Where are you building?

What is your family makeup?

What is your property like?

Where are your elevations?

Congrats on your new home! I would consider an L-shaped island. Short side across from the stovetop. I think that would allow you to shorten as needed, have the long side of L be narrower and give you a bit of space to get through the doorway to the formal DR.

No ground floor loo..2 bedrooms have full bathroom ..1 bedroom has bath and sink but no loo one bedroom has nothing at all

If you have large SUVs your garage will be too small.

The door from mudroom to kitchen ... you really want to have that door opening into a kitchen space? That door should be a pocket door since it will stay open most of the time.

You have a nice foyer space, but no wall space to place a nice console or chest with a mirror above.

Are those arched windows in the two front bedrooms? If you have kids that are sensitive to daylight for sleeping, you will have to spend money on custom window treatments to cover arched windows.

Some rooms could use windows on a second wall.

Lots of wasted space in front of staircase on main floor and basement.

What's with all the tray ceilings? Where is the laundry room? Is it that room by the stairs next to the family room? I wouldn't want to do my laundry in such an open public space. If it's down in the basement, your house is too large to make a laundry room down there convenient. I would put it in the mudroom, but that's a pretty small space. There is enough room to steal space from your (giant, poorly laid out) kitchen.

(Just realized the room but the stairs could be a powder room.)

I really want to know where the fridge is before commenting on the island.

The toilet thing has to be that they weren't drawn in but it is hard to see where they fit. The ceilings are over the top crazy.

I also want to know where you live.

The garage is small.

Have you lived with double doors into a bedroom before?

Why is there a piece of furniture in front of your only master bedroom window?

Why not some windows on the fireplace wall?

To address the questions you specifically asked about.... :-D

We plan on fitting a breakfast nook table for at least 5 in the "nook" next to the kitchen that we will use regularly, but the question is how much to reduce the island by without making it an odd size and still usable?

Ideally, 3'-4' around a table is nice for circulation, pulling out chairs and comfortably eating, etc. So, not only would it be best to reduce the island and scoot it over a bit, but you'll also need space to enter/exit from the sliding doors (I assume that's what those are, with the little arrows) that lead out to the backyard.

To best accomplish this, put a table in the plan that represents the one you will use, centered on the sliding doors. If I were using *my* table, I know it wouldn't nicely fit that space (family of 8 here), but yours may be smaller.

We'd still like to have a functional island with a prep sink and ideally three spots for seats. Currently it sits 6' from the stove so we can move it over at least a foot to 5' away[...]

I think that's a good idea; 6' seems too far away, regardless of the Nook area.

[...] we were thinking somewhere around 4' x 7' but unsure if that's a strange size.
We are also not planning on having an arced seating area as pictured. Is 3'6" a strange width for an island?

Assuming you have cabinets on the "working" side of the island, at 24" deep, plus an extra inch for the counter, that leaves a 17" overhang for the bar/counter stools. I think that's fine. I prefer a deeper overhang for seating (I have a tall husband and 5 sons who promise to be just as tall); just know that you'll likely need supports/legs on your island (some people like them, some don't).

Another question is whether the master shower at 5' x 6' is just strangely large.

Nope. :-) It's big, but not excessively so.

"...We plan on fitting a breakfast nook table for at least 5 in the "nook" next to the kitchen that we will use regularly,.."

Simple to figure out. First, calculate the width of the table. Second, add 3.5-4-feet on each side of the table to allow room for chairs and circulation. Third, add the three figures, and Viola! That's how much room you need for the table.

Knowing that, you should be able to calculate the effect on the kitchen island.

I would post the kitchen in the kitchen forum. There are some real wizards there!!

As far as the double doors into the bedroom (or any other room for that matter). I don't like them at all. The biggest pain is where do you put the light switch so you can hit it when you walk into the room? There just isn't a space for it right inside the doors because of the dual swing. I also never think they close nicely. Just really seems like a waste to me, but I'm am typically very practical.

Your dining room is fairly far from the kitchen. So it will probably be a "show" room. Consider whether you wouldn't prefer useful space over "impressing the Jones" space. Your everyday eating space is much too small. And your kitchen is a marathon-to-be. If you prefer to eat at the table, then rotate your island to put the long side across from the stove. 48" around the island is plenty. More than that and it's just extra steps.

Move the pantry/powder room block back even with the mudroom wall. Change the pantry to be a straight reach-in run of floor to ceiling cabinets. You'll have more usable space and your powder room won't need a weird jog. Yes, it will make the dining room smaller. But you'll have more room in you normal eating area where you need it. Plus, when guests come over, where do they usually hang out? It's not the formal spaces. Only strangers spend time there; so why devote so much space to them?

