I'm going to add some photos one at a time so I can explain what you're looking at. Here's the front door and windows:

This is the dining room and demo'd kitchen wall from the perspective of the front door

This is the view from the dining room into both the living room and current kitchen space. This whole corner will be removed to open up the dining and kitchen.

This is the view of the house from the front. It needs a lot of curb appeal help (there's a barbed wire fence in there somewhere! ugh!). We plan to tear out the holly tree and replace the chain link with a nice picket or three rail fence. We have little kids and need to keep some separation between the house and the road it sits on.

Ashley, thanks for sharing your darling find. I will dive into your house plan sketch and share some ideas .. .you have great divided windows with character and a darling front door.

I appreciate it @libradesigneye!

Congrats on your great new house. What a cool story.

Agree front door quite handsome! About that holly -- sure you want to pull it out, and not just get a good pruning job done (looks like it cd be limbed up)? Takes so many years to grow a nice tree...consider yr exposure and heat/AC impact...

Yr point about having TV on opposite wall from window makes good sense to me. Extra benefit: yr eventual porch seating areas may also be less broken up, especially if you ever add open deck next to area with roof.

Add Sam Moore furniture to yr list of places to investigate for smaller, more attractive recliner.

Empty space between sink and stair entryway is probably because they originally anticipated a door opening into kitchen, which you have presumably removed. Still, if that's where the doorway is, you need space to get to it -- best I've ever been able to figure out for such a situation is countertop angled at about 45 degrees, i.e. from sink to door, with maybe just open shelves under.

Can't help wondering what's upstairs and what your eventual use of that might be, but have seen plenty of cute, convenient, attractive 2BRs, and yours is definitely going to be one!

@MaryDillon, your post is so helpful! I love your idea about angling the countertop next to the sink and doing open shelves under it. It would fill the space without making the entry awkward. It doesn't have to be like that - right now there's nothing, so that's just the best I've come up with.

I'm definitely going to check out Sam Moore! Thanks for the recommendation.

This house is actually a huge 4 bedroom with a full walk-out basement underneath. I'm in LOVE with it! The master is going to be gorgeous, but I wanted to wait to share details on that until I need input so as to not overload the thread! It has a 20X21 master that we'll eventually make a suite by adding a second bathroom in it, and then an adjacent bedroom that's 14x20. We will most likely use that as an office/craft room.

This place has so much potential. I can't wait to share more progress photos with you all. I'm so glad I posted here - everyone's advice has been so helpful!

Here are some photos of the two upstairs bedrooms just as a teaser of what's to come. We're planning to vault the ceiling in the master and add a huge shed dormer with windows that overlook the property.

The first photo is looking at the far wall of the master with an alcove that leads to a small closet above the front porch. The second is standing in the opposite corner looking back. This is where we will add the large shed dormer.

The first photo of the office is from the door in, and the second shows the dormer on the front of the house.

Take note of the floors! The whole house has oak hardwood in amazing shape (no softness, and the only missing piece is in the living room - but we found extra boards in the basement that we'll be able to use to replace that small section!). We will sand and re-finish them.

Floorplanner.com free and super easy to use!

WOW!!! Soooo Kool. HUGE space up there, your master is going to be Lovely; I am really excited for you. ACRES of hardwood flooring, never used -- get yr goggles on!

It really helps to know that that is there for development in "Phase 11" -- now we understand that the downstairs bedrooms will eventually be for the kids, and maybe we won't be so tempted to waste your time with suggestions about additions you really won't need...

Wow is right! Such potential! Can't wait to see what you do next! :)

Here's an econo concept - guessing that codes won't allow the 40's bath size to work now, and since you are building much, you are going to need to deal with codes . .what if you pull the kitchen forward to the right of the current entry taking it into the middle of the current bath, put dining to the left, then open the stair with risers on the living room side, storage underneath and shift the bathtub just a tad. This will be less expensive than adding all new plumbing off the back since you already have service to the front of the house. It will reduce the larger bedroom downstairs in size a bit, but provide a larger living space . . .take a look . . The porch is charming, and with great landscaping that provides you some privacy (flowering shrubs behind the picket fence?), you can put an outdoor dining table on the front porch to the right . . .having outdoor access from a kitchen improves a lot . . . make the upstairs bath nice from the start for guests and kids. Builiding a whole new kitchen plumbing is more expensive than expanding from existing plumbing here on the front . . .and i think ikea cabinets would be darling (of course, i see beadboard cabinets and penny round tile and the front wall open shelving above the sink . .. no doors to hallway or stair and open the living room side of the stair up with railing instead . .make privacy at the top of the stair integrating wall of ikea closets and open clerestory and door into bedroom. You will hear downstairs but they won't hear you . . .

