I hate to post and sound negative, but I'm pretty worried about this plan. Your table already has too little clearance around it and it's only 2 ft deep. I think it would be in your way as you work, and don't think that can be useful to seat 4 people, as you show. Anyone seated at the bar behind the sink will feel have the faucet pretty close to their face and barely room to set a plate...They'll be in the 'splash zone' with only a ft of overhang.

Can either or both of your French doors be made into single doors, and would you consider doing without the table, which might allow you to turn the peninsula 90 degrees and create a galley? I'm just trying to brainstorm...

How big is your family? Does the top Fr door lead outside and the left one go to a bedroom? Can we see more of your layout or know more about the traffic patterns?

rhome410,
I can eliminate the table, there is only 3 people in the family and only 2 home during the week. The french doors are already in and swing out, so they cant be changed, both leading to a wrap around porch. The overhange in the bar area for eating can be as large as I need. I can also eliminate the bathroom on the back side of the kitchen and move it down, eliminate the office, if need be.
The house is a box 36X30 stairs going through the middle. Everything else can be moved around there are no interior walls at this time. I can change the living room and the diningroom/kitchen around if need be. Does any of this help?

Can you post your whole main floor plan to Flicker? What other rooms are on your main floor? Our main floor is basically a 40 x 32 box, so I'm thinking you should be able to get a much more workable kitchen in the room you have.

Do you ever entertain or host bigger family meals for which you'll need good table space?

I've linked your kitchen plan, because if it's easier for people, you'll get more responses.

Here is a link that might be useful: kitchen plan

Here is the main floor, the only things that need to stay are the stairway, and 2 french door, the large window in the living room. Nothing else is set in stone. Thanks Rhome410 for all your help

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33981481@N07/3164362287/

Here is a link that might be useful: kitchenblueprint

Was just playing with as much plan as I had before, and this is a first jab at it. Obviously messed up your bathroom plan...

I think the original plan could have tweaked more as is, if it weren't for the 2 sets of doors!

Is your plumbing in, or could the bathroom be moved? Is there a bathroom upstairs too? I'm assuming front door and other windows may not be changed?

Is that the front door only 36" form the base of your stairs? If so, that's pretty tight.

Assuming you can deal with the bathroom being overtaken, here's another idea:

Plumbing or wiring is not in, there is an additional 2 bedrooms, sitting room and a bathroom upstairs. Also a Bedroom and bath in the basement. My husband is going to kill me if i cant work around the french doors. He regrets cutting them as we went (log home) but to late now will have to work with it, no tears.
Rhome, will put your ideas into my plan and see how they look. Thanks

What are the two "normal" doors? I'm also a bit confused by where the front door is or where the groceries would come in. Are you located in the south somewhere?

front door in front of stairs, (main door) and a door on left side of house in the middle of the wall (where a garage would be) and a hall, right now the hall is not in the blueprint, we will not need to put it in untill we decide to sell, I dont mind the door looking like it is in the office at this point. Not in the south, in Michigan. Will bring groceris in the front door. This is a log cabin, with a 3/4 loft, this floor plan is very common. Im just not wanting to use the dining room as intended, i feel its a waste of space. I didnt realize how much sq. footage you loose when you have thick log walls. We put up the whole exterior and decided it was to small, but also to late. I can push the bathroom back and use it as kitchen space, but that gives me a big dining room (that im not needing) This is a second home, we are downsizing, before my husband retires and Im not used to such little space so everything looks cramped to me. Hope some of this makes things clearer

Do you need the office to be a separate room? Can you scoot the bath further towards the french door area, put the eat in kitchen in the office space and put the works of the office in enclosed cabinetry in the now larger living space? Without the clearance for the french door issue, you'd have more space to work with.

luxsupermom,
I wanted the living room, kitchen and dining area to be one area if possible. I am back to the drawing board, moving all rooms, my brain is so tired. But cant move forward till I get the room placement together. Maybe im being unrealistic in what can be done in the amount of space i have.

Just to make it easier, here's first floor plan

Daisy, this is going to be a nice home! Because of limited space, breaking out of the box, within the box so to speak, should work for you. I'd suggest devoting as much of your lower-floor space to active-living functions as possible and trimming down areas that'll be empty most of the day.

Since there are only 3 of you and you can "lose" a bedroom downstairs, that seems a very good place to start. Either absorbing all that space into your active living areas OR just some of it, leaving some to serve as mini but functional spaces for office/guest nest, ??

Just thinking of the space as you have it, though, since you don't need a large table most of the time, how about using part of the space under the staircase for seating for a smaller table (with leaves for expansion)? A cushy banquette under the stairs could seat 2 or 3, or more, for conversation. The table could double for cards or just sitting around to chat. When more than 4-6 people need to be seated, another small table (perhaps a drop-leaf used as an end table most of the time) could seat another 4. A kitchen counter could always seat yet more.

How about reversing those stairs so that they rise from the center of the house? It's a more functional starting place, downstairs anyway, since it is central and you don't have traffic running back and forth through the living room from the stairs. You lose access by the door, but is that a really important function for you?. Importantly, though, by having the tall underspace area in that corner, a terrific sort of cozy-nook corner space for additional furniture/table placement is created.

