gthigpen, my husband is totally against the combined pantry and mudroom. He also says he wants to be able to see everything in the pantry all at once, and doesn't like to have stuff behind cabinets. (My MIL's kitchen is somewhat that way, which drives him batty, which maybe is why he is so opposed to it). He wants a fully walk in pantry. I do see how your plan would work well though! I don't think it would bother me at all, but I guess I have to pretend I let him help me make some decisions ;) mama goose, good point about dual doors. I wonder if I can put in swinging saloon style doors and get the best of both worlds? I envision something looking like cabinets still and not the 80s style louvered doors. Ha! Also, we entertain really informally, but I can always pull my coffee stuff into the kitchen if we have "fancy" guests. I do agree the microwave is probably best left in the kitchen. We use ours at least 2-3 times a day but mostly just to reheat foods. mabeldingeldine, I love that space! That's good to hear that you had a utilitarian area in your pantry and it worked for you. I think I might be able to do the same sort of thing. If I do a long enough countertop in the pantry, I can leave my stand mixer there and maybe do some prep in there also. That thing is heavy and not sure where else I would store it. I've seen the pics of the fancy little fold out mixer cabinet stand things, but I just can't see doing something that elaborate with mine (I only use mine once or twice a month, maybe). ally123, I can't see my kids ever actually closing the door if it were a pocket door. I wish though, it would look nicer!

Thank you so much guys!!! Imkuin - I measured the closet and I dont think it will work. It’s too deep. It is 48”deep by 37” wide. It was a great idea. I think it’ll make a good closet for vacuums, brooms, paper towels, etc. though. David - I did price them. :(. I’ve called aj Madison and abt appliances. The KA double freezer drawer or freezer/fridge drawer is $2400. I live alone and dont cook, and my Thermador freezer is almost too small even for me. The house is 5000 sq feet and if someone ever bought it with a family, they’d definitely want a bigger freezer. Jani - these are great ideas. Thank you! I didnt think of doing one drawer with the microwave. I wonder if that might be a good compromise! Maybe I can just get by with a single drawer. I am going to look into that. Maybe I can put it in the bp then, under the microwave. Fori - Thanks! The plumbing is already in place for the w/d. The reason I moved it is because the door from the bedroom side will likely be open most of the time and I didnt want a sight line into the w/d. The “desk” I figured will look like a floating walnut counter that you can sit at, but you could also put a laundry basket under it. I wonder if I can put a single freezer drawer in the laundry and one in the bp as Jani suggested. I need to price them out. - If I have room and use the instant pot a lot, I’ll probably just leave it sitting out in the bp on the counter.

I’ve designed many kitchens with butler’s pantries for lots of dish storage, or grease kitchens for messy food prep. Sometimes both in one house. Plus a canning pantry or cool larder. Designing a home food production space that is customized to the family that uses it is entirely a different thing than the usual generic builder’s options. Architecture constrains some choices. But step 1 of a good design is an in depth analysis of what you cook, who cooks it, and how you cook it. Those are not the questions that you usually get at your local box store cabinet seller. I‘ve done grease kitchens with deep fryers, or wok burners. or a host of counter surface with places for buffet warmers to plug in. Custom design that fits the family. Some versatility is a good goal to build in, but what’s the point of building a large custom home if it works only for a mythical “resale family!”

The best houses orient the public rooms towards the south for the best passive solar heating and cooling The best houses are L, U, T, H, or I shaped. The best houses are only one to two rooms deep. And covered lanai, porches, garages, etc count as rooms in this case. The best houses make sure kitchens have natural light, meaning windows so one doesn't have to have lighting 24/7 to use the kitchen. (And no, dining areas with windows 10' or more from the kitchen will not allow for natural light.) The best houses make sure all public rooms and bedrooms have windows on at least two walls. The best houses do not if possible put mechanical rooms, pantries or closets on outside walls The best houses keep public and private spaces separate. The best houses do not have you walk through the work zone of the kitchen to bring laundry to the laundry room. The best houses do not have the mudroom go through any of the work zones of the kitchen. The best houses do not use the kitchen as a hallway to any other rooms. The best houses do not put toilets or toilet rooms up against bedroom walls or dining areas. The best houses do not have walk in closets too small to stand inside. The best houses have an organizing “spine” so it’s easy to determine how to get from room to room in the house and what makes sense. So how many of these best practices does your house have?