We have a "pre" 1874 plank built farm house; it is built in the fashion that an old barn was built, with 8 x 8 timbers in the main corners and 8 x 8's for the top and bottom plates. The only place that there are studs in the walls is where the windows are, because the windows were replaced with "new" ones somewhere in the 60's I think. This causes a few issues because the structure of the house is based on the "four" corners, and the two plates. When the house was originally built, there wasn't any bathroom (obviously) so one was put in the most logical place - somewhere in the 1920's which was in the 'washroom/pantry' which was IN the kitchen. This has always been the thorn in my side, because who wants to have the toilet 6 feet from the table - but I have to be greatful that we still don't have to use the outhouse! Since we put an addition on to the second floor in order to add a "real" bathroom, we can now concentrate on removing and relocating the 5' x 6' bathroom that was put in the kitchen so that we can make the whole area part of the kitchen. I'm pretty okay with doing a design layout - in general, but my major dilema are two of the windows that are already there. The one that is in the present bathroom which is a 2 x 3 awning window; and about 1-1/2 feet away, on the same wall is another window (which is over my sink) that is a double casement that is a 3 x 3'6 window. Since we just re-sided the house two years ago, I am really trying to figure out the most economical, way to work around this window situation - but I don't see how I can get around not getting rid of at least one of these two windows. We're okay with that and we have extra siding to "fix" the outside...but I'm just wondering if anyone has worked around these "architectural" issues and what your ideas might be? The whole area is only 14 x 18....one 18' side has the Chimney, a window and an exterior door, 14' side has the two windows, next 18' side has a window and an exterior door, last 14' side has a doorway, and the stairs to the 2nd floor. VERY difficult to work around these perameters!