Instead of having sliding doors in the middle of your eating area, let that wall be windows and move the door to the short wall around the corner. Then you won't have traffic issues when someone sits at the end of the table.

What is the size of your lot and how does this house fit on the lot? I ask because I question whether or not you truly need to put the garage as the first thing you see as you drive up. In my neighborhood we are on 5500-6100 square foot lots and somehow the architects manage to set the garages back at least 15 feet from the front of the house. (It's a zoning requirement in my neighborhood.) If that can be done on such a small lot, I'm thinking it could be done if your lot is any larger.

I'm concerned your house will be dark for all but the morning hours since your main rooms face east and you have no windows on your south wall.

Additionally, much of your main floor is given over to walkways as opposed to usable "living" spaces. The blue are walkways needed. I think your front foyer and hall to the stairs is a heck of a lot of wasted space for the size of your downstairs.

Does anything stand out as unusual or impractical?

It's almost double the size of an average American house.

Your main floor has a large family space plus an away space ... why the whole basement as well? It'll be at least a decade -- and probably another house -- 'til the kids want to be separated from you.

One thing we're wrestling with with is our kitchen island size

I think you're falling victim to "this is what nice houses have" syndrome. Why do you need a breakfast table (not a nook -- nooks are tucked away spaces) PLUS a large island with seating ... located literally within arm's reach of one another? And I'd venture to guess another outdoor table only steps away. How many eating spaces do you actually need?

I'd say choose one or the other ... if you go with the island, enlarge it a bit /make it really nice, not stools lined up so no one can talk comfortably ... if you go with the table, shorten the island to allow for circulation (and don't neglect the space you'll need when chairs are pulled out ... this table is in the center of your floorplan, making it a major thoroughfare. Our breakfast table is 3 1/2' round -- definitely go with a round table in this area -- and it's ideal for 4-5 people. We never put food on the table; rather, we serve plates from the stovetop for casual weekday meals.

Don't forget that you want to be able to reach the back door.

Currently it sits 6' from the stove so we can move it over at least a foot to 5' away

6' between the stove and island seems to be too much. 4' would be better.

Another question is whether the master shower at 5' x 6' is just strangely large.

Yes. In my opinion (and I spent several years measuring friends' showers and hotel showers to develop this opinion), showers shouldn't be more than 3 1/2' - 4' wide. Why? Because once you pass that width, you're kind of out in the middle of a too-big space, which feels uncomfortably exposed. If you one day need grab bars, the walls'll be too far apart for them to be reachable.

However, this is an easy fix. Just reduce the size of the shower and center the tub on the open wall.

Overall, I think a lot of your things are over-optimized. This may not be just as bad as under-sized, but it's a problem. You don't want over-sized ... you want right-sized. Have you measured friends' houses, etc. to see what sizes you actually prefer?

The laundry room is on the second floor adjacent to the master bedroom.

I'd bump the machines to the left /make it easier to vent the dryer. I personally would leave the laundry room door open most of the time, so I think this is a good spot for a pocket door. I'd also double the window in the laundry room so it would allow more light into the hallway. If you're going with modern front-loader machines, which are pretty deep, this laundry room isn't any too wide.

Someone commented on the double doors to the mbr, are there issues with double doors? They seem to be common on mid to higher end houses around here.

Again "this is what nice houses have" syndrome. Things that are common aren't necessarily desirable. Double doors require two hands to open ... and the light switches must be placed either behind the door or too far from the door for comfort. And what's the gain? Nothing. Well, if you're working with a small space, you might want your doors to "park" in a smaller area, but that doesn't seem to be a problem ere.

In fact, I'd consider a 17' long master. What are you going to do with the space at the foot of the bed? Nothing. It's just empty space. Imagine you put a TV on the wall ... it's 17' away ... too far for easy vision, and you have to turn up the volume.

Do pocket doors wear over time? We would prefer to keep them closed so the mud room to kitchen area would be closed most of the time.

Yes, they do wear out, and they're harder for little fingers to open. I personally would go with a pocket door here anyway ... because I'd keep the door open most of the time.

An alternative: A swinging door.

Other thoughts:

- I understand that you like to cook (and you will again once the kids are a bit older), but a larger kitchen is in no way a better kitchen. This much cabinetry is going to cost a fortune, and much of it is likely to end up as clutter-space.

- Is that a pantry in the middle of the house? Again, this would be a good place for a pocket door. Note that your standard hinged door covers up a big portion of your shelves, meaning you'd have to go into the pantry /close the door to access these items. OR, this might be a place for double doors on swing hinges (swing hinged doors don't require hands to open).

