I am feeling a bit stressed - and wishing I had posted this a few weeks ago. I'm going to attempt to post interior pictures I just took. The Dining Room (listed as dining/living on the plan) is right off the kitchen and we use it a lot (eg, entertaining) so I'd like to leave the main kitchen area close to it. We also had not planned any work in the 'music room' -- we don't need it incredibly quiet, it's just where my son plays the piano (and I read) but somehow the architect called it the music room. The powder room and front hall closet are existing. As far as other aspects of the plan, I liked the idea of my office facing the backyard. Re the comment about carrying in hot grill items from the backyard around the kitchen table - we will still have our grill on a deck that is out the door near the pantry. However, we did plan to have our 'adult beverage' mini refrigerator along the wall in the breakfast room. Here are some photos of what we have now. http://s732.photobucket.com/albums/ww326/betsybags01/current%20interior/?action=view¤t=IMG_9106.jpg http://s732.photobucket.com/albums/ww326/betsybags01/current%20interior/?action=view¤t=IMG_9107.jpg http://s732.photobucket.com/albums/ww326/betsybags01/current%20interior/?action=view¤t=IMG_9109.jpg http://s732.photobucket.com/albums/ww326/betsybags01/current%20interior/?action=view¤t=IMG_9110.jpg http://s732.photobucket.com/albums/ww326/betsybags01/current%20interior/?action=view¤t=IMG_9112.jpg http://s732.photobucket.com/albums/ww326/betsybags01/current%20interior/?action=view¤t=IMG_9113.jpg

Your design is too sink-heavy (yeah, sinks are great -- but you don't need this many, and they are pretty expensive, especially prep sinks), and you're absolutely right to question that corner cook area. I don't think I'd go with a built-in vegetable steamer. I steam vegetables (and shrimp and dumplings and all sorts of things) 3-4 times a week, but I use a great little countertop appliance. A small appliance is easier to clean, tucks out of sight for storage, and can be tossed /replaced if it breaks. Bellsmom's design is spot-on - except that I'd switch the refrigerator with the oven. And I'd consider losing the prep sink. Your main sink is located in a central position, so it's easily accessible to the island prep space. Get the price on that prep sink before you decide to commit to it: An island sink means the plumbing has to go under the flooring -- not an easy option -- and it cuts down on your storage. You have another sink right there in the beverage center, and you have a sink in the adjacent half bath for hand washing.

Glad to see you are still plugging away at your design! I was wondering how it was going. Could you clarify where you eat most of your meals, since I'm confused on that point? I'm concerned that the cockpit cleanup area would frustrate you over the long haul. Remember that not only will you be cleaning things up there, but once they are clean, you will also have to put things away from inside the tight U. And sometimes, things will need to be rescued for use again, because although you or one of your helpers thought you were done with them, you weren't. This happens often at our house, where we retrieve measuring spoons, scrapers, etc that get ferreted into the dishwasher (I have one dd in particular who can sometimes be a little too "efficient" lol) and then have to be brought out to use again. For your kitchen this means extra steps around the wing of the U that's blocking the direct path from the cooking side to the cleanup area. Also, it's nice to be able to step away from the stove, do a little cleanup, and then step back to do a little stirring, a bit of taste testing, a little seasoning, and then back to washing a few more items. Again, that wing will make this more difficult. In regards to the laundry location, I've gotten to experience several different laundry locations while homeschooling in the multiple houses where we've lived. It's nice to have the laundry on the first floor since it's easy to switch loads, but overall, I prefer the laundry to be on the same floor as the bedrooms. I wearied of the constant parade of laundry baskets that had to go up and down each day when the bedrooms were upstairs and the laundry was on the first floor. It's really nice to not have the laundry in our main living space. If someone gets a little behind in their folding, at least it's out of sight upstairs and not piling up outside the laundry room where we need to walk through all the time, or where guests are coming in and out. Especially if you are doing school in the second floor, this seems like the ideal location for laundry, since you are already up there and could switch the loads very easily without having to traipse downstairs to do so. Benjes plan is pretty slick. Can you envision your table in the center where your kitchen is now, or does that seem like too much of a loss? That kitchen looks like a dream to work in, especially if you added a prep sink to the peninsula. It reminds me of another reveal, so I'll try to find the link. In the mean time, pre Reno, you could try defrosting your meat in a bowl on the counter. This is what we've been doing, and it works well, no tying up the sink required. I put mine in warm water. I suppose the germ police could get me, but none of us have gotten sick in the years we've been doing it this way. ETA: kitchen Reveal. Not an exact match mind you, but it has a few similarities to Benjes' plan. And one more kitchen is like just one more potato chip, right?

Your first step is a paid assessment from a good general contractor. They will look at where your sewer leaves the house, where your electrical box is located, and how much electrical service it has. And assess foundation and framing, and how to properly insulate. He will discuss how to get those needed utility services to your garage, and any upgrades that may be required to make that happen. That will drive the placement of your kitchen and bath in any layout. It has to be done first to even know if the project is possible. Just like the design documents required to be filed by your city, if your husband is unable to do this, he is not qualified to be doing the job at all, and you need to factor in contractor labor for the majority of the project, as well as design costs. While there are some very capable DIYers, there are also some that choose to do so without the needed skills. Do not get in over your head with DIY anything here. This is how people lose their CO's when they can't get the work done correctly or timely. You only have so much open time on a permit. And all of your work must pass inspection.