Wow! Lots of questions! Haha! Let's see. We live in New Orleans and are a very casual, fun, energetic family. DH and I are in our mid 30's and have a 9 year old and a 6 year old. Both kids are active outside of school. TV is a big part of our lives because of sports, movies, kids, etc. But Mike's Den is where lots of the sports programming will take place. :) We are planning to offset the TV and put it to the side of the fireplace for two reasons....1) Now that the kitchen is further over, if someone is in there, it will be more centered to the room as a whole and 2) it can be a bit lower and more at eye-level if it's not above the fireplace. We can make the built-ins accommodate the TV at a level more comfortable for viewing. There will also be a playroom/media room upstairs for the kids. So the Living Room TV will be the group/family TV I suppose. We take turns cooking but both work. So we aren't gourmet cooks but we enjoy cooking meals. We enjoy conversations from the kitchen, thus wanting the open plan. I'd say that because of kids' evening activities, we probably cook 3-4 days a week maybe? Other nights we grill or get take out, pick something up or go out to eat on the way home. The porch. The house (again, in New Orleans...flooding) must be elevated a bit). This porch is elevated with the house. I know we will also have lower space for a table and chairs and the grill, that we haven't laid out yet. We actually did talk about widening the porch. How wide would you suggest? My dad suggested 1-3 feet wider. What do you think? The front door...you see the stairs to the right of the kitchen? And the open pass-through there under the stairs in the drawing? If you go through that pass through...actually straight from the back door, you'd pass the turned stairs above you and a guest room above, master below (in the drawing) and the front door is that way. It's a narrow, New Orleans lot...50x122, which has made things interesting to lay out! :) Thanks again guys! Your feedback is great! Oh, and again, the furniture placement and the kitchen appliances, etc. is just there in the drawings as a guide. It's not fixed or anything. It's just a visual thing for reference.

keep the chairs and slipcover them. buy a new base for the table, in a tone that matches your other furnishings, maybe go to a quirky antique place and think outside the box for what you could use as a base. An old pilaster or something. Otherwise, you could probably just order a base from RH to use.

It must feel like you're not getting much help here, probably because your yard is quite small and your wishlist rather long. I don't think your backyard will ever be a fun space with a play structure, etc. unless you tear everything out and turn it into a playground. Realistically, even if you did that, your kids will outgrow it in a couple of years and you'll be stuck with an unattractive, deteriorating, view-blocking structure that no one uses. My suggestion is to embrace what you have and try to make it better, even if only for the adults. Think cozy courtyard, or intimate patio. With that view it could be fabulous. A few thoughts in no particular order . . . tear out the shrubs that block the view tear out the lawn replace the lawn with raised beds for vegetables and flowers, or replace the lawn with attractive, low-growing, drought tolerant plants plant a couple of patio-size trees that can be limbed up to preserve the view install a drip system look into staining the concrete patio divide the space into zones -- dining, socializing, quiet space and provide furniture for each add a table and chairs that can be used for dining, games, work, etc. if you go the veggie route, figure out where your tools and supplies will go figure out how to provide shade -- umbrellas, shade cloths, awnings, pergola, etc. figure out lighting so the space is useable more hours each day invest in several beautiful large pots; use them to help define zones; fill them with shrubs, small trees, etc. put speakers outside so you can listen to music go to open houses in your area and spy on what your neighbors have done in their yards HOW ABOUT A HOT TUB? The kids will love it! =) Oh, I think I just spent your $20k. Good luck with your project.

Hi AJ! Now a vote for buying on consignment & reupholstering. I bought 6 Parsons-style chairs from a local furniture consignment shop; they were the size and scale that I wanted, and were substantial and sturdy...but covered in a nondescript fabric that made them easy to overlook. I think I paid $40 each, so $240 for all six (after pricing similar new chairs at about 10x that amount, upholstered in fabric that I didn't love). I had the seat cushions replaced with a thicker, firmer cushion, and had them upholstered in a darkish slate blue velvet...I think the complete cost (including the chairs themselves) ended up at a bit more than $2000. The chairs are comfortable to sit on, and have nice tall backs to lean against...pre-COVID, they lent themselves to hanging about the table with friends after dinner. If the reupholstering is in the budget, that could be the way to go!