Bedroom upstairs is lovely, but size is not all usable with roof - unless you buy more ikea and build in drawer storage along the low sides . .or hang inexpensive drapery all along both sides to create "closets" on rolling racks behind, place furniture in front of drapery wall . . future add skylights in sitting area / not over bed unless you both are early risers . . .consider 14 x 20 area for bath and new walkin closet with actual office at top of stair / landing instead . .

You are living my dream!! So jealous and can't wait to see your progress. Since you're doing the renovations in phases, what if you use your latest floor plan but have the couch against the wall? It will allow better flow to the kitchen with the way the front door opens. Basically the same layout as the picture JudyG posted.

Look at Comfort Design Recliners. My uncle had a power one in leather and if he hadn't reclined in it, I would have mistaken it for a normal chair. Here's another example:

@libradesigneye thanks for the input! The stairs can't have storage under them because they're two staircases stacked (one set leads upstairs to the bedroom the other has a door in the hallway and leads down to the basement).

I mentioned moving the bathroom to the hubby/contractor and he said he'd rather see us make the bathroom bigger if we're going to do that than make the living room bigger. I have a new living room plan that we really like that I'll attach. It pulls from the advice of a few different folks here, and we feel like the flow from door to kitchen works best with it.

We're going to have to pull plumbing either way (the existing plumbing is shot and will have to be completely replaced and tied-in to the new well) so having the kitchen in the back isn't a big deal expense wise. I LOVE penny round tile and would love to find somewhere for it in the house. To get a feel for my style, check out my pinterest board for the farmhouse: http://www.pinterest.com/ashantkowiak/for-the-farmhouse/

I do love the idea of opening up the stair leading to the master with a railing, but I'm afraid we'll need the space - no idea where I'd put the fridge! The hall door on the main floor is really for the kids - we have that in our current house (they layout is very similar) and we LOVE being able to put them to bed and shut the hall door. Our TV is on the other side of their bedroom wall and with the door closed they can't hear a thing.

I also love your idea for the master! Maybe in phase 7 or 8 we can add a clerestory :)

Thanks so much for all the input! It's so incredibly helpful having other people to bounce ideas off of - my husband and I end up going in circles when we talk about it too much!

Can you switch the kitchen and dining areas? Just seems like the kitchen would be more functional on the other side. If the kitchen is on the left, you could add french doors on the back wall which would really open up the space. You could even close off the basement exterior door (though you wouldn't have to).

Ashley, I really do think your new livingroom floor plan is nice -- using the whole room will make the space feel bigger, after all. It's too bad that you can't get the outside door into the kitchen, but I hear what you're saying. As I look at it again, though, what now concerns me is that you're trying to get a dining table AND an island in the kitchen, and running out of space on other things as a result. If it were mine, I'd be strongly inclined to pick one, put in in the position where you're showing the island, and use it for both, then you'll have room for fridge, kitchen desk, all the cabinets you cd possibly want, and maybe even to open the stairway...

Or how about combining the two?

That is an excellent solution Mary! The best of both worlds!

Ashley, I just looked closer at your pic on your profile page and your children are so adorable! Your house will become the perfect home for them to grow up in! All the best to you and your family this Thanksgiving!

You can increase your curb appeal with hardscaping, pavingstones and wallstones by Cambridge with Armortec. Try adding a landscape wall around the perimeter and a pavingstone walkway leading up to your home. Please go to our website and visit the magnificent photos in our electronic brochure and our gallery. By linking to Cambridge’s Designscape Visualizer you can upload your photograph and preview what your re-designed home will look like using Cambridge Pavingstones and Wallstones. Visit our website at www.cambridgepavers.com.

What's new Ashley? I hope you and your family had a nice holiday!

We've revitalized several cape cods in Maryland. You can look at some of the "after" shots we've included as a Houzz project, http://www.houzz.com/projects/472269/whole-house-and-large-addition-garrett-park-md for some ideas. Good luck!

Hey everyone! Sorry for the long absence - we've made lots of progress on the house! I'll post some before/during photos when I get a chance, but for now we have a pressing issue. We have had a terrible time coming up with a kitchen layout! Here are our must-haves:

- The option for seating for at least 10-12 (We're going to be a family of 6 soon, and often have friends/family over for dinner). Ideally that would be in dining table and island seating form, but an expandable dining table is also an option.
- Sink in front of window
- Good flow; must leave space near entry to stairwell as that will be a high-traffic area.

