The electrician still hasn't come, so we're still kicking around ideas. Here is what we are thinking now. Tell me if you see any drawbacks. The outlets on the solid wall: Put them at the usual height 16 inches off the floor, but closer to the corners. Then, if there is no room for a regular china cabinet against the back wall, there might be room for corner cabinets. Either way, the cabinets would cover the outlets. Higher up, or even lower in the previous location and the cabinet light cord would be in view. Maybe the electrician can think of a way to put sconces on the wall without hard wiring them in. Then, dh thinks we wouldn't need the outlet by the patio door. Then on the switches, I forgot about the living room lights. When coming in through the back door, we can turn on the kitchen light or the dining room light beside the back door. The living room light used to be in the wall that we took out between the kitchen and the new dining room. So it makes sense (I guess) to put it in the box on the far side of the dining room. Then put another box on the other side of the patio door for the patio light and for the two wall outlets on the solid wall. Then, if china cabinets or sconces are there, we can turn them on with a switch instead of having to open the china cabinet doors or turn on each sconce. Or would it be better to have all the light switches in one location? On the spotlights, dh only wanted them in the corners. I want to add one in the center of the solid wall directed at a picture. Think that's enough?

Hi all. We met with our house designer today. The goods and the bads. Bonus - he was able to give me another foot on the fridge wall (yay) so that helps with the blind corner (I want to close it off to preserve drawers) and the pantry was also enlarged which will allow for my small chest freezer. The overall kitchen dimension is 9' x 15'. The 'it will have to do': pantry is still around the corner. I think it will be okay. It will keep my peeps out of the sink/stove area. They will access pantry for cereal and snacks and the fridge is right there out of my work zone. I could get creative and have the kitchen side cabs open to the pantry and put the cereal and most used items there - how fun would that be? Because that wall backs to pantry I can also recess the cabs and fridge if I need them deeper as well. The MW has to go on that wall...and they are deeper than 12". I am feeling much relieved as this last draft that he did for us (he already sent it because our changes were few and to other parts of the house) is 99% on. We are still studying it though. :) I will post this latest draft with a few questions and see what you all think. There are 2 main things I am contemplating. One is the cupboard pantry reach through (I think dh would think that is CRAZY) but I think it may be a perfect compromise. Would that be something that is super expensive to do? The other is still trying to fit in this sort of thing. It is Michelle16's and she has a fridge and pantry flanking whereas I'd have just the fridge to the right and a corner would be on the left. I have 4' to play with there from fridge to where corner would start. I will try to post the new layout tonight but it may not be until tomorrow! Thanks. Lisa

we have an architect working with us Are you sure it's an architect and not a draftsperson? Unfortunately we are too far and too much money in already to change the plans. If this is your forever home, or you think/hope it's going to be, you owe it to yourselves to slow down and rethink your plans. If you go with the plan above, you're going to spend more money than you have to on a plan that's not that great. You owe it to yourselves to make your forever home as good as it can be. Originally we have the fireplace at the end, but with it being gas we liked it in the center as focal point. The focus from where, the kitchen? I would recommend laying out your living furniture as you expect to use it and see how it works for you. I just didn't want kitchen chaos when you first walk in the house. You could have a proper mudroom separate from the pantry and from the kitchen if you gave yourself the opportunity to rework your plans. It is a very long narrow area so yes I am trying to figure out how to make the best of it. Good luck!

It's a permanent room inside their home intended to be used over a long span of time, I'm assuming. It needs to suit the needs of the kids (and the adults) for a longer time period than a treehouse would. At the very least, just make the opening flexible enough so that if the OP later decides a spiral staircase would serve better, This isn't an integral, formal room of the house. It is not intended to be future-proofed to become a formal library (or whatever) down the line. It is a 'hideout', just as the OP described. It doesn't have to be more complicated than that. Not much different than attic storage space, but with finished walls & ceiling. Besides, don't you think those kids might grow up and have their own kids? Imagine how excited they would be to visit grandma/grandpa's secret hideout. I have no idea what the kids' ages are but I can 100% tell you that my kids would've thought a ladder to a secret room was fun up until about age 11. Now, at ages 11-17.5, they'd think it was a nuisance. Your kids must take after their parents. Very sad that a 12 year old would find a secret hideout room with a ladder to be a "nuisance". I'm in my 40's and would enjoy hanging out in such a place with (and without) my kids/grandkids. In fact, I can't think of any friends/family younger than 70 that would describe such a place as a nuisance.