Here are the two lead options we’ve seen from CKDs. Pardon my low-tech “sketches,” they don’t let you leave with anything more than what you can remember until you put a deposit down (which is fair, of course, but hard for me to think through it all).

Option A:

Likes: I like the island in the eating area; it seems a little narrower than a full table and doesn’t encroach on the family room. Lots of counter space on either side of the sink (there is a dishwasher in both plans, I just forgot it in my sketches).

Concerns: It is a full 7 feet between the sink and stove. Is that far? It seems far. And while I like the idea of the island, it seems to be a little in the middle of nowhere. Main traffic will go through the “galley.”

Option B:

Likes: That island is huge, tons of workspace for me and kid “helpers.” Lots of cabinet space.

Concerns: Lost window out to the back – while the kitchen window gets a bit bigger, we lost one of the lake view floor to ceiling windows in the dining room. Not in love with the cooktop on the island due to the previously mentioned kid “helpers.” Furniture layout in family room is tight and the deck door opens into the chairs. But you can’t put the couch as in Design A because you wouldn’t have room to walk around the table.

So that’s where we are. Does one design seem to be a clear winner over the other? Any optimizations come to mind? Any completely different layouts we haven’t seen yet?

Here are my issues with the space as is, so this is what we’re trying to solve for.

Likes of the current space: Great light. Great views.

Dislikes of the current space:

1. The primary workspace ends up between the sink and stove and is TINY. There is a peninsula, but it’s out of the flow and ends up being mostly where my kids put their crap.

2. The bay window that houses the eating area is really too narrow. You bump into the peninsula counter or encroach into the family room.

3. The family room itself is a bit awkward. There is a giant fireplace that limits furniture placement as it sort of swallows you if you get too close. There is a door to the deck that opens into the space and further limits furniture placement.

4. Although some here might disagree, I have no need or desire for a formal dining room. It’s not how we live.

5. Pantry is narrow. In general, the drawer/cabinet space is not well optimized.

6. Unloading the dishwasher involves unloading everything on to the counter and then putting it away, as most of the uppers are immediately above it.

Here are some photos of the current space. This is not my stuff, but you'll get the idea I hope.

I think a layout with an eat-in kitchen between the dining room and family room works best. This puts the kitchen at the heart of the house. So, I prefer the arrangement of spaces in the "current layout", but with a redesigned kitchen. I don't have time to think thru the layout, but I imagine you will get many responses about how the kitchen might work better.

I think Option B is a good one, but put the fridge and the double ovens on the same non-window wall. Then you can connect up the cabinetry in the corner, top left. If your budget is as healthy as you say, then consider putting in windows all across the wall that faces the lake. Remove the bay window and put in a slider or french doors out to the backyard.

I like putting the fridge on the same wall as oven. That would mean I wouldn't lose windows.

Our budget is not quite healthy enough to remove the bay window -- we went down that path! The deck is built around it so you get into reworking the deck. We've been told our budget is healthy enough for the interior stuff, but not if you have to do the deck too!

Is it an option to move the plumbing for the sink?
If so, you could take the best of both plans, and combine them.

IF you could place the fridge and stove on the long, interior wall and then have a huge island with sink facing the view, and the stools on the back side of the island where traffic flow would be routed. The island could have a DW to the right of the sink and drawers for dishes on the other side of the DW, allowing helpers set table, get their own beverage without entering the 'hot' zone. The wall ovens could still be placed on the side wall but at the opposite end of the wall closer to the functioning kitchen. This reduces the steps in your work triangle and makes it safer by keeping the hot zone away from the highest traffic area and the fridge close to the living /dining areas. It also opens the option of putting in more doors & windows to the view if that exterior wall is freed up.
I spent months studying the flow of our kitchen, so don't rush the process and consider how you would use the space. Think or draw a diagram that reflects zones: food in/ storage- (pantry /fridge,) prep, cook, serve, clean up and try to make the flow follow that process. It will save you steps, that you will appreciate long after the planning process.

