You have a lot of options. What spaces do you need for how you live? Do you need an office? A space to host a lot of people for dinner? Both informal and formal eating spaces? A big kitchen or particular kitchen features? There are ways to accomplish a lot of different things (as you see with the various suggestions), but the starting place should be what spaces you actually think you'll use.

Given that you say you like the traditional style of dining room of the entry, I'd probably eliminate the eat-in area in the kitchen and change the opening between the dining room and kitchen to a 60-72" cased opening or pocket doors. Then you can use that as your eating space and have room to extend the kitchen. I'd probably leave the powder room where it is and consider taking out the closet if you feel the kitchen needs even more space.

If a mudroom space is important to you, I'd think you could make the current family room an office, library, or den and still have the space to carve out a mudroom, as well.

If it fits how you live I think it's fine not to have the kitchen open to the family room. And in your case it sounds like it's not as if you have young children you need to supervise while you cook. There are many on here who would much prefer a house with a kitchen separate from the family room than one that's tried to shoehorn a modern open plan into a traditional house.

the Main thing I'd concentrate on is turning the powder room into a full bath...ESPECIALLY if you are in advancing years. There is plenty of space here you can adapt, if you need first floor for your occupancy...but lacking a full bath is a huge issue. If you jiggled things in the kitchen and dinette you might gain a patio or French door to back yard area, which can give so much pleasure...this would not entail moving all the rooms around. I don't see the point of all that. With furniture placement..double duty of zones in rooms you can get a quiet area for computer use/etc.. if that is your goal.

Honestly I think you're going about this all wrong.

How do you actually live. Sit down and make a list of what you do on a daily basis and that will help you determine what to do.

For example, when I did that with DH, we realized we needed a large entertaining space that opened to the outdoors (we're in FL) but we didn't need a formal dining room since we never entertain formally. We did need a kitchen that would allow both of us to work in it at the same time, or for several people to help out as needed.

We also realized that we both needed a separate away space (office and studio).

So what do you need?

Another thought. You're in a colonial and if you're thinking long term, what happens if one of you can no longer climb stairs. I had to build up because of lot restrictions and our solution was to put an elevator in just in case. What will you do?

Have you maybe considered if you don't need all that space downstairs turning the family room into a master suite, or adding an elevator somewhere? Or will you move if one of you can no longer climb stairs?

After moving out of our four bedroom, 2.5 bath colonial, my husband I and live comfortably with a large living room with TV in custom built wall bookcase ( a very wise decision); we opened up dining room to kitchen, allowing plenty of room for cooking, and dining... dining is becoming more casual. We turned one bedroom into the " library''with computer desk. More than enough room for us and to get to my point, consider carefully how you will live in the new house and then make design decisions. Good luck.

I hope you're not making your elderly Mom walk stairs?

Our house doesn't have a formal living room. That said, we still have two living spaces. Our family room/great room doesn't have a t.v., just furniture arranged to take advantage of a wonderful wood-burning fireplace and huge windows with wooded views. Then we have a separate den space with a t.v. and sectional. In some ways they're the equivalent of a living room/family room, but we focused on making sure the main room is comfortable to use every day for reading, chatting, working on a laptop, etc., instead of being a stuffy living room that never gets used. We also very much prefer not to have our t.v. be the center of things, so it works well for us.

You would loose a hall closet but gain a mudroom and full bath on this level if you can do something like this (check structural requirements with wall removal, and check new plumbing)

If you could squeeze a shower into the new PR, the formal DR could eventually become a bedroom for someone who can't navigate stairs. (Family room could then be dining.) You said age is relative, but my 83 yr old father could never climb stairs, and at 61, I'm very happy my bedroom (and bathroom) are on the first floor.

The stair wall could be extended, and another door added, to provide privacy for the bathroom. In the kitchen, the sink can go under the window. I don't know if you gain much space in there, but it's a better layout. If you're planning to use a standard-depth fridge, the cabinets on the sink wall could be pulled out to the depth of the fridge box, to make it look built in.

Here is the article:

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/reworking-a-two-story-house-for-single-floor-living-stsetivw-vs~101979395

Eliminate the doorway to the basement stairs.

At this point mom is very healthy, active and fit and currently lives in her own home. She would prefer to live independently as long as she can and may never formally live with me. She has no problem with stairs. The women who sold us the house is almost 86 and still had no problem with the stairs and sold the house for other reasons. Age is relative.

Until there is an issue.

My Mom went to the gym 5x a week, ate healthy, walked on the days she didn't do the gym, never smoked, etc. Then at the age of 72 she developed Parkinson's Disease, something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. She was fine for the first 5 years or so but then some other issues came up and she had to stop exercising for a month. Well once she stopped for the month, her whole body started to go into decline.

