mrykbee: Thanks for your input! It's hard to convey how the space looks/feels even with photos and drawings. The current kitchen is part of the original 100+ year old house and the ceiling height is the same height as the living and dining rooms. The mudroom was an addition thus the lower ceiling height. If we eliminated the windows as benjesbride suggested, it would end up feeling much smaller and more cramped than the current kitchen. I only looked at adding the extra stools if we went with a plan that eliminated the peninsula, idea being I could have my kids eat lunch there. Not my favorite idea. The view isn't bad - we planted a nice row of arborvitae - it's just not as great as the view to the backyard. I hear you on wanting to be able to fit more seating in the kitchen! I worked a long time with a plan that had a banquette along the mudroom wall so we could get a full table in there. It has its merits, but still a little congested. With widening the opening to the dining room, I'm hoping that will feel close enough to the kitchen.
jaime: Congrats on getting started with your remodel! I'm attaching a view from the mudroom with the fridge as you suggest. The window location makes it a little tricky to move the washer and dryer down, but maybe stacked behind a cabinet door could work? Unfortunately, it won't be too easy to move the plumbing again (they had to drill through a major beam in the basement and work in a tight crawl space) but I'm willing to explore all the options! We definitely could do closets by the door, but I like the ease and openness of wall hooks and a bench. It forces us to keep our coats/shoes carefully edited. I was planning to use the bottom drawers along the other wall to store shoes and seasonal gear. I guess one concern with the fridge at the end of the peninsula would be if that would end up getting congested too?
Q
Kinda like the backsplash
Q