusive, change the pulls on the drawers to bin pulls, and change the door pulls to new ORB/white porcelain pulls *paint the wainscot and trim (now blue) dark brown, picking up on the darkest brown tones of the floor and the dark brown fleck in the laminate countertop *paint the walls a very light cream/yellow (BM Pearly Gates, I think) *I'd hoped to replace the countertop to the left of the range with Corian to match what's on the right. It's probably 20 years old and it looks great, but this CT is so old that I am having trouble matching it. I am still looking at options here - would like to use something white/light colored but have also considered the Ikea butcher block for economy reasons, although I am not sure I am up to that DIY project *I bought subway tile for the backsplash at the range, but I have to replace the CTs first because they are not currently at the same height (only a fraction of an inch off, but against the lines of the tile it will be really evident) I guess my biggest question is - is it worth it to consider moving the sink? Would I gain the same benefit by undermounting a new sink at the existing location on the island and having a butcher block piece made to cover half of it to expand the prep area? That would certainly be less expensive, but would it be as effective as the combination of a main sink and a prep sink? I appreciate your time and your thoughts. Thanks for your help!

How long is forever? I can describe a couple forevers -- here's my grandparents' forever: - When my grandparents married, they built a small house on family land in the country (with an eye towards adding on as they could afford it), and they intended to live in that house forever. - When their oldest child graduated from high school, they opted to move to the big city 1) so she could attend university and live at home. 2) so they could start a business. They bought a very nice house and intended to live in it forever. - My grandfather died, my grandmother remarried, and the neighborhood showed signs of going downhill. So my grandmother and her new husband moved into a small condo that they thought would be ideal for a retired couple forever. - After a couple years, my grandmother felt restricted in the small space, so they bought a large ranch house and intended to live in it forever. My grandfather did, but after his death my grandmother didn't like upkeep on the large house, so she moved to a smaller ranch with the intention of staying in that compact house forever. - When she was 99 years old, she moved in with her son, who added a lovely little apartment to his house. And she did stay in that forever. And my mom's forever: - After she married, my mom moved into the house in the country where she'd been raised (my grandparents had rented it when they moved to the city). She intended to stay there forever. - She divorced, remarried, and her new husband wanted to live in the mountains. So they did, and they say they intend to stay in that house forever. I suspect my stepfather will live there the rest of his life (he's not in the best of health). - I think my mom'll leave the mountains after he dies. She's going to want to be nearer family. See how unexpected life events change your "forever"? My husband and I are building what we expect to be "forever". We've just turned 50 and our kids are almost out the door, so we're in a better position than a younger couple to say "forever" ... still, do we know? Not really. Likely most of our big life changes have already happened -- small kids, teens, now it's just us. We're building with an eye towards aging-in-place, but we also know that we could potentially end up selling.

One other observation: you seem to be trying to eliminate as much "unnecessary" interior space as possible. But there is a graciousness in allowing a little extra space. If it were me, the absence of a water closet in an otherwise nice master bath would be dealbreaker. As much as I love ample garage space, your 3-bay garage looks out of place on a modest 3 BR, 2.5 BA rancher. Also, as a home office space has become a necessity to many people, the lack of a 4th bedroom or flex space of some sort seems to handicap the utility of the house, since you've also foregone a formal dining room in lieu of a bigger kitchen eating space. There's a reason homes have grown bigger. We live differently. Your home needn't be 3,000 SF, but a little more interior space and a less cavernous garage will put your home more in line with 21st century housing.

As a former owner of a 1900 Victorian, hope you have deep pockets because I see a good bit of work and restoration. Renting the whole house seems challenging at best. Porch looks like there might be some wood condition issues. What budget are you planning for? Will you upgrade plumbing and electrical and sewer lines. These infrastructure items can eat a budget fast and must be done. Big undertaking. We had a 10 year plan and the house was owned by one person. Year 10 we got job transfers and second redo of kitchen got handed off to new owners. I wouldn’t tear down any walls. If people come, they are looking for a 1920 experience. Not a modernization. We sold our house in hours. At asking price. So think things through. Research what renters want.