Shove the kitchen wall back, ditch stair or be left with nothing to sit on. The dotted line is a living space/furniture/movement space exactly the size of your very SMALL master bedroom.Hubby loses two feet of "office, the grand kiddies climb a ladder.. Or you ALL SIT IN THE WOODS. That will be the deal as you have it now. It's always inches, inches inches. Certainly still not ideal..... but at least you can sit the hell down. You pay for shoving wall back, and make the builder pay for stair removal, and the new ladder to get UP there.

Bear in mind, a 13'8 inch x 13 ' space is basically a kiddie bedroom. When hubby assures you "He thinks it will be okay"? Have him go chalk off a sofa and a couple of chairs on the dusty floor beyond that intrusive stair and "new" island. He will find he still needs a couple feet . That...is the fridge wall. And he will realize the stair must go. A lot easier now, than later.

I suspect the doors have already been ordered, but a slider instead of a swinging door in the master would give you better usability in terms of not encroaching into the space. First and foremost, make those changes that deal with the kitchen and stairs.

You can lead a horse to water. You can't make him drink. There is a reason you plan furniture in conjunction with floor plans showing you "vast" hahahha" blank space. There IS a reason and this thread is but one. People and furniture and living and moving...... take up SPACE. All homes have space that is finite, whether large or small spaces. Jeeeeesh.

I can’t believe a new house is being built with NO SPACE to sit down and eat!

This is so sad. Sorry you are going through this! Who wants to give up a living room for a reading nook! That's what a living room is FOR! Our architect measured our furniture and built it in to the design. I hope your husband gets on board and helps you make some sensible changes.

Following!

You've gotten some great advice from previous posters. It seems at this stage you CAN fix this. Don't be shy about speaking up - whether it's with builder, architect, or hubby. Get it fixed NOW instead of living with a lifetime of regret.

You can do this! Good luck!

Wanted to note that a 27-in W island seems very narrow. Consulting a local designer (not the HD cabinet salesperson) would be WELL worth it, to help you fix this situation.

I do like thinkdesignlive's suggestion of moving the kitchen into what's currently marked as an office/study.

Applause to

GN Builders L.L.C

His open curved stairwell idea idea (four days ago) is the best one.

Everyone poo pooed a spiral.

We lost the op. Move on because I guarantee nothing will change here. : ) Except perhaps the island. Which will not be enough as anyone who can read the plan fully understands. Just a bunch of bad ideas squashed into too small a footprint.

Teri.....How did your visit to HD go? Are you feeling better about the kitchen after?

That all sounds great, Teri!

I can’t wait to see the pics!

She has decided. Let it go. Five grand could have solved a lot of problems for the long term.. Hubby doesn't think there is a problem. You can't fix a problem you don't "have" . : ) So.....that's that.

You have to be brave to post on Houzz and get all of the opinions that might not jive with yours. I am not that brave, so kudos to you for doing what you feel is right for your home!...Best Wishes!

Thanks for checking back in with us Teri. Enjoy your time with your grandson and wishing you all the best in your new home!

All the best, Teri! (And sherses, how 'bout joining the sisterhood?! :))

We are considering a loft ladder instead of stairs because it takes up a lot less room.

Loft ladder · More Info

Any updates, Teri? I hope everything is working out for you!

Bummer, what a disappointment for you. I admire your faith and optimism.....I’m sure you will find the silver linings in all of this. I hope things go well from here; please update when you finally get to start enjoying your new space!

>>following >>

following

Using the office/study space for your kitchen would be my solution. An office can be put in the spare bedroom (install a Murphy bed on a wall, office system on another, use the space most of the time as an office, then clean up and use bed for guests as needed). So how to make the room correspond to the great room? I would cut out an enlarged doorway towards the island, and place most kitchen items in what is currently your office. This will make a huge amount of space available for the great room. Btw, it's hard to read the room measurements on the architect drawing you posted. Good luck with your project! It will be wonderful.

I also meant to add that I think the stairs should stay. Stairs are much safer than a ladder for all, regardless of age.

Lastly, an idea to consider is a U-shaped kitchen arrangement, which works well for us. The area marked BAR is taller, which hides the kitchen mess from the dining area, and also helps delineate the two areas. It also makes for a nice sitting area with tall stools when people want to watch the chefs in the kitchen. The one very long countertop in the kitchen makes up for the otherwise small proportions of the kitchen, and is the main food prep zone. The open floor plan makes for lively gatherings when family comes to visit, although I'm not sure how these measurements compare with yours. Again, good luck!

Hang in there Teri! This has been a long journey for you both. I hope you can find peace in the home you end up with, but truly the joy will come from spending time with the grandkids and enjoying your beautiful lake view. Can't wait to see how it all turned out...