I just purchased a dresser/buffet type piece to use as a TV console on a long wall and it is very close to the dimensions you want. It is on raised feet so it is open at the bottom too. I didn't want to spend a lot and planned to either paint or refinish the piece so I searched used furniture places. I ended up finding the piece for $35 at a Habitat for Humanity Restore. Perhaps looking for something like a dresser or buffet would give you the dimensions you're looking for. I found many dressers that fit my dimension requirements and not all of them look like traditional bedroom dressers. The one I found has four drawers across the top and doors below which will provide great storage.

Hi, gang! A bit behind on messages (here and on the related posts)...busy getting ready for the move. Thank you for all of the feedback! It's so helpful to hear different perspectives. First up, let me just say how MUCH I wish I could throw many of your ideas into action! (Sadly, there are some structural things I'm having to work around...notes on those to follow.) A couple of quick notes that will catch several of the ideas you had at once: Regarding the house: It's not new construction (rats!) but rather a 1980 "ranch" that looks like a story and a half from the street. I'll post some shots of that and the garage situation. So, I'm a bit stuck when it comes to major shapes/layout. Regarding the remodel in general: Our budget is super small given what we had to pay in order to live close to DH's office. The kitchen is going to be a tight, tight squeeze. Pretty much, it's "do as much as I can in there and hold off on the rest." ie, live with the outdated bathrooms, need for a backyard clearing, older windows, etc. for a good while. Regarding the wall to the living room: Yes, we'd love to open it. BUT, both structurally and financially, we can't. The fireplace is on that wall. Ideally, the kitchen would be much more open. That's why we're taking out as much of the breakfast room wall as possible. Entertaining: Yes, we'd love more connection between the spaces. Sigh. I've been trying to work out somewhere to have a place to put out food for such events. I know I can fit one somewhere! Other than that, we only eat at the table. And, believe it or not, we don't have a tv. (I know, I know, we're so strange. haha!) The dining room: You are right. It is a strange, strange place to put it. In real life, the library is the home's dining room. For a few years, we aren't going to use it that way. It's being setup as a library so the little ones have a place nearby to play/read/etc. (We'll be homeschooling, so that's a factor, too.) I've drawn up builtins to flank the window in there, but they are hutch style for when it reverts back to a DR. Why the sunroom for dining? Most nights, DH isn't home in time to see our little one before bed, let alone dinner. So, a huge % of our meals will happen in the breakfast room, just me and the littles. I'm investing in a cute butler's cart for the night's when we are blessed enough to sit around the table in the sunroom and eat, then hang out while we watch the kids play in the sandbox on the porch or in the yard. It's odd, but for the short term, it makes the most sense for us. We'll see in real life, right?? :) Regarding the garage and groceries: Yup, it is what it is. Boo. When we were house shopping, the realtor had us make a wish list. Mine included the comment: "Driveunder garages are a deal breaker for me." Well, if I didn't ever eat my words. DH says it's "no big deal" and will work out great. As the baby lugger, I know it's going to be tough for a good number of years. But, something had to give in order to get into the area where we needed to be. And, the garage it was. As for the basement: YES, there will be a fridge (ours is nice but too deep for a galley kitchen) and hopefully a deep freeze, too. So, I won't have as much to haul upstairs. The plan is that only the "use it soon" stuff will head on upstairs. There's also a huge unfinished room where I could put extra cans and whatnot to rotate into the