home4all6, I had an idea that could be a middle ground between working within your home's footprint and a MBR suite/kitchen addition. It is spurred by my memory of your comment that the FR addition was either built to be or could be turned into a first floor MBR suite. This likely won't be appealing to you since your children are still quite young but it won't be that many years before the idea of having some space between their rooms and yours will be quite appealing. Also, I don't know if this holds true for your area but first floor MBR suites are popular here because it means that people can stay in their homes longer. On to my idea: Build an addition for a larger eat-in kitchen, addressing mudroom, side entry stairs and PR issues at the same time. It's possible that an addition may offer up other possibilities for a PR location that won't require losing your home's center hall entry. I know you don't use it and wouldn't miss it but losing the central hall entry could be a negative for future buyers. Then, at some point in the future (that will arrive sooner than you realize), convert your FR into a MBR suite and convert the 16x13 room you are currently using as a MBR into a bonus room/media room. Is the existing laundry room large enough to be a walk-in closet as well? If not, you'll need to relocate this when you convert the FR into a MBR suite. Or perhaps include room for W/D etc in your mudroom plans. I don't know your market so please ask local realtors which of the potential revisions will make your home most appealing to future buyers. I'm not saying that's what you need to choose but it's good information to consider as you decide how to proceed. btw, this thread is coming close to the 150 cut-off so it would be a good idea to start saving all the information and suggested plans now before they drop off the forum.

I got it! I got it! Inspired by the fabulous view and wanting something restful in the DR, put in a waterfall wall!!! It would be gorgeous. You can get them in glass, acrylic, copper, steel, colors, all kinds of things. And you can set them up to be just the upper part of the wall with a buffet or credenza in front. You can get them to be rain, bubbles or water fall.... And how cool is that, fire and water.... Here is a link that might be useful: Custom water fall walls

Laundry room looks excessive. Make an opening in the wall south of the kitchen, move pantry into laundry room remove wall where pantry was. Expand kitchen south for more countertop space. You wont be able to completely get rid of that wall separating kitchen from living room, but you can get a decent opening with a beam put in there and get more flow through the house. If you want a larger reno expanding the kitchen into the dining room would allow more opportunities possibly a penninsula with seating or an island.

First things first. To keep the piano tuned and healthy, it cannot be on an exterior wall. If it is played, then move it to the interior wall of the walkway area where the tall, leggy piece is now, and hit the 2nd hand stores for a real piano stool or bench. If you don't play it and it is too long for that wall, I would sell it. Hang the circle candle sculpture above the piano or on that wall even if you sell the piano. Move the futon to the wall opposite the piano and add a floor lamp for a reading/lounging area. Hang a big, colorful piece of art above it. Get replacement legs for the tall leggy piece and bring it down to a realistic height for a TV credenza - no lower than 18" or higher than 24". Put it where the piano was with the TV on it. If the rug has a side that is wider than the sofa, turn it so you can put it under the front 1/3 of the sofa. Float the sofa perpendicular to the front windows and use the upholstered bench with a tray for a coffee table. Put the skinny legs that you've removed from the other piece on your ironing table and use it behind the sofa for a sofa table. You might want to paint it (chalk or enamel) and set your corn plant on it to add life and a bit of screening behind the sofa. Put the bookcase from the dining room between the two windows, and angle the chair between it and the TV credenza. Remove the skimpy curtains and, depending on your need for privacy vs. view, use fabric roman shades or top down/bottom up shades on all windows in your room. Use the sisal rug in summer and the red one in winter for the seating area. Save the flokati for beside your daughter's bed (unless it is actually the dog's bed in the living room) and the cowhide in your bedroom. Remove any pieces of furniture that are at knee level or lower, and take most of the plants outside when weather permits. The biggest one and the corn plant could stay inside for some green relief.