yeah, musing too, in the kitchen space that geomeg has, imagine selling the range and having only one humungous counter. Her one counter could increase in size after one enters the room. The back wall could be a humungous appliance garage (rolltop front) where the Breville Smart Oven lives permanently. One can cook a lot in a small toaster oven, and even more in a large toaster oven. When closed, the appliance garage is a wall of clean. In front of the mega garage, a $999 Ikea induction cooktop can be right there, unobtrusive and ready to be either like countertop or a spot to cook on. Other appliances: mixer, blender, coffee mill, pepper mill, sliced bagel toaster, coffee machine, folding dish rack, you name it. The "floor" of the appliance garage could be sloped, or made with Runnels, and (of course!) the slope leads to a separate drain. This drain could be plumbed to the sink drain in the same easy way as double sinks get plumbed (one P trap is shared between them). Wall cabinets, "uppers", can be built so they project forward more than the garage rolltop wall, and this makes the closed garage wall look a lot more like a continuation of the wall when you enter the kitchen. Under this extra deep counter, the volume (unused space) behind the drawers can be used for long-term storage. Accessing it involves removing some drawers, a 2 second operation with most drawers. Since the range wall is almost 7 feet long, the huge counter would have to wrap around in an L shape, to make efficient use of the available space. It is also possible to imagine a big appliance garage on THAT wall too (the range wall). With a huge corner cabinet, super susan or ... Inside one of the appliance garages, a silent concealed fan exhausts odors and steam, and a slide-out glass captures smokey effluent rising from the induction cooktop .... But, this is mere musing as long as we have inexact dimensions.

dang, 10 yrs empty! I hope you got a very good deal on it! My place was empty for 4 yrs in the desert and was filthy. Anyway, I do think I was looking at the architect's 'future to be maybe' drawings... ha! Going on your drawing of 'as it is now' - I can see the 'appl wall' now (wondered where an oven would be). If no bp now behind that wall, I'd see what space is usable once you line up the appl wall (if that's what you want to do). That and island placement. Having it as a place to stash extra drinks and pizza boxes (party time) would be a good thing. I did think of the bp for the birds too (cages, dishes etc). Don't think I posted that - I just left it at 'plants'. My oldest son had a bird for a few yrs and I didn't like him using the kitchen sink (we didn't have that much space and only the 1 sink). I thought I might just be weird about that. It would be a handy space to have - and keep that stuff out of your kitchen sinks. If there'd be enough space, you could have a back wall of shallow cabinets. pantries don't need to be that deep. If bigger things they could store under the cabinet run w/the sink in there. I'm posting that 'cause I have no clue how much space would be usable after you line things up (and I know that's important to you). And you need a wide enough walk area behind it from lower outside door up thru to the casual room. I'd probably want the whole one side as just counter and sink (no full height cabs). Space to work in. If you decide against a bp, it looks like you have some usable space in the laundry for a few cabinets for food supplies. And a sink in there for the dishes and cages. but if you have the space (and budget) I'd probably want to keep those things separate. I can fill up a laundry room so fast with other things myself - laundry baskets, sewing machine, ironing board... Also, if you get those things done that you want to do, I agree with maybe just getting the tile and then taking some time off from remodeling / construction to enjoy yourself and new (beautiful) home, gardens and views!! No reason not to even wait to get tile. The stores will still be out there ready to take you money in the future.

Thank you for asking for more clarifications: This is an existing master bedroom, not an addition. The outside shape of the home on the "top" and "bottom" of the drawing page can't be changed due to property setbacks. The "right" side of the drawing currently has two patio doors that open to a 4ft wide catwalk that is around 4-5ft above ground - the house is a split entry so there are windows for the downstairs bedroom and office under that catwalk. Due to the roof design and cost to change it, we don't really want to consider pushing out the wall on the right that has the patio doors. To the "left" of the drawing on the other side of the wall of the existing bathroom is the kitchen. To the other side of the wall of closets in the bedroom and "below" the area noted as 5ft hallways in the bedroom is the opening for the split entry steps. Not shown in the drawing to the left of the kitchen and steps is the living room/great room.

A friend was quoted approximately 400.000(second story over a slightly smaller ranch, but in Silicon Valley) and moving out for a year. Have no idea what her quote included. For example when we remodeled our contract didn't include finished materials, with some exceptions-so add materials to it, if her quote was more like mine. They bought another house instead. A bigger one. Lots, lots of money. But if you add up the very approximate quote plus the very high rent they'd have to pay living somewhere else during the remodel plus everything unexpected plus huge inconvenience plus.. They'd probably pay the same, in her area. If not more. And they wouldn't have a time of their lives, I assume. I hadn't. We gut remodeled plus added to the new house while living in the old one. It'd be smarter to just move and pay several hundred thousands more right away. Of course we didn't know exactly back then. Well now I know. Putting finances and huge effort and time aside though-it did allow us to reach some of our goals for the family, that we might not reach otherwise.