My house is similar to yours. Last summer, we took out the wall between the dining room and kitchen and opened it all up. I kept the seating in the dining area, which is off to the side and in my eat in area, I made a t shaped island. So there's seating at the end, and long storage in the middle.

I don't like the island with seating in the middle, because if people are there it will close off traffic.

Here are photos of my house/kitchen. We r cleaning up from New Years and I still have sleeping teenagers, and hungry kitties.

Hi there, I’m chiming in as well. I like the post just before this one. 7 feet is really too large for me to work in. Your space is fabulous and you will get it right. I have a much smaller space I’m working with, and I downloaded a free interior design app. It allowed me to walk in 3D through the room and that helped me a lot. Also think about appliance size. I need a lot of refrigerator space but my kitchen size isn’t huge. My contractor recommended the full size counter depth fridge/freezer combo but I felt I didn’t have the space. I went out and bought a 36” regular depth one, then went back to the house and used masking tape to lay it all out. Then I realized the extra inches on the standard depth I had just bought really blocked access into the kitchen, so I went with his choice after all. It will certainly be a focal point, but no choice for me. So long story short, try the app, then, when you’re down to the work area, lay it out with masking tape and it will help!

Hi,

In order to make this process a little easier for you, I recommend working on the floor plan first to ensure it flows properly before finalizing kitchen placement details
(appliances and such), or else you will be running in circles.

I currently see so many openings (
doors, windows, passages) to the kitchen, a bay window that doesn’t seem to
center with anything in the house but can’t be ignored given the location.

I recommend leaving the Dining Rm as is because you need
wall space for kitchen cabinets/storage. My
clients use the Kitchen and Family Room together so I have been designing the 2
rooms as one for the past several years and it has been very successful.

The measurements of the floor plan are hard to read so this
layout is just approx. and to give you another flow option for your
space. I think an over sized custom island (an unusual shape in 1 piece) is the answer for this space to bring the Kitchen and
Family Room together and at the same time enhance the Bay Window and surrounding space. This island ( see my layout) will also give you a lot of
storage/usage options and the circular part of the island is a great conversation/
eating area for gatherings. Try to enjoy
this process and you will know when the space plan is right for you. I will send the layout I'm describing shortly due to Houzz size limitation on posting.

Of the two, like B best, but like "In Your Space" design most of all. Very creative island in a space that doesn't normally lend itself to island. And the circular seating at the island is terrific and social. Good design is iterative; it doesn't usually happen all at once on first try!

One thing you're not considering is moving some of the openings that are there now. If it's a 70's or newer home, most likely the roof is trussed, and spans from front to back wall. What this means is that wall between dining/kitchen and living room is non structural, which means the opening could be moved to the right, either to line up with front living room window, or even further. What this would allow is a great corner arrangement for kitchen cabinetry.

Unless you are some of those rare people who like formal dinners frequently, I think getting a great room concept where eating table is part of family room area, is much preferable. The dining table can be used for additional food prep, homework, crafts, or what have you.

Similar to my center wall observation, it is fairly easy to relocate or enlarge window or door openings on the back wall if it is a frame home, so you could make the windows fit the ideal layout, instead of the other way around. Many "over the sink" windows are too small, usually no more than 3 feet wide and 3 feet high. Widening those windows really opens up the kitchen to the outdoors. Good luck!

Thanks for the thoughts everyone! We are open to moving/removing walls, adding/enlarging windows, changing openings, etc. Doug, you're right in that it's the long wall running the length of the house that is load bearing. The wall between the kitchen and DR is just hanging out there, and I do like the idea of a "great room."

In Your Space, you are totally right that the bay window is a challenge. That seems to be what tripped the CKDs we've spoken with. It's in a weird spot and not really wide enough to do much with. Unfortunately, the only "fixed" window is that bay window, as the raised deck is built around it and the budget can't quite stretch there.

This is a different angle on the bay. Not a great pic (say hi to my husband!), but it might give a better sense of dimension. I also tried to attach a higher quality pic of the house layout (not sure if Houzz will let it post?).

So just for a different point of view, I'd create the kitchen by combining the dining room and the existing kitchen to the existing living room wall and use the living room as the family room. I'd create the dining area in front of the bay window and make the family room the living room.