- The dining room isn't exactly close to the kitchen -- it's not absolutely ridiculously far, but neither is is conveniently placed. Consider the steps that'll be necessary to transport food, plates, drinks to the dining room. The butler's pantry half-way between is a good place for a buffet set-up ... be sure to include a few outlets there so you can run a crock pot in this area.

- Is that empty room across from the stairs a half-bath? If not, it should be! You absolutely need a bathroom on your main living level.

- Upstairs you're over-bathed (plus another full bath in the basement and what I think is a half bath on the main floor). You'll run yourself ragged keeping these bathrooms clean /keeping toiletries and toilet paper in them each. And only one of the upstairs baths (the one that shares a wall with the laundry room) looks to be adequately sized /comfortable. The others have minimal sink space, meaning no storage for the kids as they grow older. I'd go with ONE nice-sized bathroom open to the hallway. So much less money, so much less work.

Your kitchen is a LOT of walking. Your fridge seems to be about 10 feet away from your sink and prep space. You would also need to walk all the way around the island to access the pantry. I would suggest turning the island and relocating the fridge somewhere closer to the sink. Or you could put a prep sink in the island to make a smaller work triangle.

I'm still wondering why the tray ceilings in every single room. It seems over the top (no pun intended). If you love the look, pick a few areas of the home where you can really show off the feature.

Forgot to mention: the vestibule between the garage and kitchen is very poorly laid out. The entry door will whack into anyone standing at the closet. Or if you use bi-fold doors on the closet and happen to leave them open, you'll whack them. Flip the door swing and move the door over a little. Alternatively, put the closet on the other side. Also, having another corner cabinet will be a pain. I'd reserve this space for a freezer and straight counter.

Your kitchen is a LOT of walking.

And that's one of the things I meant when I said a kitchen can be too big to function well. Yes, even if you intend to include kids in the cooking. Be sure you're building a kitchen that'll function well for the way you really live ... not a kitchen that's perfect for the once-every-other-month day when you get all the kids together and bake cookies or Thanksgiving day.

I'm still wondering why the tray ceilings in every single room.

I have no love of tray ceilings, especially with already-high ceilings ... keep in mind, too, that every extra foot of ceiling is going to be 4000+ sf of space you have to heat.

Tray ceilings are a dated look. We rarely see them any more. More current, and more enjoyable are flat 9' ceilings, perhaps 10' in a statement living room. Cove ceilings and very high ceilings are a PITA to light.

There are a really a lot of posts on the Kitchens forum from people with 10' ceilings and all the questions/issues that raises of how to deal with the cabinetry, moldings, soffits and the lighting. Cove ceilings even a worse problem.

I can't begin to make any kitchen lay-out suggestions without understanding the plan better. Please see my questions in this drawing:

As for the abundance of cove ceilings ... if it's done in nearly every room, it becomes mundane, not special. Limit it to the DR and/or the great room and leave the rest of ceilings of the first floor rooms alone. Or you can use the $$ saved from eliminating the tray ceiling detail on the first floor and have them install box beams in the DR. I'm biased. That's what we did and I absolutely love it!

Wow. That's a big house! Congratulations on building your dream home.

kids - with little kids - think of bedtime ritual where you are running from bathroom to bathroom to see that everyone has peed, brushed teeth and gotten into their pj's. In the case of little kids, it might be nice to have a community bathroom for a few years.

Consider teenaged kids - they will love having their own bathrooms. But consider cleaning them. If they are anything like my teenage kids, no matter how polite or well groomed they are, their bathroom is ALWAYS a mess. Maybe have one to share instead. Obviously, this is only a consideration - you know your family.

Tray ceilings are a dated look. We rarely see them any more.

I never liked tray ceilings. Regardless, don't overlook this: It can be difficult to differentiate between what you really love and what's popular today. Today's trend becomes tomorrow's "dated item".

As for the abundance of cove ceilings ... if it's done in nearly every room, it becomes mundane, not special.

Agreed.

kids - with little kids - think of bedtime ritual where you are running from bathroom to bathroom to see that everyone has peed, brushed teeth and gotten into their pj's. In the case of little kids, it might be nice to have a community bathroom for a few years.

Consider teenaged kids - they will love having their own bathrooms. But consider cleaning them. If they are anything like my teenage kids, no matter how polite or well groomed they are, their bathroom is ALWAYS a mess. Maybe have one to share instead. Obviously, this is only a consideration - you know your family.

Good arguments for one nice-sized bathroom.