I am somewhat underwhelmed with the initial designs that a KD sent me and could use some advice

My house was built in 1929 and I have lived in it for three and a half years. It is charming and inviting but the kitchen was a bad early 90s renovation. I want a lovely kitchen, not the dream kitchen, but something efficient and useful. I also want a powder room for the first floor (only bathroom is on the second floor) and a laundry room on the first floor. My architect has come up with a very nice design for the space, one that keeps to the spirit of the house and gives me some of the room that I want. There is an addition and the size and shape are dictated somewhat by the size of my back garden which is small and the placement of my garage. Most of the kitchen is in the new addition. I love the esthetic of Susanka Not So Big House

Remodel goals:

A really adequate cooking kitchen for one cook with good storage and efficient counter space

inset cabinets, soap stone counters, new floor for the kitchen which will be in the addition (possibly wood to match the rest of the house but not absolutely)

kitchen table space for breakfast seating and home work doing

refinish all wood floors on the first floor

new window replacements throughout the first floor

a powder room (toilet and sink)

a laundry room on the first floor

storage on the first floor (right now, there is no closet or storage space at all)

built-in bookcases/storage units in the living room and dining room

Our family:

We are my 10 year old daughter and myself (A grown daughter may move back home for grad school). I do all the cooking but my daughter likes to help and also likes to be in the kitchen when I am cooking. Right now, we have a white board set up for her in the kitchen so she can draw while we cook. A place for another white board or chalk board for her is important.

The way the house it set up at present, we eat all of our meals in the dining room. We would continue to eat evening meals there, but I would like to use a small existing kitchen table for weekday breakfasts and casual eating. I also like to entertain and would like it to be easy to have guests in the kitchen while I am preparing meals.

My daughter is on the autism spectrum and she is in an intensive therapy program that brings therapists to our house 25 hours a week. We also love company and our house can have extra people dropping by at any time.

Kitchen and Appliances:

My stove and refrigerator which are both white and a few years old are adequate for the present. To save money, I am not going to change them; however, I will leave room for a larger frig. I am hoping to find a used dishwasher also in white to last until one of the other appliances wears out or I find the money to replace all of them. I am looking for a white kitchen with soapstone counters (budget may intervene). The house is filled with white wood work. I need good lighting throughout the first floor and will be putting in some new lights and replacing what is here now (most rooms have ugly fans with can-type light that point directly down attached). When I moved in the entire first floor was painted a green-gray. I repainted the kitchen, but really find that I like the peaceful feeling of that green and will probably paint the entire first floor a similar color with a few accent walls.

Experience with a KD so far:

These are the first plans that the kitchen designer at Pro Build sent me. I went to ProBuild because my contractor works with them and offers a no mark up price on cabinets and countertops to his clients. I spent a long time with the KD talking about my ideas and picking out cabinets, etc. However, he did not use my ideas and frankly, this is the kitchen that I do not want.

A list of things that we talked about but are not included in the KDs original drawing.

1. pull out garbage and re-cycle bin

2. shelves on wall to the left of stove

3. use as many drawers for lower cabinets as possible

4. open shelves for microwave and toaster oven with drawers underneath

5. metal exhaust hood over stove

6. temporary shelving around old standard sized fridge (space for french door fridge)

7. one or two double hung 3 over 1 windows over sink that are counter height

8. "slot" in lower cabinets for a step stool

9. a cook book shelf

I would also like to maximize counter space. He has not included any more counter space than is what is in the kitchen now.

The double pantry looks too monolithic and at the same time fussy with four doors. Could there be two wider single- door pantries with a small coffee station in the middle?

I emailed the KD and asked him to do a revised preliminary sketches incorporating my ideas before we talk again. But I want some advice here, if you please. Am I asking for too much from a KD who does not handle only custom work that is probably out of my budget?

Please, some preliminary advice on how to deal with the KD. Or whether I should just look for a new KD? And whether I can get what I am looking for which is a more individual look for a budget of $20,000 for the kitchen. That is a lot of money for me but maybe it is not in the realm of renovation

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