If you are going to get a Miele, then spend a little extra and get the plus with the auto-open feature. I did this a year ago and haven't regretted it at all. There is an air circulatory that runs for a minute or so after it opens which drys the dishes better than any of the old style dishwashers I've had with the heat drying turned on.

Hey littlebug, I am not too concerned about the fireplace being too wide, moreso high. I'll attach the floor plan so you can see how open it is. I am mostly concerned if a mantel that is 58" from the ground is too high. I read somewhere it should be 54" from the ground or whatever. I don't think the top of our mantel can really be any closer to the ground than that. With the clearance requirement (50" from the ground before the mantel can start), and the fact that I would like the mantle to have some height to it, it will be about 58" from the ground. It leaves 48" to the ceiling. Our house is a 2 story and not a bungalow so there are not vaulted ceilings. The ceiling is 9'. Our living room, dining room and kitchen is all open as you can see in the plan. I just want to make sure there is enough space above it for artwork, and that things look balanced.

You might try floating the sofa in the space, facing the fireplace and then flanking the fireplace with each chair. Notice how all the furniture is laid out in the images from our designs included here. Perhaps one of these layouts will work better for your space.

The thing I immediately notice about the back vs the front— the back has more substantive landscaping and trees. I think a new landscaping/ hardscaping plan — think deeper/ wider beds, larger shrubs, maybe a patio area, some strategically-placed trees—would make a huge difference in your front yard.