You will get better help if you attach readable images here instead of forcing someone to follow a link.

Think this is enough?

Wow, thanks for the suggestions! This is above and beyond!!!

I've been trying to avoid putting a couch like that because I like the idea of being able to walk straight from the front door to the backdoor without anything in your way, but this looks pretty nice. Maybe with an L shaped couch? And I might even be able to add a coffee bar or something like that on the lonely wall between the entrance to the kitchen and living room.

For the kitchen, we do not plan to have a range. I think we'll be going with a wall oven (with a microwave above it) and induction stove top... sorry, I definitely should've mentioned that in the first post. I was thinking of putting the oven and fridge where you have the dishwasher and sink. I'd probably keep the sink where you had the range (plumbing's already there), and the stove top where you put the fridge. I like the idea of trash in the island. Maybe a beverage center where you put the microwave? And I'm not worried about losing the storage from taking down the wall... the mystery door in the kitchen leads to a giant pantry.

This has given me a lot to think about. Thanks!

First, know what walls are load bearing walls before you decide to remove or alter them. It costs more to remove (and support) a load bearing wall and it needs to be done right to be safe.

Is there a reason you're not extending the peninsula out as far as the countertop by the window opposite it between the kitchen and the ?breakfast nook?

How low to the floor are the three windows left of the door in the dining part of the kitchen? Have you considered removing those three windows and installing a patio door there so you could create a " ] " shaped countertop and put a cook top at or near where the door is now located so you can vent a hood to the outside?

Then, as long as you have a dining room for when you have guests, consider keeping the middle section of the wall between kitchen/ and family room as a pony wall room divider cabinet that you can walk all the way around and giving you a half wall against which you can set furnishings.

Another idea:

Is that hallway between the kitchen and the room with the bay window your front entry?

If so, consider removing most of it, leaving only a pony wall bookcase near the door to define the entrance and using the room with the bay window as your living room and use the room with the fireplace in the corner as your dining room ... that way you can choose the island because you 'll not need that room dividing pony wall between kitchen and ?family room? to have something to your sofa or other seating against.

I'm 99.9% sure that the wall between the hallway and kitchen is load bearing.

The window in the kitchen is super low (maybe just 2 feet above the floor?) and goes all the way to the ceiling. My absolute dream renovation would be to make it a patio door and close up the existing patio door, but that just seems like way too big a job. And there's no need to have a vent on an exterior wall in this house. It's a ranch and there's already a duct system (with extra boxes of ducting in the attic that the previous owners left) right above the kitchen, so I can vent out from anywhere I want.

A pony wall (never knew that's what it was called) has definitely crossed my mind. It would be nice to have a counter height bar/dining table on the kitchen side, so we can use it as an informal dining table and we could watch TV while eating dinner. If we opened it up and put an island, people sitting at the island would have their backs to the TV which is awkward. But the fiance has been wanting an island for years! We'll see.

The door to the left of the bay window is the front entry.

Thanks for your input!