I recently replaced my windows, including a double hung over the kitchen sink. They're made by Great Lakes Window. They can be adjusted to be tighter or looser for opening. I had the one over the sink set looser than the rest of the windows, and I no longer have to struggle or strain my back. I can even use one hand, but do use both since I have a bad back that gets aggravated easily. I hadn't opened my old window in over 10 years. Other brands might have a similar feature too. A casement (crank) window is a good idea too, if a window that swings open to the outside isn't an issue with your condo board. Here is a link that might be useful: Great Lakes Window

I would like to see even more of the existing layout and how the different levels relate to each other ... to pool, 'down' to game room, 'up' to bedroom, to garage, etc. Is the pool on the same level as the existing kitchen ? Is it right by the house or across the yard ? Is there any type of patio, covered porch, or deck off of the back of the house now ? Where does the driveway run - do guests park by the front door and come in that way, or does driveway have them parking by the garage entry ? Do the stairs at the front door go up ? Up to what ? Where does the door go under the stairs at the end ? Also, what are the dimensions of your existing furniture and any appliances you will be re-using ? What about items you are planning to purchase ? I am concerned that you may not be allowing enough room for clearance around your breakfast table because I do not know it's dimensions. Take the size of your table and add a minimum of 36" on all 4 sides just to edge/slide past or scoot around seated diners. You need 44" on the sides to allow someone to walk past a seated diner. In other words, if your table is 42"x60" and you add 36" to each side, you need a minimum of 9'6"x11'0" totally clear area just to scoot around seated diners. I am thinking something totally different than the plans you have shown. To get you thinking outside the box . . . . How about if you carve a niche out of the existing LR for a more formal entry with walls and doorways so the first thing a guest sees when they walk in the home is not the mess in the kitchen. Use the current Piano room as the family room overlooking the pool area. Put the baby grand in the current dining room and the dining table where the butler is currently. The table will run long ways from the front of the house to the rear. Open this new baby grand/dining space up as much as possible into one long room or, even better IMO ... depending on the size of your dining table, move the wall a couple feet so that the new dining end is longer and the baby grand end is smaller and they are separated by a wall with a wide doorway or arched opening. If the new dining space was 11x15 or 11x16 instead of 11x13, you could easily have a dining table 4x7 that would seat 8 and have room to pass around the end of the table to the doorway into the new family room. I imagine the new baby grand room to house the piano and some limited seating. A much better view when a guest first walks into the house. : ) Where you currently have the living room, it will now be somewhat smaller because of losing space to the foyer. Use the old living space for a combination keeping room with breakfast, desk/homework, sitting room space. The remainder of the current living room along with the current kitchen/breakfast will be the new kitchen. In my experience, most people congregate around the kitchen at parties and gatherings. This layout would make the kitchen and keeping room one big space which would be a great area for entertaining. Between the new kitchen and the new dining room (old butlers) will be a wet bar and storage space similar to what you have shown on option B. Be sure to also carve out room for a coat closet, vacuum storage, toys storage, and a designated space where mail/bags/junk, etc can land very close to the garage entry (but be easily hidden by cabinet doors or something if someone comes over). Depending on the pool and patio location, it could be nice to turn the double windows at the end of the of the old butler/new dining into French doors opening onto the patio. It could also be very nice if this was opening to a covered Lanai or screened porch.

There's a humorous thread that discusses the need for water in the Prep Zone (among other things) - Marcolo's infamous "Ice. Water. Stone. Fire." thread. (The Kitchen FAQs also discuss this.) You may have already seen these, but just in case you have not, see the links below (especially Marcolo's!) . Ice. Water. Stone. Fire (Looking for layout help? Memorize this first) http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2699918/looking-for-layout-help-memorize-this-first . Kitchen Design FAQs: Kitchen work zones, what are they? http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767031/kitchen-work-zones-what-are-they Aisle widths, walkways, seating overhangs, work and landing space, and others http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767035/aisle-widths-walkways-seating-overhangs-work-and-landing-space-an How do I plan for storage? Types of Storage? What to Store Where? http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767036/how-do-i-plan-for-storage-types-of-storage-what-to-store-where . Layout Help FAQ: How do I ask for Layout Help and what information should I include? http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767033/how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-and-what-information-should-i-include

Are you planning on taking down the wall between the Dining Room and Kitchen? I assume so. What about the wall between the Kitchen and hallway on the right? I would probably leave it because of the bathroom door, but I thought I'd ask. (It's not pleasant having a bathroom open into the Kitchen, Dining Room, or even Living/Family/Great Room.) Have you considered moving the Dining Room to the TV/Family room and merging the current Dining Room into the Great Room? Or, move the Dining Room into the current Great Room, leaving the Kitchen where it is plus some room from the Nook, and merging the rest of the "Nook" into the TV/Family room. Just throwing some ideas out there to start thinking of other ideas. To really help you, though, we need more information. Please see the Featured Answer in the "New to Kitchens? Read Me First!" thread. It discusses the information we need such as a fully-measured layout of the spaces under consideration and information about your family and plans for the Kitchen, etc.