Edited post for clarity. Also yes we are working with a designer and he is awesome, just making 100% sure of any last minute changes anyone else may recommend before drywall and tile go in. Can of course change again after that, just easier to do now. We have deliberated a lot already and this is indeed last minute, just wanted to make sure. Cooktop is going on the island no matter what, we have discussed every factor already and that's the way my mother wants it to be, she had one before and loved it. Can do drawers on the bottoms no problem.

Hey how's it going everybody,

Thanks again for all your help thus far. So after a short hiatus and many a tweak, sincerest gratitude to our patient and wonderful designer and crew and you, we were hoping to phone some friends once again for an opinion or twelve on this home stretch at last.

We had to build that wall between our kitchen and living room out 3 1/2 feet to accommodate our 3 foot deep island, 4 foot wide aisles and 4 foot deep 6 foot wide walk in pantry. Rendering not the most recent but about covers it.

However, as for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, so too has our living room with nice tall tray ceiling and which has always been the heart of our home shrunk those same three and a half feet.

It was a large living room to begin with at 22.4 by 22.8, so it's still big. We thought to open up the dining room entryway a couple more feet to try to bring some of that space back but of course the furniture layout still takes a hit. It's kinda funny actually, we had just thrown a bunch of sofas hither and yon betwixt the actual living room stuff ie antiques, display case, pedestal, throne etc and loved it. We also have a small fireplace center right and two big windows equidistant from center on the bottom.

It's a big house, little over 3k sq ft. There's a 14x22 family room but we never used it as much. There's a big 27x15.6 porch but that was never used much either. With this change, with that whole wall kitchen and dining room pulled out, is it still proportionate? Is this something we will comfortably adapt to? Not that we're planning on selling any time soon but would other folks go for it?

Also importantly, does it make the dining room too big? Dining room works out to be a little over 8% of total sq ftg now. Was it too small before for the house? The four of us were always comfortable in it, with old mail and soy sauce packets and stuff piled high. Another leaf and we might not even need the pantry.

But this is really important to us. One thing I think we could do is just move that dining room wall, that big 16ft wall, back a few ft, maybe to the original spot. I was worried it would make the pantry bumpout look too conspicuous, but with the shortened wing walls I was thinking the squareness of the room may be more apparent so it might look ok? We would get some more floor space this side of the header, and the tall ceiling back, but would that actually work well in furniture terms? I can see scooting a sofa back some into that walkway, but then having to walk around it rather than straight across. And we would prefer that door stay there to preserve that nice long sightline. Would that be so inconvenient as to render it moot? I guess we could move some other decoration type stuff into those corners instead or would that look funny? Would those little corners it makes on each side look funny? Or would there just being a big corner you can't see all the way past when you walk in look funny too?

Or we give up our walk in pantry for some more cabinets. We could get two feet back and maybe just do a little wing wall each side of the foyer to get the nook that came about from the pantry and complementary linen closet, close enough. But is this walk in really that much better than cabinets? We've been really hoping for the walk in but I think that's really the only thing we'd lose to undo most of the living room switcheroo. Is it really worth it, if not in absolute storage space (we got loads) then at least convenience?

And one more little thing - if we do do the walk in, what doors? Could possibly do double pockets, good as it can be left open without cramping the inside or aisle, but then can't put the pantry light switch anywhere there, would have to be inside between shelves blech. Maybe could frame a little extra to the side, taking from the counter on that wall, to put a switch there between the studs? Could do a french door but that would take up that aisle a bit, not the best, can of course walk through the living room. Maybe a double bifold to cut back on sticky outy bits just a little more? Or one door to one side swinging in? That's actually what we had originally but the shelving inside was a bit tight. No barn doors! And on that note, what door to the dining room? Was leaning toward a pocket there too. Wondering though if that passage might be traffic jammy.

Additional pic of that layout, again not most recent though. Cooktop centered, island shortened maybe a foot for a wider aisle in front of fridge. May do uppers under overhang, bar seating at that top corner to family room and maybe room for a stool at end of island. Is one stool ok? Less so for snacking, breakfast bar next door. More details pending as always. Thoughts on anything and everything greatly appreciated!

Actually a little like this one, photo included below: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2321359/presenting-our-house#n=59

Thanks a million billion gajillion everybody!

Sum Gai