Some like-to-haves are:

- Island with seating and storage
- Cooktop with separate double oven (we have access to a set complete with a down draft for the cooktop so no hood would be necessary)

Here is the first layout we came up with that we thought worked. This wasn't our very first draft - this was probably number 5 or 6. After mapping it out in the room, we realized that the dining table is literally right across from the bathroom door. With the bathroom layout, you won't be looking at the toilet but still, ew right?

I'm also concerned that there's really not much space for the dining table in this setup.

I like that there is so much seating, and so much countertop space. I also like the flow around the island and to the back entry.

I would put all of the barstools on one side of the island so it isn't so crowded around the table. I would put chairs around your entire table and use the bench as a coffee table so it's easy to access when you need additional chairs. How big is your island and the overhang in your drawing?

Mary Dillon mentioned choosing either dining or island or trying to combine the two, and I think that's what we'll end up having to do. So I'm open to solutions that do any of those things, too!

Can you turn your kitchen so the cabinets on the left are wider than the top/right and then turn the island so the longer side runs parallel to the long side of the table?

@er612 the island is 5x7 with a 12" overhang for benches. I'm planning to have a bench as a coffee table anyway, so that's definitely a possibility!

There is a large beam that runs the length of the kitchen next to the fridge in it's current spot, so that's really as far into the living room as we want to go. Having everything on the same side of the beam helps it feel like it's own space.

Agree about staying to one side of the beam. What if you treated the table as an extension of the island? Then you can move it out when you need to accommodate more people. Something like this but your island could still be closed and hold the cooktop.

It would actually be like this:

I love that! Still have the bathroom door right there though.

Something like this:

Last one I promise. Just wanted to show that it even works with a massive table:

We have the option to move the bathroom door down a bit, which would put it more in the hallway than in the living space. We would have trouble doing a hall door if that's the case, but we could manage without it.

Looks good. You could actually still have the overhang for even more seating and just have the table under it when it's JUST the 6 of you. If you need barstools, I highly recommend these. A) They come assembled B) Are sturdy C) THEY STACK!! Oh and they're available in many different colors. http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Tabouret-30-inch-Metal-Barstools-Set-of-2/3879161/product.html?searchidx=3

Actually, I would align the stairs wall with the right side of the bathroom door and have the door swing the opposite direction than it does in your drawing. Then you could still have a hall door and the bathroom door would lead directly outside.

I feel your pain, but liked your last layout better. It seems that neither the living room or the dining room is sized for your family. You would need a narrow table and a bench instead of banquette to make that sort of fit and even then it really wouldn't - forced to choose between table and island. ..
I guess I still think you are trying to squeeze too many things into the space that you have. Giving the largest real estate over to the kitchen is problematic since you only need it at meal time. Think the dining and living spaces need to be adjacent and incorporate a banquette to get enough seating in the sf you have got.

Your dining table needs to at least seat six and the obstruction behind the sofa needs to be built into something so it doesn't waste all the space north and south of it. Let's think about what people in NY do - what if your dining room and living room were the same with just a few alterations? Who says you can't have a convertible space? If the kids are still small, a corner banquette is just as comfy for them as a sectional.

Or to look at it another way - a great kitchen with a living space that converts to dining for company. . . . You could look on the surface like a kitchen and dining room here - With a cushy banquette in the front corner for the dining room table, and a couple of really comfy but smaller scale mom and dad upholstered wing chairs in the middle by the window, Add straight backed chairs that fold /hang on a pegboard, to pull down when you have guests for dining . . You can still hang a tv on the wall with a swing arm where it is laid out. . . make the banquette seating the kids sofa, buy a pedestal table with a crank or pump so it goes up for eating, but down for living room . . Then you could have a large enough eat at island and a mudroom / storage / dish hutch where the table is now - maybe 75% of the time you eat at the island.

I grew up in a family with five kids. So, this part is important to get right so you can live.

I so appreciate all the advice! I talked it over with my husband tonight, and we've decided that there isn't enough room for both a table and island. Right now in our current house we have a dining room table where an island would go, and while it's nice having a real dining room table, I wish I could use it as an extra worktop and it just doesn't function well as that. SO our new plan is to do a larger island with seating for 6 and no dining table. When we have company, we can put up a folding table and chairs in the open space.

