Use the two walls of the bath area that compose that corner . put pantry and storage on these two walls. use area left of fridge for a long counter run w cabs and this is usable coffee/ landing / drop zone etc .

I think the powder room does not belong in the kitchen.

That is a strange spot for a powder room. Is this where it's at in your current layout.

Get rid of the powder room and the pantries that are creating all the dead space out of the breakfast room. It’s a breakfast room, and should stay that way.

Can you move the door on the right to where the window is in the powder room? Then you could rearrange the space to be a mudroom and powder room, especially since there isn’t any closets for coats etc. You can still have a door to the kitchen. You could put a counter by the fridge for additional landing space and the tall pantries where the door was

This is the current layout. It's a small space and we can't add to it, so we are working within a confined footprint. We need a powder room somewhere, and I can't imagine where else it could go

I sketched out something that may or may not work.

The dead space that you speak of is really not that large (looks large on paper) at approx. 8' x 5'.

You have taken the wall out between the island and the dining room, so can I assume that the wall down the middle of your house is not load bearing? If not, I would move the front portion over and give your front entrance a little more room. Then I would treat the space between the bathroom and pantry/storage, as a mud room area.

Frankly, I do not think that the half bath is in an odd place. How many half baths are seen just inside a front door in the foyer...many of them! You can make it more separated by extending your wall cabinets near the back door, add another closet, and move the bathroom door down. A nice bench under the double window, with space underneath for storage, would be nice. ;) That leaves you with a generous 4' walk-way between closets.

If you want/need those two windows on the front exterior wall by the powder room door, and if you want the front entry door opening into the livign room, this may not work for what you need but seriously consider an "L" shaped powder room accessible from beside the kitchen door,

"L" shaped powder rooms - Bing images

You can add a countertop or pantry in the angle of that "L" . Even if it means removing either eliminating either the short countertop or one pantry, moving the powder room door to beside the kitchen door keeps your powder room interior, and its sights and sounds, less visible from the entry.

By moving the powder room away from the front wall and toward the kitchen door, you can add a small coat closet where the powder room sink now is located and your "wasted space " will become your "foyer" as you move your entry door to where the two windows ( now shown by the powder room door) are shown.

Your "wasted space" becomes your foyer with a small coat closet and you could even leave off the header above the opening between the left and right side of the house. You could then add a "saloon" door or half/half door or standard interior door between the foyer and the kitchen.

Close up the opening between the living room and the space next to the powder room. Extend the toilet wall across to the stair wall. Move the powder room to the stairwall, and have a framed opening in the center of the newly extended wall. Use the space next to the powder room for a mudroom if you can move the exterior door to where the window is. If you can't move the exterior door, you can still do all this and make the area by the window a pantry.

Thank you everyone! nhb22, I really like your idea about adding extra closet space along the powder room wall and the bench in front of the window

Suki Mom, I like the dedicated mudroom idea!

Leave the entire left half alone. Just split the kitchen, dining, and office, in two. You have room for a nice eating area and nice kitchen both. That will still be pretty darn expensive, but not like removing and adding a bath and removing all of those walls.

What is the driving force for the remodel? From the info youve supllied, it looks like youre reducing the house by a bedroom, an office and a full bath?

You have a bit of wasted space in both the dining and powder room areas, but its challenging to propose improvements without understanding your wants/needs.

If you really *need* additional space, add on a dining room to the rear, enlarge the kitchen to the current dining room, and leave the office alone. You could possibly add another bedroom and bath above the new dining area, or at least rough it in for the future. Adding square footage is the only type of remodeling that adds permanant value to a home. It’s likely cheaper than trying to move and remodel everything.

@User - This is what the OP said:

This is the current layout. It's a small space and we can't add to it, so we are working within a confined footprint. We need a powder room somewhere, and I can't imagine where else it could go.

Here’s my crummy diagram. i wouldn’t want to look at the powder room door while sitting in the living room

My confusion is why give up a full bathroom to put in a powder room?????

If you don't need that full bath , then make the bedroom the dining room and decrease the size of the full bath to a powder room. Then rework the kitchen side.

i wouldn’t want to look at the powder room door while sitting in the living room

No disrespect to your layout, but It's just a door! And as in your plan, they can always put a door near the stairway. Probably a good idea if there is room to leave it open. Perhaps use half doors there. I changed my drawing to add them. Your plan closes off the half bath to the kitchen, and back entrance. I would not want to have to walk all the way through the dining room and living room to get to the half bath, or to the stairs for that matter, if I was working in the kitchen.

Nhb...slightly different....just throwing ideas out there. Everyone is different. I would love a main floor washroom, so it wouldn’t bother me to walk an extra few feet to access the washroom and gain storage for coats or what ever. i would never get rid of a main floor bedroom, for instance, because it enables aging in place. The kitchen pantry, oven etc is redirected towards the kitchen...it’s not ”just a door”

Have you developed a plan for the second floor? Are you sure you can terminate all plumbing on the first floor and not effect the second floor?

