Also PPS7 - We thought for a long time about powder room placement when it came to the house plans.. We saw many ideas on where people put them but for the most part the options we were seeing was to either A) put it in the foyer area of the home, B) put it off the kitchen, or C) put it off the dining room.. After giving it some thought we really didnt like the idea of putting the powder room off of any of the eating areas.. We also didnt like the idea of putting it in the foyer.. The idea of walking into a home and bam there is the bathroom.. Again its personal preference but we just like the idea of having it more tucked away.. We were actually goign to not even have a mudroom but personally I hated the idea of walking directly into a main room of the home, whether it be the foyer, living room, kitchen, etc.. I like the separate entrance.. And honeslty the most I see being stored in that room is coats and shoes.. However we were thinking of reworking this area as we would like a side entrance into the home.. We were thinking of moving the mudroom to where the powder room is and then putting the powder room where the entry door from the garage is located and doing a powder room that is narrower so that when you open the door you have toilet on left and sink on right.. But again we do like the current setup.. Here is what it would look like:

One suggestion...figure out your floor plan before you put down the new floor so that you can add at least one electrical outlet in the middle of the room where it will be hidden under the sofa. I think you will end up floating furniture to make best use of the space, so it would be terrific to have an outlet to use for lamps to avoid cords across a pathway.

Agree that the "official" names of,the rooms mean nothing, notice how the PO used the first room as a home office! We rarely see people want to gather in a formal LR, but in the cozier room. You could do as I have seen done by many families: the dining room becomes a playroom (handy to the kitchen, toddlers love to watch the cars and bikes and dog walkers go by, and look at that wonderful windowseat you have, just toddler-height!). Then the room to the left of your front door is the dining room. Between playroom and dining you could put in a door or, more easily, hang a curtain (I'm picturing a drop-cloth curtain). As baby gets older, like school and teen years, you might even turn this into your own sitting room/mom central/"butler pantry". The cozy room is for family tv and reading time. I'd put the TV next to the fireplace so you can see it from the kitchen. And the sunroom is for everything, reading, gathering, playing. My friends' boys had all their Lego bricks in the sunroom, they loved the light, and there was no furniture to get in their way! The flat floor was good for building, spilling, rolling trucks. And when moms gathered, the kids played happily in the sunroom while we chatted in the connecting family room. I,really expect that even if you want to entertain in the LR, you will be shooing people out of the FR and kitchen, so why fight it?

You're welcome, unreal! I did a tweak to Plan F to see if I could add a little additional storage without impeding aisles. I was able to find about 6" more, which isn't much but every bit helps. I removed the wall between kitchen and DR, which adds 4 1/2" (assuming standard depth interior walls). I was also able to steal 2" from the DR, while still leaving adequate diagonal aisles between table and fridge and table and DW counter. I opted to increase the width of cabs next to each corner but you can add the 6 1/2" elsewhere. I widened the LR wall, lining it up with the left side of the front door. The wall extension completely blocks the view of the kitchen from the front door. The first thing anyone would see is the dish hutch I added to the right of the DW. The dish hutch is a floor to ceiling shallow unit. I would leave most of it as doored storage with one drawer for silverware. It won't be deep and you won't be able to use a standard silverware organizer but you can create a custom one using Lee Valley drawer dividers. The dish hutch can match your cabinets or it can be a stand alone piece. If you need it wider than I spec'd, you'll need to adjust the width of the drawer to the left of the sink to accommodate a wider dish hutch. Here are a few inspiration pics to show how that might look (all of these are wider than I spec'd). I also added shallow pantry storage recessed into the wall next to the fridge. It's great storage for canned goods and other shallow pantry goods, which would free up the pantry cabinet in your kitchen for larger, bulky items. Here's what that would look like: I think I shared a photo of a small MW built into a pantry above but I'll share it again: Or you can put a small countertop MW inside the pantry cab: Just make sure you allow for the manufacturer's required air clearance around the MW to keep it functioning properly. Here's how I figured out which lay-out was the right one for my family and me. I pretended to make a meal in the new lay-out. I went through the motions in my head of the path I'd take to make a meal, where I'd prep, the path I'd take to put the meal on the table and then to clear it up, where I'd prep to bake, etc. I'd imagine this when it was just me in the kitchen and how it would work for multiple cooks. Doing this as well as the kitchen tally and organization chart will really help you determine which plan works best for you and what tweaks you need to make to make it work even better. Another thing I found helpful was to do mock-ups with cardboard. Back before I decided to move the cook top off my island, I even created a very crafty cardboard island hood to see how it would feel to have a big ol' thing hanging over my head. One of DS1's friends tried to talk me into leaving it up permanently like an art installation, lol. I also used cardboard to extend my perimeter counter all the way to the door to the deck to make sure I would be okay losing the 7" between counter and door. I'm a klutz so I worried I'd bang my hip but after trying it out for a couple weeks, I realized it wasn't a problem at all. To make the most of your meeting or meetings with a KD, do your homework in advance and create an idea folder to show him or her. The more details you provide, the better. As Debbi Washburn wrote, a kitchen designer can provide 3D drawings to help you visualize how the new lay-out will look (IME, not everyone can translate overhead views to elevation views). He or she will also take accurate measurements and check for quirks of your older home and adjust a plan as needed. They will also advise you on material selection, finish details, etc. rebunky, your wonderful compliment made my day! Thank you!