A farmhouse without a kitchen table?!? I come from a massive family and spent a lot of time on my grandparents' and other relatives' farms. I can't imagine not having a table or having to take out a card table for birthdays, Thanksgiving, etc. Sorry but sitting around a counter is just not the same. Aren't your kids young? You'll have to lift them every time you have a meal until they're 4. Also, falling from a barstool is worse than falling from a chair (hey it happens!). I don't mean to preach. I just think you may regret not having a table and with such a large island, you really won't have the option to add one should you change your mind. What if you put the table under the beam? I know you wanted to keep the kitchen to one side but you can definitely put the dining area under it or on the LR side of it.
Ex. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/e2/c9/25/e2c92504b557fd072a6db9c8cea39b71.jpg







If you do get a table, I would get one that easily expands.

Dear Ashley - I see you enjoying this renovation - but please don't overlook following:
- access to the house (seating area where your guests will be entertained) - is direct and through kitchen area - not good.
- door to ground floor bathroom: if there is no room to access them from other side (cut out space from adjacent bedroom) - set them back so they are not visible
- stairs: if it's not too late - consider centrally located and turned 90 degree stairs, You can use space under stairs as storage/closet areas
- create a tiny narrow hallway: it is not a wasted space! - that will allow you to enter the living area bypassing kitchen and it will give you more work surface in the kitchen (never enough of it!) -and it will direct your guests directly into seating area. You will need the hallway to hang cloth, leave umbrellas and have kids leave their boots

In general you are mixing some functions that will fire back later. Although the furniture is fun to select - it should not be the priority at this moment.
Good luck!!!

Wow, Great suggestions for a sure to be cute home! You could think about putting in a porch or patio cover that is a green roof system! There are a lot of awesome ways to incorporate vegetation to roofing of additions you plan on down the road.

@bophil Thanks for the advice! The front door is located in the living room, so guest access will lead right there. The exterior door at the bottom of the stairs will lead to a future mudroom (right now just a concrete patio) with shoe and coat storage for our family. I'm going to do a small area by the front door with a bench and hooks for guest coats.
The stairs can't be turned or changed in any way. We have a huge basement that we plan to finish in phase 2 of our renovation, after we move in. So while storage will be tight initially, it won't be an issue soon.

The bathroom door is my biggest conundrum right now, but with the way it will be laid out even with the door open you won't see the toilet which is nice. There will be a linen closet right inside the door and then the sink and toilet will be past the closet.

Great bones! Looking forward to the transformation!

I love the holly.

Ashley you guys are making great progress . . you could do a hall pocket door along the side of the kitchen even with the bath door moved . . . noise control. You could do a banquet along that stair wall built in . . .shrink the island about 18" and then use a long table all along the end of the kitchen .. you might even turn the corner . extend the hall about the width of that bathroom door you don't want to look at . . so you can put a banquette around that corner . . your long table can be set up at all times then .. .and you will still have a large island . . - banquettes save about 2' for pulling chairs back, and feel like another sofa to kids . . good for homework, hanging out with mom . .

So nice have fun. There beautiful farm house redos here. Love to see the after!

Visible bathroom doors make people very uncomfortable to use the bathroom (sound and smell). I am speaking from my own experience. We have similar layout and all guests use upstairs bathroom (we have three bathrooms in the house) - for privacy.

Good luck... and I am glad that some people are open minded and ask around before they make final decisions that in real life quite often don't work.

Here's the image I found to show what I am thinking here - and better yet, this end wall has a cut out - so even though you might see through it to the hallway, it still feels you are tucking that bathroom door away .. yep, this would be flipped from your actual, and I know you don't have windows on that wall - just imagine for our purposes stairs going up from left to right here right behind the windows .. .

(And, why not add some salvaged windows from the old house framed overlooking the stairwell beyond at the doorway end - maybe give the outdoor door there glass above, and borrow some of that natural light back into this area?)

If you extend the stair entry "wall" across the end of where you want to use a table, just 18" for the depth of the side wall banquette seat+ 6" for raked back + width of table 36" .. about five feet .. you can even leave an opening in the top half of the wall like they did here but it would make the bathroom door feel like it wasn't in the kitchen anymore . . a slightly smaller island would yield one of these . .. if you do a really long bench there, the table can be shorter for everyday and add leaves when company comes .. . . then two or three barstools at the island are enough . .this is what you drew into the other side of the kitchen when you first laid it out . .

Love this house and am looking forward to updates!