upstairs pantry, if need be, though I don't think it'll end up that way. We use very little packaged food. Pantry: Yes, there is an existing pantry in the laundry room. It's not huge, but based on our food usage, it should do nicely for our dry goods. Most of my dry goods are kept in glass jars (beans, rice, flours, oats, bran), which I also have slotted some open shelving for in both kitchen and laundry. I need to double count my jars when we unpack and make sure I've calculated enough linear feet for them. I like them out in a single row instead of on deep shelves. Cans? We tend to have ten or less around the house at a time, unless there is some crazy sale on something I think might be convenient. Ok, I think that covers the things that were mentioned in both posts. Now on to the other stuff.... Pllog- Thank you for the feedback! I like the way you phrased the junk response and will be trying that (as I sit here and look at the pile of junk on the raised bar of our rental. haha!) Grocery landing space. Hm. I'll have to think on that. The table would be a tight place. And, there's not much space to the left of the sink. Perhaps it would be wise to store my butler's cart nearish to my point of entry from the stairs so I can dump and roll. Windows: It sounds like we need to try drawing it up several ways and see what looks right. The initial goal was to have balancing windows on each side of the range. But, if it's going to look like a mistake, that wouldn't really make sense. :) As for hired help: YES, PLEASE!!! Ah, wouldn't THAT be something!! I'm already stressing over how I'll find time to clean this place. We're going from 1700 sqft to 2800, as well as gaining a basement. I'm a bit worried since I'm also adding a baby at the same time. I've already warned DH that I'll be grocery shopping nights/weekends while he keeps the little ones so it will be more efficient. Luckily, he's excited about that. HA! We'll see how it goes... How long will we be here? That IS the question. DH has trouble "committing" mentally but also isn't one to uproot. So, odds are *really* good that the kids will finish school here, but one never really knows. So, I dare not say "forever" lest I jinx us. :) Will check out Plummers...hadn't heard of them. Thanks! Jaynes- Thank you for all of your notes! Another entry for the kitchen would be grand. Alas....fireplace. I'd love to have a big open kitchen. Maybe someday. :) Boxy- Agreed! The original owners (only owners, now in their 90's) had it built. He was a builder, actually. I guess it suited them. But, I like a bit more in and out to my rooms. I guess things were different in 1980. I do wonder the same thing as you about the living room. It seems so large. I've been struggling with how to furnish it correctly so that it doesn't feel cavernous...while still not blocking the passageway to the sunroom. Will post a photo to give you an idea of what's happening on that wall the prevents bumping the kitchen into this space... Here are some pictures to help with thinking through the grocery conundrum. Front: could park at base of walkway, but it's still a hike up the hill....would end up having to either tote kids up first and put them upstairs or leave them waiting while I pile everything on the porch (which isn't really an option, honestly). Current plan: have playroom and fridge in basement. Kids go in first, then groceries. Any moms out there who can help me come up with a plan that will work?? Kind of hard to see, but drive is on the right... Rear: There's a door inside the 2 car garage which puts you in the mudroom. The stairs sit between the mudroom and play room. Living Room fireplace wall that backs up to kitchen/laundry: Temporary Library (originally the dining room, a bit tight for how we plan to use our dining room at the moment which is to say that it will be mostly for larger gatherings): Pantry is just to the left, through the doorway shown: I'll see if I can find the drawings for the library/dining built ins. You all likely have some great suggestions for keeping them multipurpose.