A little bit off topic I know, but is your generous living room currently tricky to furnish with the long diagonal pathway between front entry and rear zone?

If doors are being moved(!) would it be worth addressing the flow there so the two access points are a bit closer. Or have you found a happy way of furnishing here that allows you to avoid the ‘furniture chicane’ problems? Best of luck with the refurb.

Also, did I miss orientation of the plan? Where is north? Are the side walls without windows for a structural reason that I’ve missed? Or is that prime corner real estate missing out on the opportunity for light from two sides at both ends of the rear zone.

Brizcs -- The front door faces NW. The back of the house has great southern light and the lake view. The side wall by the family room butts up to the garage. The side wall in the living/dining room faces the house next door.

As for the "living room" per the plan, we actually use it as the TV room, so maybe what most people would call the family room. Sort of what suzyq says above. We have all sorts of random furniture in there right now; we've been waiting to figure out what we do with the rest of the main floor before we invest in new stuff. There is no TV in the "family room" on the back of the house, it's more of a sitting room (ish), I guess. There isn't really room in there for a TV anywhere other than over the fireplace and I am not a huge fan of that. So just a couch and chairs and a great view. Not formal at all.

That's key information; that you already use your living room for tv and hanging out. This takes pressure off the "family room" in back, which becomes more of a den/hearth room space as an adjunct to the kitchen/dining. The bay is just calling out for a round table or island like In Your Space drew; not unlike how you are using it now. If your home is one story, consider adding skylight(s) in the middle of the kitchen to flood it with daylight; just get the ones with interior shade options for sun control in summer!

Thanks, all. I've started to walk through the space, thinking through the In Your Space design. I was trying to figure out how it could potentially work if we did open up the DR wall, or how to make it feel less formal if we didn't. I'm picturing breakfast at the island, but dinners in the DR space. The existing space feels very formal, but that could be in part due to previous owner's decorating choices. Pics below are my furniture, but not my taste in wallpaper, flooring, or lighting!

Hi,

I highly recommend leaving the Dining Room as is. There is such a thing as the space being “
TOO OPEN”. If you were to open up the
Dining Room wall, you will face many more challenges including having a
nonfunctional kitchen. You will lose Kitchen
storage space for wall cabinets and the working triangle. Your Kitchen/Dining/Bay Window area combined
should feel very open currently, if not, it’s because the kitchen is small/closed
up/choppy, leaving a very odd shaped Bay Window area/ Family Room that is hard to work
with. The layout I sent you (or that
style) should solve all that. It will
make your Kitchen and the Family Room huge and dramatic but most importantly, functional
and balanced.

Often, when people
tell me they want to dress down a room, it means the room is not inviting. You can have a very formal room that is
inviting or a very causal room that is not.
So, in general, you can create more informal look through paint, wallpaper,
wood work, lighting, furniture and accessories, however, the overall
design/style/feel of the house will dictate how formal or informal a house is.

Currently, Your Dinging room furniture ( very nice) is 1 dimensional
(1 style, same color wood). Don’t be
afraid to mix wood species, style, time periods and bring in more texture which will help the room feel more inviting. This is where you can bring your creativity, personality, your travels and interests to make your house yours (original). Of course, new paint and wallpaper will definitely help
but always consider the paint colors in connecting rooms. Ideally, you want to have a paint scheme for
the entire house from the very beginning even if you are planning to remodel in
phases. This way, eventually, with every
home improvement you make, you are working toward a goal of making the house
more cohesive and finished.

Thanks again, IYS. My husband and I will chat about keeping the wall. We’d been defaulting to removing it, but it does cause kitchen layout issues as you’ve noted. There’s just not enough wall.

And there are other things we can and will do to make the spaces feel more cohesive, I’m sure! Right now, we have 3 different floorings across the back of the house. Red walls. Sea foam green counters. Vertical blinds, mini blinds, drapes. Windows with grilles, windows without grilles. This started as a kitchen project, but we’ve definitely realized it involves the whole first floor!