Personally I like the idea of a separate kitchen, but my first condo kitchen was 42 square feet, my second was about 60, and in my current house it is 70, although we are expanding it to 90. Properly planned I think 78 would work for a condo your size and I like the idea of pocket doors to open or close the space. I did use a fully integrated refrigerator in the second place and am planning to do it again. I think true counterdepth helps in a small kitchen, and if paneled to match the cabinets looks nice in a semi-open plan

How would you access the area between the fridge and range? This plan wastes that space.

I voted for one combined room, but I'm not sure what the open concept means? I might vote for that instead. I think with the walls and doorways you are losing counter space.

I vote for making dining and kitchen one single room. In general I agree with you on separating the two. But my experience is that people are going to crowd into the kitchen. No matter how hard you try to keep them out. Since your space is too small to handle that, open up to the dining space so your "helpful" guests have a place to sit or stand that is out of the way.

You have to fix that stove/refrigerator arrangement. How are you going to clean anything that spills on the counter behind the fridge? If you keep the rooms separate, this is the rare time I woudl vote for a corner sink. Move the range "south" on the wall. Corner sink, narrow drawers for spacing, dishwasher, then refrigerator on the right hand side of the window cabinet run.

With pocket doors open the two rooms seem fairly open to each other:

Please no corner sink. Loading the DW with a corner sink is super annoying.

Ack, where did my long post go? Sigh, will try to redo it.

Your dining room width will be fine depending on how wide your table is. I have a 9' wide dining room and it works just fine with my 38" wide dining table.

Palimpsest's design is a big improvement -- that fridge location makes much more sense.

I don't think completely enclosing the kitchen with actual doors makes sense. Go for an open doorway on the south wall at least. Not even my Granny's 1956 kitchen had actual closing doors on all sides.

I understand wanting to keep a feeling of separation between the two rooms in order to maintain a formal dining room, and the sliding doors does offer that plus gives you a way to hide the dishes during a dinner party. However, if you were open to dropping them you could put a peninsula in along that opening instead, which would give you more cabinets and counter space. A cased opening can help keep the feeling of separation and formality -- pics below of how we did it in our 110-year-old home.

You could go as open as this, but honestly I think this much undifferentiated space goes to waste. This looks like a studio apartment, not an apartment with real rooms.

If that is the Living Room that is redacted (ooohh, secrets!), then why isn't a formal Dining Room next to that, so you enter at the stair landing and are presented with an open Living, and partially open Dining instead of a closed-off Kitchen? And the Dining table can be rotated to reduce the pinch point, and kitchen plumbing is nearer the other plumbing back there.