Roy - I am in Oklahoma. We do have something similar here though so that is an idea. Ben - You are correct, the posted plan is the reversed image of my actual house. Good eye! LOTS of halls here. They go on and on and eventually get enormous right in front of bedroom 3. Very strange. We use the Study as my husband's private T.V. room (loves his own space) and the Great Room as more of a family room. We were going to use the Dining Room off the kitchen as a "keeping room" because our last house had a keeping room with the kitchen and breakfast rooms and since we don't need two dining rooms, but I think it's a little overkill in this house with the study and great room right there together so pushing the kitchen back is an option for sure and I think it might look very pretty but it will cost quite a bit more than I budgeted considering I would have to change out a ton of walls and windows. Not sure I'd want to invest that much considering this may not be our forever home. The plan is for this to be a 5 year type thing so resale is important and this floor plan is already pretty choppy and not today's style so I know I'll have to keep it under market value when it comes time to sale unless I just get everything exactly right when renovating (which is the plan!). It doesn't look like kitchen image 2 ever uploaded so here it is...

Thanks for the advice, Kristine! I moved some things around in the Ikea planner like you suggested. Your suggestion for the fridge location is where my fridge is currently located. I moved it in my original plan because I dislike how much it sticks out into the middle of the room. I could probably solve that issue by getting a counter-depth fridge. I need to do more research on that because I am concerned that we won't have enough fridge space with a counter depth model. I frequently put cookie sheets in the fridge and they take up the entire depth of my current fridge (a side-by-side model). I think I could fit them in a counter depth fridge if I got the kind with 2 french doors on the top and the freezer on the bottom. I moved the wall oven/micro over to the far left wall because I didn't want to make the peninsula any shorter than it already is. It is only 6 feet and any smaller seems like it won't be long enough. I would like to be able to have enough space for 6 girls to be working around it at one time and 6 feet will already be tight (3 girls on each side). I do really like moving the cooktop to the far left wall as well. It seems to give me a lot more bottom drawers for storage along the top wall which would be great. I was only able to fit an 18" cabinet between the cooktop and the wall oven. I'm not sure that is enough space on that side. I think I remember seeing that 24" of working space should be the minimum. I could get more space by using a range instead, but I don't really like that setup. I frequently use both the oven and the stovetop at the same time with 2 people cooking. So the person using the stovetop is always in the way of the person trying to open the oven. I would really like to have the 2 separated.

Requesting your help in designing layout for combining kitchen and dining space. If plan is to open up wall between the two rooms can you suggest a smart layout for space? Love to cook, have 2 elementary aged kids and would optimally like space for dining table to seat 6. (Bay window has radiator along entire length. Fridge is currently in nook by the stairs). Thanks for any assistance and advice you can provide!

First, I would reduce the width of the island, especially if it is moved out another six inches to provide a 48" work aisle. You need at least 36" of walkway on each side, between the back corners of the island and the walls framing the FR. Second, add a pull-out cabinet between the fridge and stub wall, to make sure the left side fridge door will open fully. Then, if you move the range toward the window, on the left you can add a glass front cabinet the same width as the window, and have symmetry. On the other side of the window, widen the uppers to the width of the fridge, and reduce the width of the tall cab. Center the island sink on the range, with both DWs to the left (as you face the island), where it will be easy to unload them to the perimeter cabinets. Put the trash pull-out to the right, in the primary prep space, with a MW drawer on the end near the fridge, since most MW'd items come from the fridge. MW could open to the side, to keep anyone using it out of the primary prep space. Many don't like a sink back-to-back with the range, but the most time is spent prepping to either side of a sink, and a 48" aisle is sufficient if two people are working at the same time. I'd omit the peninsula between the kitchen and breakfast nook, unless you feel you absolutely need it for serving or storage. The UC fridge can go in the corner, with coffee pot on counter above.