When I decided to remodel my condo (I am now remodeling my first house) a couple years ago as a busy medical resident, it was a disaster. My father swore his b-i-l was a great contractor. Not so! The wood floor was not installed correctly. All of my expensive tile had to be torn out of the baths as he had used NO shower liner! This was despite me asking multiple times and even buying a book to show him! He painted half the hallway in semi gloss paint and half in flat! He painted over a dead moth which is still embalmed over the stairwell. He mis-wired a light bulb in the bathroom that was always on. I kicked him out. I found a contractor to finish and also do the kitchen. I came home from work one day to find all the sinks and toilets gone. I could not get hold of the contractor or the subcontractor. I had no showers yet either. I had to move into an extended stay with my two parrots! The contractor called me back a week later to say he wasnt on the job...the subcontractor had lied about the contractor doing the work! He had pocketed the money and tried to take the job himself. I worked so much that I was never home during the remodeling. I didnt know who was there during the day, but assumed the ctr. was working. I could not move into the house as it was unliveable. I contacted the registrar of contractors in my state who went after the guy. They got most of my money back. What they didnt get back, the subcontractor dropped off at the extended stay. But the check fell in between the counter and the wall at the hotel. The hotel couldnt get it out and had to hire someone to break down the wall! In the meantime, I had to go out of town. By the time I got back and tried to cash the mangled check, it bounced! So then I had to file with the state for the fraudulent check. I eventually got that back. Meanwhile, on my meager remaining funds, I found a handyman to finish what was left. That is until, he started sending me love notes! Then he ended up in jail! I still dont know what for, but I did have a lot of crime while he was here - burglary, $1200 in checks cashed, $500 on my macy card - but I really dont think he did these things. Meanwhile, I had concrete counters put in over my ikea cabs. The guy was licensed and did the counters for a high end store. How could I go wrong? I thought. I contacted him individually. The counters were 3 inches of solid concrete. They cracked under their own weight. The faucet leaned at a steep angle because the seam was not even across the middle of the sink. The sink was NOT CENTERED n the base cabinet! Chunks of concrete were falling out in the first day and the concrete was full of millions of holes. He also tried to do the floor. By the THIRD try, I threatened to sue. He refunded most of my money. I was so over the whole experience, that I never quite finished the project. Now I go off doing it again in a new house. But this time I think it is going a lot better. Please hang in there Melissa. I promise it will get better.

Thank you everyone! I am going to take some measurements this evening so you can see the actual layout of the room. The outlets are not an issue, they can be added. I have thought about putting the TV next to the fireplace, but the opening right there (which leads to the dining room, which then leads to the kitchen) is quiet large, so I'm not sure where I would put a couch if I did that. Blocking that opening doesn't seem right. If the TV was next to the fireplace, it would either be above the bricks on the wall or on a stand. I would prefer to not be looking up at the TV, but putting a stand in front of the bricks (the continuation of the fireplace) doesn't feel right either. I have thought about putting the TV between the front door and the window also. I do realize I might have to sacrifice what I would prefer for what would actually work. Part of me wants to tear down the wall in the middle of the house that the TV is on now, although that would be quite a job and I am sure there are supporting beams in there that would need to stay. Besides support, the purpose of that "floating" wall seems to be just to make a hallway, which to me doesn't seem necessary. Either way, I don't think I am ready to take the wall down at this time anyway. I will get back to you all with dimensions later on. Thank you for your help!

Color codes. Kitchen, pantry, stairs only. 1) purple & small appliances questions below 2 blue is overhead led or cam lights (wifi?, dimmable?) 3 Orange major appliances power / gas bigger than other outlets. Fridge, Double oven, cook top, warming drawer, dishwasher, disposal. Wine cooler or ice maker etc. (We went radiant floors and mini splits, wifi controlled). 4 gcfi outlets run under upper cabinets or if open shelves in cabs with coord organizer holes. Measure 3xs or they will oops on a support or frame of a cabinet. Smh. 18" & I add USB & wifi 12amp for decor or auto off of small appliances 5) switches... several 3 way, 4way, singles, one for garbage disposal, one for vent hood, sectional lighting. (I group mine by room or task and alexa turns on island vs coffee bar area. * add lighting to stairwell triggered by time of day for easy up or down midnight ice cream or emergency. 6) dark green radiant heat floors. Best under tile or wood, with wood monitor humidity, lvp is difficult to keep low watts. 7) plumbing reminders. Fridge, dw, main sink, add 2nd sink (bar size?) By fridge. Add instant hot water tap & filter here. For cook top due to distance add cold spigot. For house with 8 or more dining regularly 2nd dw. 8. Under cabinet lighting - led, bars for holidays color changing strip lights with diffuser are awesome. (Safe tucked in cabinet) Don't forget these appliances... Wifi range extender, or network cables run with outlet planning. Air fryer Big mixer 2 blender/food processor 3 crockpot/insta/rice cooker 1 buffet 1 coffee / espresso etc and electric kettle (we travel with crackpot & kettle) Toaster Dehydrator Fryer/extra stove eye 2nd fridge or freezer and wine fridge Microwave Warming drawer Ice cream maker TV or alexa with screen Bread maker Electric wine bottle opener Leak detectors Electric knife & sharpener Additional exterior vents Electric mop/vaccume Security camera shelf Tv/monitor/speakers (we use alexa and skipped all the extra chords, but for true enthusiasts run the wires now) Charging shelf/ area, USB lightening fast or C your ear buds & tiles will thankyou For cooktop. Gas or electric? I vote rough in for both.

Very cool mock up and walk through! It looks like it’ll be a space you will enjoy. If I were to be rather picky, I’d say the bar stools by the back tv area seems a bit crowded… but it could just be the picture/ software. In the mock up it shows a back splash on the posts… I’d probably remove that. And if were my space, I’d move the stove top to the wall instead of in the Island and hang some nice lights there instead of a vent hanging down. What an exciting space!