For EMT reasons, the half bath as you have drawn, should not open IN. And as someone who had an extended 4 month need to be on a single floor (broken ankle) I think keeping a whole bath on the main floor isn't a bad idea.

For the person who doesn't want to look at a bathroom door from the living room - it is A DOOR. I do agree that the toilet should not be readily visible from an open door. But otherwise, let's be realistic.

Please post the fully dimensioned first floor. My hunch is that your dining table area will only seat 3 across - not 4 and the island as drawn will only accommodate 3 stools. If an architect is showing furniture as placement and not carefully thought out then I caution you. Having an interior designer show the ACCURATE furniture may sway your overall design. For instance, I’d challenge you to consider the living room located where the dining is shown so that you have more room for comfortable seating with a TV. The dining then could go where living is shown. Either way, a lot of massage work needs to be done IMO

Here’s a quick sketch of what I’m describing.

It just seems that in addition to the dead space (reason for your post) you also have an abundance of dining room credenzas but a crammed living room in your posted plan. Wether you plan all new or reused furniture-a lot more thought needs to go into how these spaces will function. Good luck!

Using nhb22’s plan, there seems to be an opportunity to place a laundry area somewhere in the space where the pantry/closet is located. I would, however, close off the door into the area from the entry foyer.

@thinkdesignlive, thank you for the sketch! Do you think it would be odd for the front door to lead into the dining room? And, for the dining room to have the fireplace?

Cedarcreek, it's probably a 20 year house. We have three bedrooms and two full baths upstairs, and another half bath in the basement. The main floor is just really choppy and dated. Remodeling and opening up the kitchen has been on our list since we moved

@thinkdesignlive, full dimensions are 28 ft across by 26 feet deep. It's a small cape cod

Is resale a concern? With the recent increase in people working from home, a room that could either be a hime office or first floor bedroom could be important for value.

Thinkdesignlive’s plan is nice, but there is still a bitmof wasted space in hallways.

We are in Charlottesville Va, and all work will basically be done at cost, so we will have a great savings there.

@thinkdesignlive, do you have any other ideas about the layout? I really would rather not move the bathroom from the back wall, because I know moving the sewer line and all that will be $$$, but I couldn't find a way to make it work that wasn't super awkward.

Well I’d argue there is way less wasted space than when started but I can’t argue if loosing a home office or bedroom is a good move or not.

Do you have the plans for the basement and second level?

Nhb22’s plan is better than where you started if you can’t move the powder room. Just pocket the powder room door or swing out for safety. Just think hard about furniture layout so you can get electrical and lighting right for the dining and living locations.

And swap the pantry and storage closets in NHb22’s plan as you want the pantry as close to the kitchen as possible.

here's the basement and second floor

Since the plumbing is all lined up from basement to second floor, why not keep the main floor bath where it is and make the right half of the house kitchen/dining and widen the opening from living room to kitchen/dining. The bedroom can be an office for now, and down the road a master bedroom if this is to be your age in place home. This layout would be less expensive than your proposed changes.

I can see updates are needed, but IMHO giving up a main floor bedroom and full bath is not ideal. Your market is admittedly a younger one (I am very familiar with it) but I’d ask a local realtor first. In general, a main floor B/B is a gold mine. Even younger folks can break a leg or need back surgery unexpectedly. Were it my house, I’d remove the walls to open up the L-zone around the stairs to every extent possible, but leave that bed/bath corner and two small hall closets. Then I’d do whatever I had to do structurally, be it LVLs or columns or whatever. I would put the kitchen where the dining room is, put the dining room where the office is, and get rid of the office altogether. Then I would float the stairs, and if it suits the character of the house, use either cable-rail or thin metal balusters. You would still have a very open space, but retain your home’s current flexibility. But that’s me, not you. Whatever you chose, I look forward to the before and after pics. Good luck.

I agree with what you said MizLizzie (after seeing all 3 levels). Would result in a galley kitchen or one with a peninsula (no island) but that might make more sense. Elizabeth-besides opening up the kitchen, what other major goals did you have with this renovation?

“At Cost” is still several hundred thousand. Contractors do not make as much as you imagine. Costs are through the roof.

Dont forget to factor in a year’s worth of rental expenses and other hidden conditions repairs costs on top that.

the biggest goal is just to open it up. The house is small, the first floor is about 750 sq ft, and right now it is very chopped up.

Thinkdesignlive - Funny that you said that about switching the pantry and storage closet. I thought I had done that. I remember now that I reversed it, but the words were also reverse so I changed it back and meant to rewrite the usage for each closet. LOL

I like your plan to switch the LR and DR. Also, that little area to the right of the foyer could be made into a small home office. It could be left open, or have a door from the foyer area. The same from the kitchen. As for another living area...they do appear to have a 2nd larger living area in the basement.

OP, we had a dining room just after a foyer from the front entrance. The whole area was open. Loved it! The fireplace was not there, but I have always wanted a fireplace in my DR. The layout does give you more room to spread out, and the DR is just a couple extra steps from your kitchen.

Good luck!!!