Yes, that one is better, but I'm concerned because it's significantly different from the first one in terms of # of rooms and basics. This makes me think you haven't yet clarified what you need your house to do. I'm a teacher, so here's your homework: Together with your spouse, sit down and brainstorm what rooms your "forever home" needs to have ... and then for each room, write down all the functions that room needs to provide ... and your must-have details for each of those rooms. If we all did this, we wouldn't agree on what we want our rooms to do for us, so it's important to think this through and clarify it for ourselves. Take your time doing this -- don't jump in too fast; right is better than fast. For example, if I were to make a list for my master bedroom, here's what I'd say: - Must be on the first floor - Space for a king-sized bed, but no wasted space -- this isn't a splurge room -- prefer that foot of bed faces the doorway -- prefer bed set back into room /traffic pattern passes by the foot of the bed /not by a sleeper - Built in unit: Cabinets on bottom for storage of hobby items /bookshelves on top, space for a TV mounted to the wall (need cable jack) -- simple, inexpensive, paint-grade stock cabinetry - Room to be placed at the back of the house /doorway to back porch - Windows on two walls for cross-ventilation - Flat ceiling -- not a place to splurge / must have ceiling fan - Large walk-in closet to hold all clothes and shoes (no dresser in bedroom) /must be convenient to laundry / Elfa shelf storage /good lighting /electrical outlet for a hand-vac /storage space for suitcases /include step stool - Light colors, restful, plenty of natural light - Re-use our current bed /paint white /add new, sumptuous bedding with plenty of layers and pillows - My grandfather's cedar chest is to remain at foot of bed for linen storage - Swing-lamps attached to the wall on each side of the bed / think about reading in bed without disturbing other spouse - Bathroom and closet doors placed so light doesn't shine onto bed /waking sleepers - Outlets placed at "nightstand height" -- four on each side, to include USB outlet - New nightstands w/ open shelf for books - Wooden steps so dog can reach the bed Now, I'm in no way suggesting that your idea of a "perfect bedroom" should match mine; rather, I want you to think about the kinds of things you should be considering. Looking at my list, you might say, "No, I don't want cabinets for hobby storage -- we're going to include a craft room, and our junk will be stored in that room." Or you might say that you want a bay window with space for two comfortable chairs and a table so you can have coffee in privacy when you have company. You might say you don't want a TV in your bedroom, or you might want a desk in your bedroom. You might say you want your bedroom to be connected to a study or an exercise room. You might need storage space for special medical needs. Note that I don't care whether I have eastern light for the morning -- you might. The point is for you to really dig down and decide what YOU WANT from each room. Don't bother with how the rooms will connect yet. Instead, focus on what rooms you want and what would be ideal in each room. Do this for every room in the house (I chose the bedroom as an example because I thought it'd be the shortest list). For each room, consider how you'll use the room, what you want to store in the room, what activities you want to happen in the room. THEN you'll be able to look at a floorplan and say with certainty, "This can work for me".

He would never ever use a banquette. The banquette in the latest rendition is kind of a "half booth" in that it has a space-saving bench on one side /chairs on the other side. It's the best of both worlds, and I'd leave it "as is". Where is your dryer venting? If it is to the outside wall ... I'd place the machines against the exterior wall (as shown). This allows the shortest possible dryer vent. It's cheaper and more fire safe, and if you want to hear the story of the chipmunk who climbed up the ivy /died in my dryer vent, I'll be glad to share ... but here's the moral: we just about died of the smell and were very happy that we have the shortest possible dryer vent! Are those stairs going up to an attic or down to a basement? If they're going up, be sure to harness the space underneath for storage ... could be interior shelves for the laundry OR in-garage shelves, but you're paying for that space, so be sure it's The hallways are still long The moms' hallway looks better because you've opened a spot on both sides of the fireplace. Yes, it's still long, but having two entrances is an improvement. but now have some natural lighting. Eh, still not great. I do think this is a very big deal. The dining room is closer to the kitchen. Big improvement. Powder room moved to have a balance of toilets on both sides of the house. This is a good idea, and I like that you "tucked the half bath into" the office. I didn't like the half bath as a sight line upon entering the library. However, I'd flip-flop it and that small closet. Why? Moving the closet in the office won't matter, but placing the half bath on the exterior wall means you can have a small window over the toilet. These nose-to-toes narrow half baths aren't the best in terms of function, especially for elderly people. Could you afford 2' more from the office to have a more comfortable half bath? The