Sketch #2 gives the kitchen more space, which is a good idea. You don't need an opening into the living space, because it will kill your kitchen wall space. If you could somehow squeeze another foot of width for the master, it would help with furniture placement.

Sketch 2 or 3? I added another drawing. Do you think the opening to the great room should be from the kitchen or dining room? I like your idea about adding another foot in width to the master bedroom.

Don't know if I'm looking at it correctly but if the entry comes into the dining area, that's got to be fixed.

The plans, in general, look fine, and a 12 x 19 bedroom is fairly large, relative to the scale of the house. Areas for improvement are the entry and kitchen; entry directly into the dining room and looking straight through the kitchen is a little awkward; how about a new front door offset to the left (hallway), and carving out a little space for a coat closet. Whether entering from the front, or the garage, there should be a place to hang up a coat and drop your stuff. A wide front porch covering the original facade would be a potentially handsome addition.

What do you mean by entry into dining room needs fixed? You mean there should be no opening, or a single door opening? Or entrance way should go through kitten area instead.?

Bev: It's always best when the entry area is defined. And that can even be done in VERY small houses. Right now the front door opens up and one is standing in the dining room. At the risk of posting this because it's an entirely different set of parameters but here's a house I quickly put pen to paper that had the same situation only into a great room. It's about 8 posts down. [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/great-room-design-dsvw-vd~1056161-room-design[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/great-room-design-dsvw-vd~1056161)

You need to define the entry but I think the issues here are much larger than that. While you label it "dining" it's really a big hallway. And I'd get the living area opening up entirely to the kitchen. Get it so the dining, kitchen, and living, while one space, are still defined.

Thank you for explaining that. I'm working on this with a friend and will relay that to her. Anything else you all have to contribute is a huge help. I hope to post a picture with the changes.

Bev, consider putting the closet along the entire wall that the bedroom shares with the garage. Then move the other bedroom wall so it's flush with the bathroom wall, making more room for the kitchen. The kitchen needs the space; the bedroom is plenty big. Maybe you can put the fridge on that new kitchen wall and then change from a U shape kitchen to a narrower galley (sort of) with an island. You could pick up a foot for the dining room that way, maybe.

Let me know if that doesn't make sense, I could try to draw it up.

@emily. I may need to take you up on marking up the drawing. Been having problems working the frig in too.

Hi, Bev. Here is what I was describing:

The second plan gives you:

• A foyer area, if you change the swing of the front door. You can have a coat rack there, or you can easily steal some space from that bedroom corner for a coat closet.
• A large and symmetrical kitchen. Hopefully moving the back door to the left isn't a problem. I counted on that in both plans.
• A walk-in closet. But for plumbing purposes, you can switch the location of the closet and bathroom. Without a window in the bathroom, you could have enough space for double sinks.
• A more private entrance to the master bedroom (so you wouldn't see it from the whole kitchen/dining area.
• A bigger mudroom/laundry room, if you move the garage door up a little so you can have space for hooks and a bench on the window wall.

Both plans allow you to square off that second bathroom wall, making bathroom design better, because the kitchen is more compact (yet more functional).

Both plans (especially the second plan) also reduce the appearance of a long, narrow hallway by closing off the mudroom/laundry area.

If you don't absolutely need the second bathroom to be accessed by the bedroom, you can give that bedroom a bigger closet as well as a bigger sink (but maybe you don't need a bigger closet or a bigger sink).

What do you think?

I think you solved several problem areas and put a lot of thought into the usage of space....very nice! I like both plans actually, but in the 2nd one you've added a lot more functionality. :) I don't think we will be moving the rear door, but where you have the refrigerator drawn is currently a staircase that we are doing away with and can have the refrigerator built in. The wall between the kitchen and living room is a load baring wall, so we will have a contractor look at it and decide what to do there...I'm guessing a bulkhead or something? Love the walk in closet and on the previous plans the closets weren't addressed. I have a question about the new addition where you have drawn and wondered if the pic got cut off. I'd love to see where you put in the closet for the spare bedroom. This will be the area we are working on next. :) This was a huge help! Thank you Em.

Glad I could help!

I didn't change anything about the spare bedroom closet, but I was thinking it could be bigger if you closed off the entrance from the bedroom to the bathroom. Depends what you want more - the second entry to the bathroom or a bigger closet.

Hopefully opening that kitchen/living room wall a few more feet won't be a big deal! Good luck, and keep posting about the progress!

You were indeed a great help. I loved the markups you've made. :)

My husband wanted the 2nd entry and I've been telling him from the beginning that Id prefer a bigger closet instead. With you bringing up the added closet space will help my argument. ;) The next part we work on will be the new addition first and I hope to post updates this summer. Will see how things go. :)

We are going to put in 6" canister lights next in the Great Room (8' ceilings) and if anyone has ideas where these could be placed would be wonderful. Feel free to draw lighting(dots) on ceiling if possible Also, we want one or two ceiling fans (without lights) in the Great Room. Would like opinions on whether to use one or two.