Within a few years even one step would have been like climbing Mt Vesuvius for her. Doing steps became very dangerous for her. My point being, we don't know what the future will bring and while we continue to eat healthy, exercise, etc, all that can change in an instant. Then what are your choices if you haven't even considered those choices?

Because my mother had considered those choices, she was able to live in her house until the last 6 months of her life enjoying her house and her yard. Much better than her having to move before she was ready just because she hadn't planned for the possibility of one day not being able to do things like steps.

This is a brilliant idea. This could really work esp. including the FR into a MBR idea later on. Omg what a community of creative and generous people on this site. I’m so grateful!

Yes I really like Mama's idea.

One other thought is to make that dining room into a bedroom (you can put in a murphy bed for now) and divide the family area into a dining room/family room. You have more than enough space for both in that room.

Thinkdesignlive I love your mudroom and laundry idea. The door off the family room is the exit that leads to the garage. So we need to add something there and are thinking of making an outdoor narrow breezeway that can double as a mudroom from the way to the garage and family room. Not ideal but serviceable. I have some great ideas thanks to everyone! I posted a facade pic if anyone is interested in offering suggestions about how to improve design elements of the exterior and landscaping. A big warm thanks to everyone.

What about flipping, dining, kitchen, and having a big, dining/kitchen combo?

The dining is at the front entrance so you would then see the open kitchen right as you walk in the front foyer.

I do like Mama Goose's design. The dining room can remain a dining room until needed, but you'll likely want to frame in a door from the hallway into it. Single door, not a double door.

Artemis me too! Mama goose’s design is the one I’m going to take to the builder. Thanks for your idea about the dining room! It’s a good one

The best idea is to wait a while and consider what is most important for your current and future needs. Having an elderly mother to consider - and adult children - is an important part of your renovations. Luckily you have a fantastic first floor which offers a lot of options.
Here’s my suggestion: Take the left side for “communal living” needs (kitchen, eating,mud room entry, living room) and the right side for quieter needs (office, full bath, another bedroom).
This would entail a large renovation as you would move the kitchen completely over to the garage/mud room side. You would have room for a laundry set up on either side (next to the new full bath?).
This would give you an expansive open concept eating,cooking, living area with your fireplace included. The other side would allow your mom to come if needed, or if you need to be downstairs.
If this appeals to you, you would want to get an architect and designer. And of course the ideas from the wonderful Houzzers you’ve already met.

This looks like a great house. The rooms are interchangeable and large. Congratulations!

Hi RedRyder thanks! I like the idea of the FR doubling for an office and potential MBR later. I have a career that would make that FR/office ideal for now. I’m thinking of putting French doors in between the LR and FR and yes using it more as a quiet zone like you said. The idea from others of the full bath is awesome so I will have the flexibility to offer my mom and ourselves sleeping downstairs. I just need to tweak a mudroom idea off the FR now! Thanks!

This is a rough sketch, but what about turning the dining into the study/bedroom and adding a full bath on the end. Current family room becomes a mud room and dining area. Open up the kitchen towards the dining. If you remove the landing and door to downstairs, and eliminate the jog on the exterior back door, it opens your kitchen up and gives more space.

Mick50 this is a terrific plan. I need to decide how open we want the space to be. I do like the mudroom and office up front too. Where is the bath - over by the mudroom?

When I get home, I'll label the drawing better. There's a walk-in shower on the far right of the bathroom that's accessed from the bedroom/study. In the mudroom, it's a 2-piece powder room. You could probably eliminate the powder room in the mudroom by making the bathroom by the bedroom/study open to the hall instead of to the bedroom. In my house we walled off part of a room to create a mudroom by the garage entrance. That's a problem with Thinkdesignlive's idea -- the garage entrance would go right into the bedroom/study.

Omg this is brilliant. I wonder too if instead of the powder bath in the mudroom I could put a stackable washer and dryer instead? I don’t have a first floor laundry presently.

This is a little better...still not to scale! Laundry in the mud room is a good idea.

I like Mick50’s layout. Doesn’t move the kitchen, which is expensive. This one will make you think!

Yes I totally agree RedRyder! Mick50's layout is awesome and I appreciate her time in labeling everything. II also really liked mama goose's and thinkdesignlive's - I'm going to give everything careful consideration - so many wonderful ideas from such a generous community. I was really hoping to not move the kitchen and all of you posters have given me insight to put in a full bath. This will all be so useful in moving forward! Thank you everyone.

Good luck!