Changing to an open floor plan for a lower floor of an existing two story home is very complicated, and very expensive. Floor framing, roof framing must be considered. I would look for a professional in your area for assistance.

I do speak from experience. Just complete construction on a 50% lower floor wall removal. opening the kitchen, dining and family into a great room. One steel beam, other large cross beams required. Foundation and shear panel upgrades. We were able to do all without exposing and beams, flush framing all new beams. Came out great, client says well worth it. Very expensive, considering we adding no living area to help add value to the home.

Thanks all. I am absolutely relying on a professional. I'm handy, but gas lines are out of my wheel house. I've attached the upstairs layout.

Chris, not sure I understand the roof framing comment.

Given that you have a big rec room on the secod floor, I would not hesitate to lose the smaller first floor bedroom.

Also,judgimg from the rec room, I. Guessing the first floor living room fireplace could be removed.

So an easier alternative is to creaye a big family room from the current living room, small bedroom and half bath.

Then you could reduce the size of tje kitchen slightly amd put a half bath above the dining room. Them the dining room could be am office, guest room, or dining room.

Still not enough info, but guessing framing layout for floor and roof:

Wall running length of home NS (up and down on the plan) is most likely a bearing wall. Removing/relocating this wall would be expensive. Might be able to handle with an occasional post down, shorting beam span, but might not work functinaly. Other walls running EW can more easily be removed, but will require lateral analysis and most likely upgrades elsewhere.

So combining the kitchen, back entry and dining fairly easy to do. Open dining to family, also not to hard to do.

I would consider relocating the stairs, might help both lower floor and upper. But full design studies would be required.

Hope this helps.

Of course, removing a bedroom is going to put you in another bracket for selling your house, but if you want ideas for an open floor plan: Open up the wall between the living room and the small bedroom, to relocate the fireplace to the outside wall, so that it is centered between in the new space. Relocate the current closet near the fireplace to the entry. Eliminate the walls between the kitchen and dining rooms. Eliminate the wall in the small bedroom, so that the new space is open to the kitchen. In the master bedroom use the closet from the smaller bedroom, that will no longer exist to reconfigure the closet, bathroom and sleeping area.

Now that we've given you some ideas, what were you thinking?

Thanks all!

@shirlpp - you were spot on to my idea. I'd remove the wall with the fireplace and closet. Put the fireplace on the west wall, and construct a wall with space for double door adjoining the south-wall of the half bath. I'm considering either sliding 'barn' doors or french doors.

Given the amount of closet space, I am considering eliminating the walk-in closet from the smaller bed room to put in direct access to the back yard - sliding door or french.

In this design, what we are guessing to be the load-bearing wall will go untouched.

dstun...yes, I was also thinking that you did not have to touch the load bearing wall...Good Luck.