Wow, this thread got busy while I was drawing. Here's my suggestion for you: I kept the back door but moved it to the far left end. Clean-up area is under windows. The working portion of your kitchen is book-ended by fridge at one end and double ovens at the other. I nixed the nook - just not enough space for comfortable seating - for island seating but I like your latest versions of a table butted up against an island, too. I gave you a more gracious entry to the DR, mimicking the entry to the LR. That entry is bordered by large (est 99" tall, hopefully you're doing custom cabs) pull-out pantry cabs to give you lots of storage. I couldn't tell what kind of fridge you intend to purchase so I opted to err on the side of caution and assume a standard depth fridge (box, doors and handles approx 35" deep). If you plan on a counter-depth fridge, you can increase your island by 4" of so (CD fridges are about 31" with box, doors and handles). I went with the recommended minimum aisles of 42" for a one-butt kitchen (the GW way of saying one-cook kitchen). 36" isn't deemed wide enough for today's appliances. For instance, DW doors are taller so take up more aisle room when open.

All good suggestions. Thank you everyone. So we have had many discussions and have made some progress and now we are leaning towards the following. We are going to "cap" the ceiling at the triangle, just above the second beams. So we eliminate the high triangle, thus regulating the room temp better and allowing for lighting install. We will drop the fan lower, keep it centered, and add recessed lights on either side of the fan (front and back) on the flat/new ceiling. Add sconces above the mantle (wiring behind the new drywall). Rather than paint the brick and while we have scaffolding here anyway, we think we will box in the brick from new flat ceiling to the mantle (not with shiplap) and run trim down either side. We will then frame out a new mantle down each side and across the brick. We will keep the brick as is around the fireplace and on the hearth (I don't like the idea of floor to ceiling painted white brick and felt that since we use the fireplace we are better keeping natural brick so it won't show soot and dirt), but put a new piece of stone in for the hearth. Smooth the outdated plaster walls (since plasterer has to come for the new ceiling). Paint the ceiling, the trim and fireplace walls/mantle white, and the walls a soft gray (Edgecomb BM). Cap the track lighting unless we decide down the road we need it. I'd also love to consider refacing the brick with stone veneer but maybe not this time around. So yes, our budget is blown but it seems to be a situation of go all in or don't half spend. Trying to resemble something like this but not with shiplap and with our brick not whitewashed: Thoughts/feedback? Good news is that my contractor knows us and works slowly so I can modify as we go if something doesn't look right. I toyed with keeping beams but they really aren't nice beams. We've also done away with the wood beam mantle but I think if we keep the look more robust and less delicate that we might be okay -- more thick/shaker than formal crown. Also adding trim to the supporting beams that connect wall to ceiling to make them look more "finished" - they look like planks or 2x4s now and I never realized they were actually beams until we just put the window in and broke into the wall. They are just above the windows and you probably can't tell from the previous photos. Any thoughts - would love to hear them. You've really turned me around on the shiplap - thank you!

Hi, Nicole-- Just a quick reminder that if you do plan to actually close these drapes for light blocking for daytime TV viewing (depending on light angles), you'll want to make sure that any panel you select is blackout-lined, and, as groveraxle mentions, attached with rings so you can easily operate them from ground level. Grommet panels and pole-pocket drapes are much less obliging, especially at longer lengths like you'll need, and seams/cuts wear much faster from normal open-close activity on the rod.

After more looking around, I am liking the idea of putting two chandeliers, one on each side of the ceiling fan. I had electrician come today, and now waiting to get his estimate. In the meanwhile, like to get opinion and hear from those who have done anything like this. See the picture of my current ceiling fan (which I am going to replace). The ceiling height is 13 feet 10 inches. The room size is 21 x 15 feet (the length of ceiling beam is 15 feet). If I decide to go with this option, I will choose a ceiling fan without lights, and hang it with 5 feet downrod. The two chandeliers will be hung lower than the fan, at a midpoint distance on each side of the fan. Will this look cluttered? (Three things hanging from 15 feet ceiling beam). What size chandeliers will look right? If I decide not to choose this option, I am going to look for a ceiling fan with brighter lights, and add floor lamps for additional lights. Thanks.