Kirkarch, I REALLY appreciate the time you took for that layout but I agree with what others have said. The comment that really struck home was what Stan said about creating confusion when you first walk in with 2 doors and not knowing where to go. I love the aesthetic of the 2 doors from the kitchen side, but from the front of the house, I don't think it will work =( As it turns out, a 48" single door really kills the 6'+ island, unless it encroaches on the plane of the door. With 42" aisles I can do a max of 5', by my calculations. So, back to NOT bumping out the wall into the front room with this one. The only thing I really gain with a wall bump out is a slightly deeper island and the possibility of an easy reach cabinet with breathing room around the window molding next to the sink. With this layout, i'm giving up my even reveal around the window, but from the 3d plan, it actually doesn't bug me so much since the cabinets are on different planes. Hooray! Michey 1, OCD 0! So, island is 5' across with an as yet undetermined depth. I've also temporarily nixed the stages and went down to a 33" sink base. Hopefully there's a 30" sink out there with my name on it, lol. Some questions: 42" aisles on sink and stove side. Acceptable? Island is 5' wide, unless I expand more towards the fridge wall, but then it will not line up with the edge of the stove wall cabinets. Should I keep them lined up or try to go bigger? right now I have 5'4 between cabinets on the fridge wall (they are pulled forward as shown) and the island edge and that's the main path to family room nirvana. I put the trash opening towards the DW. With a 42" aisle, think that's problematic? I will be able to sweep things to the side as MelEdwards suggested this way, which gives me more standing room opposite the stove. Now there's a janky 12" cabinet in the island. Cutting board storage, I guess? Trying to figure out where knives and such should go. Drawer above the trash? the 9" on the stove wall can be for cookie sheets, I guess. As you can tell, I haven't full mapped out my "what should go where" yet. I shrank the pantry to try and get the fridge closer to line up with the aisle, though it's still not perfect. I'm worried the pantry is becoming to narrow and deep to be useful. Was planning shallow shelves on 3 walls and deeper shelves towards the bottom on the back wall for big stuff. For a reach in pantry, how small is too small? Thank you thank you, everyone!

This makes me want to go stay in a little walk-out apartment on a historic street. I'd absolutely back a sofa or settee against one of the walls that meet in the right corner. Nothing acting as a barrier/division in the middle of the room. nothing large and fixed to walk around to get from one function to another. As for the rest of the living area: For a combination study table, dining table, and side table for a reading chair: A small rectangular table extending out from the other wall in the area the sofa would be in. Glass sounds good visually but could be solid and expandable. If extending out from the end wall near the kitchen, the table could also provide an occasional extra surface for the cook. That table could have a comfortable swivel chair on the sofa side for conservation that would swivel to face the table for study and dining. Then a compact but comfy chair that can tuck under the table for the kitchen side. A third, either always out elsewhere or folded in a closet or under the bed, could be moved to the end of the table for a guest. Toward the bedroom, bathroom, utility doors side, define that side of the living area with an easy chair positioned to both allow passage to the areas beyond and to make it clear that they are beyond, not in. Kitchen: My #1 need is work space. In that case I'd steal inches from the left of the sink, possibly steal from the sink, even take the 3" from the other side of the cooktop if needed/possible, to expand that workspace between sink and stove. Btw, I know I'd theoretically be willing to go for the 3" because we bought a little place with a mini kitchen that had the 30" stove directly against the closet on its left, work counter to its right. I'm left-handed but stove placement turned out to be no problem at all. To make it feel spacious and uncluttered, a generally monochromatic background, including walls, cabinets, large furniture, and some of the smaller pieces, even possibly the floor. That would set off accents chosen for being both functional and because you like to look at them, also to provide balance and focus and draw the eye away from what you don't want noticed. No large, dramatic contrasts that would break the room up, including look-at-me! rugs (unless one was a major feature in an otherwise quiet room). Let the eyes flow serenely around. Looking forward to seeing what you guys decide to do.

How nice to have an introvert thread. My husband and I are both introverts, and it often seems as if the whole world wants open layouts where you cannot do your own thing without being interrupted by others. Meanwhile, we are all about walls and soundproofing. As others have also stated, my first thought was also that you want SO much to be different that it sounds as if all signs are pointing to just moving. But I understand that is not an option. Given all that you are doing and wanting, it sounds to me as if what would make more sense for you is building a second story. That'll cost more up front but usually adds A LOT to the value of a home. Run this idea by a realtor and see how much value that would add to the home in your areal Might be worth it? This is why, in terms of your goals, it makes sense: -- If the goal is a higher ceiling in the living areas, you can vault the ceiling as you are proposing. Or you can just make the ceiling higher (say, like, 10'-11') while you're adding a second story. Either way, the roof comes off. -- I don't think you will enjoy an open layout at all. It may make the house feel more spacious, but it's a terrible layout for introverts. And basically miserable if you have no other living areas. My husband and I have and that now (an open layout with no secondary living area) in our one-bedroom condo, and it's one of the main things we are going to avoid our future home at all costs. You just CANNOT get away from your family in that situation. You mentioned that you want your home to feel "restful," and this definitely does not. The normal noise/smells/activity of life in your home are all jumbled together in the same environment, and the result is unpleasant and chaotic and something you can't escape from unless you go lock yourself in your bedroom. We actually set up our bedroom to be a secondary TV room so we could actually escape each other, but it's really not the same thing as a second, separate living space and never will be. -- "I thought I would use the basement space for our family room but I am finding the basement not as comfortable as well. Too cold and too far removed from the kitchen." If you add a second floor, the bedrooms will be upstairs, and then you can use the current bedrooms for a family room. They, presumably, are not cold like the basement. And they're much closer to the kitchen. -- I have thought about adding on to the house but it will mean $$$ and less yard on our narrow property. A second floor doesn't save money, but it take NO extra space on your property. -- "We will move the washer and dryer to the basement (it was already upstairs when we moved in. I love this convenience and will be sad having to go to the basement to wash clothes but we do need the space!)." With a second story, the laundry can go on that second story along with all the bedrooms. It'll be just as convenient, but also not taking up the space you need on the ground floor. Do you have a floor plan of the entire first floor as it currently is, including all the bedrooms? Could you post that?

This refers to Bedroom #2 which you indicated may be for an elderly relative. Your doorway into this bathroom is only 24” which will make it impossible for a wheelchair and difficult for a walker. I encourage you to remove or make more shallow the linen closet so you can enlarge the bathroom access door. Then make the Tub shower combo a Shower with low or no curb and a handheld wand. You never know when you will need this for an elderly relative or an immediate family member who has had surgery/broken leg. Make sure there is enough clearance on the sides of the toilet for grab bars and/or to assist in lifting. It would be simpler for this person to access the bathroom through one door instead of two, especially at night. You could remove the anteroom and make this a simple large bathroom with access door to hall and another access door to bedroom. It seems overly complicated in its current configuration.