Although I personally love having a table right IN the kitchen, taking dining out of the immediate kitchen area, with perhaps counter seating, allows that space to be devoted to a fairly compact but very efficient layout for the forever-ongoing tasks that need to be performed there.

rosie, the section under the stairs is the stairwell to the basement, so no changing that. But can make the office much smaller if needed. Also have to think of resale, hoping to sell in less than 5 years. I am the only one home 75% of the time, run business from home, due host big dinner parties twice a year. But certainly cant plan house around that. I have been working on another plan. Dont know how to post the photo into the message only attach link. I have read the how to, but it doesnt help me. Thanks for everyones effort. Will keep trying.

Here is a second plan. Does this look like it will work better? I know the dining room will be cramped, but I can push the table against the wall or get a smaller one if need be.

Here is a link that might be useful: kitchenblueprint3

Still worried about ability to get through to Fr doors, and the fact that you've got a table that's only 2 ft deep and you think it might be too big for the space. Look at a standard 2 ft deep kitchen counter and imagine seating people on both sides of it. I also don't think you can get to the toilet in the bathroom because of the tight aisle.

First, I'd forget angled entrances to the room and do something like this. It gives a much needed 6 inches or so to the kitchen, relieving a possible clearance problem of getting the range door open against the adjacent cabinet door pulls. I shortened the peninsula a little in hopes of getting a clearer path to the French door.

Maybe put the fridge where the pantry is to give more elbow room in the work area?

Still needs work, I think.

The french doors will only be open in the summer for the breeze, wont really be used as an entrance, can purchase a smaller round dining table. If I move the fridge, I have no where for food storage, (could use the basement, but that would be a big pain, just hate the idea of building a new house and hating it) No matter what I do I dont like the kitchen. Maybe burn the place down and start over. Would hire a designer, but cant find any around me. Live in a small village of 1,000 people, not much to choose from. Thanks for the help.

Oh, don't burn it down! I think you need to a fresh start, but it WILL work out. There's plenty of square footage to lay out space various ways, but it's important to clarify some key technical things, and key things you want from your home:

Technical:

STAIRCASE - As I understand, it has already been constructed, and is a closed in stair. Could you confirm that it is only 3-ft from front door (because that will be a very major constraint). You mention basement stairs, but there is no door to basement in the kitchen area. If it should be there, then the space is unavailable for refrig. Or is basement access only from outside?

PORCH - You mentioned a wrap around porch - is it around all four sides? Which of the two exterior doors would be used the most by your family? I ask because if the front door really is 3-ft from stairway, maybe an alternate entry would be better. You mentioned bringing groceries in front door, which might imply it is really a secondary door.

FRONT DOOR - Could you cut another door opening next to existing one, and either widen door, or add a window next to it? This is probably a structural question.

FIREPLACE - Has this already been constructed, or could the location change?

SECOND FLOOR - You should post the second floor plan as well, because bathrooms should stack if possible, and yet both bedrooms and sitting area must all have access to the stairs.

What you want from your home:

USAGE - You said this would be your retirement home, so is it important that the first floor bedroom be a relatively large master bedroom? You said you run a business from home -- is it a visually 'messy' business that needs to be screened off from view, or could it be part of your 'great room'? Or could your business be run from a room on second floor? Are second floor rooms planned primarily as guest rooms? What about basement room?

Sorry for all the questions, but an architect would normally 'program' (i.e. ask these questions and many more) before putting pencil to paper.

Staircase- yes it is 36" landing before you go up the stairs. Basement will go down on the end near the kitchen, there is no door it is an open stairwell. Fridge cant go in that area.
Porch- will wrap wrap around all sides. Groceries being brought in at the door by the stairs.
Fireplace - is not in yet.
Walls - also no interior walls are in yet, (so now is the time to make any changes)
Second floor- you go up the stairs to the far left 2 bedrooms with a bath in the middle. The area over the kitchen is a sitting room (could use for an office also). Sitting room is an open loft. Area over living room is open to the ceiling.
Usage- We are realitively young still 42 but will retire within 5 years. My plan was to use the main floor bedroom and bath, when we no longer choose to climb the stairs. The business I run from home is an Environmental Co. so its only office work nothing messy. My son is planning on using the basement, it will have a bedroom, and bath for him. Also our furnace and hotwater heater in a small room, plus storage. When he is no longer at home will convert to a TV room.
I will work on posting the second story.
Thanks for all the questions, they sure are making me think.

Ah - key piece of info re: area over living room open to ceiling, with loft over dining area. That will be nice, and limits how much fiddling is feasible with floor plan.

Since this is a log home, is there a link to website with info on your home? Might be easier than posting floor plans, plus may have other useful info.

no website. we have built everything ourselves, and will do the rest also. the open area is 16X21. I have photos if that will help. I can load them on flicker, and go on Monday to take more

That would be great. You might want to cross-post on 'building a home' forum too.

Have a new plan, this is the first and second story. Does everyone think this will work. I think the 1st story, is the best idea i've come up with. Thanks to everyone for your help and questions. It made me really think of what i needed and what i wanted, what i could live with and without. Thanks

Here is a link that might be useful: Cabin

Daisy, the 'cabin' link doesn't work, but if I click on one of your other links I do see the new photos and floor plans.

Major, major improvement on your floor plan - congrats! Only have a few minutes to look now, but you might want to work on eliminating the corridor, since it takes a good deal of space.

Would love to eliminate the hall, but dont know how to get into the rooms if I remove it. Will try and post the link again.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cabin