We are currently in the process of building an oversize 3 car, detached garage so that we can turn our current 24' x 24' garage into a Family Room and wanted to get some advice:

1. Our current house has old vinyl siding that is light gray/blue. Instead of trying to match it exactly with hardie board, I was thinking of doing a darker color for contrast - thoughts?

2. I want to convert the current attached 24' x 24' garage space into a family room, which is right off our kitchen (with electric or gas fireplace), a mudroom when you enter, a built in bar, a pantry closet, and move the washer and dryer in there and I don't know where to begin/how to lay it out. Am I trying to do too much?

3. Mudroom - how big do I make this and do I do enclosed room or open space with lockers/cabinets on one side?

4. Electric versus gas fireplaces? Right now we have a wood-burning fireplace in a small room off our kitchen

5. No idea where to put the built in bar. I was thinking a large sectional infront of the fireplace and then a bar table behind one side with stools - maybe a bar area behind there?

6. Washer/dryer - where do I put them?! Should they go in the mudroom? Should we do a separate closet for them? Is it weird to have that in my family room?

7. We are planning to remove the current door from the kitchen to the garage with a wide entry way so it's open. I was thinking of potentially using the space between the chimney and the entry way as a pantry (build it out to be level with the chimney wall) and potentially using the 10.5 feet on the other side of the chimney as the laundry closet but am also debating if we want that area to be an entry way to the room as well so it's more connected to the house.

I've included a layout of the space (the only existing structure is where the current chimney is) as well as some initial layout ideas. ANY thoughts on any of the above questions would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you :)