last thought I have is on the closet in the office being split into two to make another linen closet accessible from the hallway A shallow linen closet isn't a bad idea -- my father-in-law has one, and it's plenty functional. Another idea: Put a door on BOTH sides of the closet so it's accessible from the hallway OR the office. As your storage needs change over the years, your closet will always be "at the ready". @Mrs Pete especially :) Thanks, I try! Some really like closet through bath and others find it very inconvenient. I am pretty ambivalent about closets-in-bathrooms, but I think they work best when the door to the closet is near the bedroom door /doesn't require traversing the length of the bathroom. Consider bringing the closet closer to the bedroom door as shown below. (This closet is identical in size to the one you had drawn. This means the bathroom can potentially have natural light from three sides -- how luxurious! I'd downsize to one sink; the vanity you had drawn has space to support two sinks ... but not enough to support two sinks AND any drawer storage. Drawer storage trumps repetitive sinks every time. I also added a narrow shelf at the end of the bathroom hallway to serve as a focal point in this hallway. This whole bedroom area could be reduced in size without losing any function at all. Here's a condensed bathroom. The closet is changed in dimension but is still about the same size. I prefer this moderate-sized, more usable bathroom. One more small thing: Look at the master bedroom door in the above-abaove pix. If you "back it up" into the hallway, you get a little entrance way to the master suite, and you don't have the door swing in the bedroom. Of course, it moves the linen closet into the master suite. I know I was a huge proponent of letting the J&J bath be but now there is so much space dedicated to it and so many sinks it easily could just be two quite nice sized individual bathrooms. In general, I'm the one saying, "Too many sinks!" Three sinks for two people? AND a half bath is steps away from their J&J? As it's drawn, each sink is needed, but I think you can do better. Considering your specific needs, try this on for size: each mom gets a good-sized vanity /plenty of storage by the sink and toilet ... and they share a large shower. Showers are only used minutes a day, so this is a good cost-and-space saver. Both moms' bathrooms are on the exterior of the house /can have good windows. i was thinking of a standing coat hanger thing in the foyer in lieu of a closet We have a coat rack by our main entry door, and it's okay. When all the kids were still at home, the coat rack was always over-full. I think hooks on the wall, which could stretch out further, might be a better solution. Regardless, we also use our coat closet (located so wisely way down the hall by the bedrooms) for out-of-season coat storage. You could fit a coat closet into the laundry room. regarding the island - I don’t like the idea of eating in the middle of the kitchen. i really want a nook type area, just seems more cozy. our current breakfast table is smaller than the new design so I’m hoping it’s large enough. thank you for the feedback on that. I’ll keep it in mind. With three women in the household, I like the idea of the nook. A cozy space for 1-2 people to sit while someone else is cooking. Nearby but out of the way. Having said that, yeah, a little larger table would be nice. i'm considering making the island L shape unless someone tells me its a horrible idea! I'm iffy on the L-shape. It's okay. If you go this direction, I'd say no seating at the island. Do you really need work space here AND also inside the pantry? I agree that the large empty space in the kitchen "needs something". How about this -- it's a big switch-up: - Change the L-shaped kitchen into a long cabinet run + large island. This gives you a LARGE window over the sink. The island is the exact same size as your original one. - Move the banquette to the blue spot. This keeps it near the kitchen but divides the big space into two moderate-sized spaces, making the walking space large-but-not-overly-large. - This bumps the hallway, son's bathroom and son's bedroom to the right. One other thing you may want to consider putting the laundry between your bedroom & your son's, just for privacy between bedrooms ;) Disagree. You have a closet between the bedrooms, which provides a barrier. I like that the laundry room is a few steps closer to the main living area. On the other hand, it would mean fewer steps between your own closet and laundry On the subject of the son's bathroom, I'd adjust things so you can bump the door to the left. This makes several good things happen: - He can enter the bedroom and be in the bathroom in fewer steps. A big deal? Maybe not, but when you have the choice, why not make it as ideal as possible? - The bathroom door is no longer squished up by the head of the bed. This means he won't have to finagle by the nightstand to enter the bathroom door. - Fast-forward 20-some odd years into the future: he will be married and will come home with a wife. You'll replace his small childhood bed with a queen-sized bed ... and you'll need the space on that wall for the wider bed and two nightstands. Note, too, that with a larger bed, the person sleeping on the far wide will be closer to the bathroom door /won't have to walk close to the other sleeper's head to enter the bathroom.