Thanks so much for taking the time to offer your thoughts, insights and suggestions. It's amazing how generous people on this board are with their time and talent. It's always tough to get out all of my thoughts at once without boring everyone to tears. Lavander - I can see where the plan falls short based on the things of importance to me. I meant for the screened in porch to be a continuation of the living area. I would like it to be highly accessible from the kitchen for when we eat outside and from the great room. I envision the doors being open whenever possible, especially when we are entertaining. We have also considered a double-side fireplace where the french doors are located. I also should have mentioned that the views on the sides of the house aren't too shabby either! The creek curves around in a semi-circle so we can also see it from the side of our house. And there is pasture to the right of the house and the back left and I'm excited to see the horses and cows there. To enhance the natural light, I was hoping the windows on the non-porch side of the great room (which will be facing southwest when we reverse the plan) along with the skylights in the porch would provide plenty of light. As for the kitchen, my hope was that the window and the bright dining room would help there. Perhaps I should have more windows in the kitchen, I just don't want to lose too much upper cabinet space. One thing I've given a lot of thought over the past year is having the Dining, kitchen and great room all in a row. I feel that it wouldn't be right for us and it inhibits the flow that I'm going for. It's funny you call the DS bath utilitarian because that's exactly how I envisioned it since I'm pretty practical (about a lot of things - obviously not my master shower!) It gets the job done when needed. I was just going to have a half bath but i thought it would be helpful to add in the shower even if it's just to "hose off" after coming from outside. I wanted to have it directly accessible from the mud area but I also wanted the mud area to be closed off from guests so this location was a compromise. Although making it a bit bigger and moving it around could afford me a better layout, a bigger shower, and a useful vanity. I'll have to play with that. Duly noted on the garage layout, I want it be be 2 + cars so we have room for storage - I just haven't really tried to measure and lay it out accurately yet. It's funny no one gets where I was going with the upstairs bath arrangement. I thought having the extra half bath and vanity would help if two kids are trying to get ready at the same time or if one is in the bath and another needs to use the toilet. Good idea though about creating another bath in the front bedroom. I'm going to play with that too. mydreamhome - I've received some very helpful comments on the kitchens forum so far. You're not the only one to suggest turning the island 90 degrees which is the way I originally had it. Is there a specific reason you are suggesting that - perhaps something I'm not thinking of? My goal was to have the long side parallel with the cooktop as this is how I like to work. I'm hoping the prep sink will eliminate the need to use the regular sink a ton while prepping and cooking. The other reason it's oriented this way is that one of my husband's few requests was to be able to see the TV from seats at the island. :) I haven't figured out a good way to create pictures of my floorplan that can be easy to read. I increased the size of the dimensions so I hope you can read it now. Any and all help would be wonderful! One of the hardest parts about the upstairs is getting back to the bedroom all the way in the back where I wanted to have a cathedral ceiling. Another thought I had was not building out over the dining room, putting the master where the master bath/ closets are now, and then using space over the mudroom and downstairs bath for the master bath and closets... Perhaps making that section of the house 1 1/2 stories. Also, here is another plan that I played with - same footprint but the stairs have been moved. I haven't detailed everything out yet and don't have an upstairs, but this would help your idea Lavender - the front room could potentially be used as a guest room or dining room down the road. Again, thanks so much to both of you for your time and help!

bpathome - i totally know what you mean, why put the 1/2 bath in the garage if they can just use the great outdoors...although neither of them really do that unless if they're desperate and a bathroom isn't around. considering how many times they pee on the toilet, i might rather them pee outside anyhow ;) j/k yes, the hanging space in the laundry room is for clean clothes, but one of the most things we hang up is our jeans. i just can't see that fitting above a counter unless if we folded them or if we have the rod super close to the ceiling; in which case i would need a step stool to access it. so i felt like having full drip dry hanging was important to have in the laundry. the desk in the mudroom is really a 'drop zone' and place to sort through mail - not really working from home in there or anything. it might end up being just a counter top and no space to sit. yes, the vacuum could definitely go in the laundry room too - I wasn't sure if I'd like it in the laundry room or in the mudroom more. girlguineapig - do you have the linen closet dividing the two sinks in your bathroom at home too? do you think that'll feel too separated? mommytoc - i prefer the laundry off of the mudroom too! glad you do too. with the boys' sports, i think taking really dirty clothes off in the mudroom and straight to the w/d will be a good idea. I was opting for us to have a closet instead of lockers. the main reason being because we have so many coats. in the pacific northwest you end up having a TON of coats - and they typically clog up the hall closet by the front door. With this layout we can keep those just for guests and put all of ours (plus our shoes down below) in the mudroom. for the downstairs bath - a hutch style is a great idea. i thought of that but also wondered if we'd end up spending more on countertops since it would have to be a pretty big slab to run that entire length. maybe it's less expensive to divide them with a closet. Know what I mean? Thank you so much for all of your input - it's really making me rethink our layout!!

So I forgot to mention that we nixed the J&Js into the rec room and we don't have the plans yet on that. We do have a J&J currently and it works well. If we had 2 kids, I think I would drop it but since we don't it is only for the occ 2nd guest. I do need to check/re consider the 3 materials in front. It is pretty common around here but I certainly understand. We didn't wan't brick entirely up front - with shake in gables because we didn't want it to be brick one side. What is done around here often is shake siding which doesn't look that different from siding. We have considered cedar shake which would then be 3 totally different materials. Will work on this. Now I'll have to look at the door swing on the pool bath. Open out does seem to make more sense. As far as pool crap - good point. I suppose that garage storage next to bath could have another door.... First I need to try and get the garage a little wider and then it would be nice if the pool mechanicals were in the garage - for noise and a little freeze protection. Yes there is a mudroom next to garage and we have redone it a little to increase the size. ARG - I have done some site sketches but they aren't ready for prime time.... As far as outside door to bathroom - yes for the pool. Oven - what is drawn is a range; Microwave in drawer. Definitely will widen garage - I knew it was tight. Pocket door into pantry - check. Outswing to toilet room in master - my issue is that currently we leave it open always. That would block a window. Will see what true dimension is with CAD drawings to finalize that one. Considering removing doors in master suite - laundry or closet. We have a similar layout now and never close door to closet. Island will have seating. More windows upstairs on south wall - waiting for roof line to see what is possible without looking strange. Should have that with CAD and the J&J there fixed. I'm also probably going to up the south windows into rec room when I cut the west windows. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and compliments!

The space between fridge and oven would likely not be used for making a snack (and if I’m making dinner, better nobody be making any snack!) because thought some food is in the fridge, everything else will be in the island: plate, spreader, crackers, etc. The space between would hold a cookie jar, maybe some pretty serving trays, and the hot pads and trivets. Maybe the tea if you make tea only occasionally, else that would be in the pantry. Do people notice the fridge, wherever it is In the kitchen? Other than “oh, there’s the beer”? I‘d also suggested moving the pantry entry to share a beam of light from front of house to kitchen sink window, and make a direct path from the kitchen aisle. See the picture Trish showed just above. Does that make any sense? I thought it made for flow, better connection between pantry and kitchen.