I think the kitchen layout still needs work. You're going to walk back and forth constantly around that little island, and people who want to cut through the kitchen are going to zig-zag through your work area. I've attached a sketch of a more simple floorplan that I think is better for several reasons -- sorry I scanned it sideways: - Your major work triangle is enclosed in an efficient area. - People can walk straight through the kitchen without interrupting your work. - You still have your penninsula seating and open area facing the window. - You have a long, uniterrupted bank of cabinets "behind you" that'll be good for things you don't necessarily need right at hand: Your stand mixer, a bowl of fruit or cake, the microwave. - You could gain more counterspace by moving the refrigerator to this "back wall". - You could flip-flop this and have the "back wall" to the left, if that makes more sense to you. Negatives: - You have two blind corners, which are problematic and sometimes expensive. I'd consider having one open into the casual dining area, perhaps for outdoor cooking utensils. - Your stove is still on an interior wall; thus, venting will be more difficult.

These are some great stories. I'd like to share mine, since I think that it's pretty interesting. I met my husband over the phone. I was working at a new job after being unemployed for 8 months. I worked in the order dept for a very respected publishing company, taking phone orders. Since I was so elated to be working again I tended to be extremely pleasant and helpful in those early days so when I received a call from StonyBrook University's bookstore inquiring about one of their orders instead of transferring the call to customer service ( as we were supposed to do) I checked the status of the order myself & told the guy on the other end of the phone that it had shipped out about a week ago. Since Stony Brook Univ is about an hour away from our distribution center I was a bit baffled as to why they hadn't received the books yet. He asked how the books had been shipped and I replied "by armadillo?". He howled with laughter. We spoke again a few more times in the course of the regular order pool, then he started asking for me exclusiveley and after hours of conversations at work (it's a wonder that my co-workers never ratted me out) we started calling each other at home. Now, these marathon phone calls took place over the course of a year. The subject of appearance never came up, nor did the fact that both of us were currently involved in long term relationships (I was dating the world's biggest loser- gorgeous as anything but the "honey can you bail me out of jail 'cause I've got two simultaneous warrants for my arrest in two different counties" kind of loser.) So after a year and countless hours on the phone I was going out to Stony Brook to visit a dear friend and my phone pal, Bill, suggested that we meet for a drink. I offered to stop by the bookstore to find him. I had a vision of being able to spot him immediately in spite of having no idea what he looked like. I was crazy about this guy already and was convinced that I would just "know. Well. For starters once I arrived on campus I couldn't find the bookstore. Nor could I find anyone that could tell me where the bookstore was. Panicked that the store would close before I could get there, I found a payphone & called. I told Bill where I was, he told me to sit tight & he'd come find me. You need to picture this. It was 1992. I'm sporting an impressive black mohawk, multiply piereced ears, skull buckle boots, head to toe black. In strolls the early 90's equivalent of James Hetfield from Metallica, complete with long hair & impressive fu manchu moustache. SO not my mental image of my phone pal and so, so not my "type". I was devastated. You have to understand that at the time I was very, very superficial & most likely would never even have spoken to my now husband, much less dated him. Still, the evening went well once I got past his looks (I was such an idiot) and I figured that I wouldn't hold that against him (a pompous idiot). We went onward to my friend's house...who had just taken a home pregnancy test & greeted us waving the urine dipped stick. It was positive & she was delighted. Bill never batted an eye at the antics of my delirious friend, just took it all in stride. So I called him about a week later at home. I figured that there was no reason he & I couldn't continue our friendship even though he wasn't my type. He was very odd on the phone, very distracted & almost disinterested and it ocurred to me...much to my horror...that maybe he had a problem with MY appearance! How dare he! I was livid. I found out later that he was so distant over the phone because his GF of a bout 2 years was there, wanting to know who he was talking to, who I was, etc. A couple of months later he calls me at work & we pick up as if we'd never stopped. The marathon phone calls resumed & when I'd go out to visit my now very pregnant friend, he'd stop by her place as well. Still friends, still chatting, nothing else. By this time we had both shed our respective (in)significant others, though. We had our first real "date" in July...a friend's wedding in Buffalo where Bill told me that he never wanted to get married & I said I had no intentions of doing so either... & he asked me to marry him on Christmas eve. We'll have been married 13 years this March and I thank God every day for how lucky I am. The funny thing is that I come from a very, very old country Italian family. My father died when I was very young but my mother is very traditional & old fashioned. She is anti long hair on men, anti tattoo and definitely anti motorcycle but thinks that the sun rises & sets on my husband. After years of her absolutely forbidding me to learn to ride a motorcycle she was delighted when I got my license after Bill & I got married & thinks that it's wonderful how the two of us share that. I'm convinced that after the parade of freaks I brought through her house she was so ecstatic to see me end up marrying someone that was intelligent and respectful she didn't care how long his hair was. But she adores him as he does her and I'm very fortunate for that as well :-). Nina

Hey There: Window Coverings and the design of the house must go together and furthermore you must keep the function in mind. In you case I do recommend to layer the window coverings... As I can see in your pictures, you might have a privacy problem if your don't close your coverings, but of course your don't want to sit all day in the dark. So as a first line of defense (literally spoken of course) you go with minimalistic pleated or honeycomb shades. They fit nicely into the window casing and operate bottom up and top down. This will give you privacy and light management and allow you to look outside and enjoy nature around your home. As the second layer you can opt for curtains to the side - either operable or just decorative. This combination is not to heavy to take over the rooms. Stay in lighter colors but don't match them...lighter for the blinds and a bit darker for the curtains. Good Luck with your project www.PleatedBlindsStore.com

Neither inspo photo looks good. Sorry. I would give UP the fire, before I'd use the corner and most everyone who has tried it would tell you the same thing. Put a fire and smaller tv in this FORMAL space that will become the DEAD space.......unless it has a tv. Treat it as the escape space for you and hubby. Then just face the fact that a honkin" tv and console alongside a corner hearth......? Is basically a REVERSE of all the corner TELEVISIONS that were ripped out of bult-ins that surrounded center fire boxes, twenty five years ago. And a regret waiting to happen. Failing that? Build a SEE THROUGH and give up a totally open area behind your island, dividing great room space from kitchen. . Two feet deep, and five feet wide. Fire view both sides. Or adjust your front elevation left of entry door, center a fire, and windows on BOTH sides. Which means anything is better than the corner. Scale it down......and a lovely view from a centered bump /window on front elevation Use the loooooooog wall for the honkin black hole : ) even add a small tv above fire on kitchen side. Now THAT is honesty in living lol!. TV everywhere anyone may want to be.