I have asked my architect for something similar minus the pantry--a multipurpose room basically.I gave him my ideas and what I want in the room and I am going to see what he comes up with on room size and where the room is located in the house. A few of my ideas and requests for the room: (Forgive the incomplete sentences). The lockers are not what they are cracked up to be. I have them now and they are a constant mess. I think I might put a few hooks inside a large coat closet instead and room for athletic gear. I also want lots of shoe storage (2 boys and a dh with too many athletic shoes). A place for my dog bed and bowls. A door to the outside (for dirty boys to use and doggy door). Washer/Dryer with plenty of room to hang damp clothes on hangars. Counter or island to fold. Floor space for piles of dirty laundry. Room should not be a pass through from anywhere. This room is the room I am most excited about. I have a tiny LR now and fold clothes on a formal dining room table in a room I never use. I sort clothes in my family room. I figure why not give up a room I never use and devote the space to a room I will actually use. If you are building from scratch...why not put your pantry in your kitchen rather than your LR? I have aHouzz idea book with tons of pics of LR multipurpose rooms. I'll share the link with you if you want to email me.

To Gizmonike: Yes to your first question. I have another family room (15x15) right next to the 'fireplace room'. That's what probably makes this layout even more so awkward. I don't know that there is anything really wrong with the door in the current dining area, and it could just be a strange thought in my head, but it seems weird to eat so close to the garage. There is a lot of traffic in and out of that door (much more so than the front door). A few other things to note here: as it stands now, we use the family room that is not pictured day to day. It is just me and my two boys and that's where we hang out. The only time I really use the fireplace room is to read, or to be by myself sometimes. This is also the room we put the Christmas tree in. As far as entertaining goes, I only do that a few times a year. So, in looping back to the original question -- if I used the fireplace room for a dining area, what would I put in the current eating area? Thanks again for your input. To answer other questions: I will graph this out so it's easier to see (and understand). I want to change this because I don't use the current eating area and I want to do something else with it.

Taking into consideration all the comments and your pictures I might try the following. Put a ceiling to floor pantry cabinet in the spot where the current white base cabinet is, taking out the upper above. More consolidated pantry. I'd stack the w/d on the right of the window wall. Put a bench with a back under the window and run the hoses behind the bench back. To the right of the w/d you could even hang a drop leaf table, that could be lifted into place for folding. Or put the pantry in like I mentioned. Take all uppers down and put in a mudroom hutch/seat built-in, utilizing an opening for the heater below and room for shoes, and having storage above. On the wall with the water valve run a cabinet in an L shape with hanging rod incorporated into an upper set of cabinets if there is room. Still stack the set. The laundry could go into cubbies under the base cabinet open shelving along the water valve wall.

I think you need to start over. A house is not like Lego where one can just keep adding things/changing a wall here and there. Each change affects so many other things. I cannot imagine having my MBR right off a very public space. I'm not big on 1st floor masters anyway, but if I had to have one, it would be in a separate wing of the house, separated from the rest of the house by a hall. I'd put the laundry in the mud room and a clothes chute from the 2nd floor to that room. You can always have a closet that could be turned into a 2nd laundry near your room when your nest is empty. There are just SO many things wrong with this house! It was designed for a small lot in a subdivision and you're putting it on 5 acres. The same house will not work on both. Please do yourself a huge favor and find a true architect to work with you to design a house you can enjoy for many years to come. Right now, you're just making one major compromise after another - not good for something SO expensive and so long-term.