I would love to play with an idea but im not near a computer that is useable until the end of the month. Hopefully others will be able to help

Pretty space with lots of potential. I actually like the dining room to kitchen transition. Can’t wait to see what the kitchen crowd here suggests!

Thanks! It's not that we don't like the dining room space per se, it's just that a) if we eliminate the table in the kitchen I don't want it to feel like there's nowhere to sit and eat. Also b) I'm hoping by connecting the 2 rooms we can get more useable kitchen space. Right now the pantry (on the fridge side) is useful but the closet on the opposite side is accessed from the center hallway- it's narrow and deep.

Thinking

Rabbit Design we missed you, glad you are back!

It's been 7 months since I've posted... have to admit life got in the way of thinking about this space. But we are ready to move the project forward.

@cpartist, @Denise Marchand or anyone else, do you have thoughts?

In a perfect world, you lose the wall between the kitchen and the dining room and redesign the entire space so that the dining room ends up where the kitchen is, and your open concept works better. If you can’t do that, get more useable counter space in the kitchen by extending the wall of the kitchen past the sunroom door (and turn the current window into the door). Detach the peninsula and make it into an island oriented the opposite direction. I think the hulking refrigerator signals an end to the kitchen, and that helps cut off the dining room. How often do the two of you cook together? When you cook, where do you prep? I can’t see how two people can work in that space. I would move the frig to the window wall, and give yourself some more prep space around the stove.

Thanks @shenanno!

I hadn't thought about swapping the kitchen and the DR. If we did that, not sure how that space would work as a kitchen because of the long & low windows at the front of the house (see middle pic). I forgot to put those windows on the layout diagram, I realize!

Right now, it is crowded when we cook. Sometimes 1 person is cooking at the stove, and the space next to it, while the other preps at the peninsula. Sometimes we even walk to the other side of the peninsula to prep (annoying because then you're not IN the kitchen proper, and if you forget a utensil/tool/etc you have to walk back around to get it.

I had thought about moving the refrigerator to exactly where you said, giving us more prep space near the stove. My husband said "I don't understand why you want to move the fridge" so I'm glad someone agrees with me.

Such a sweet home! You have plenty of room to have a gorgeous kitchen and I agree that you don't need two dining tables. Swapping the kitchen with the dining room, unfortunately, will not allow more space than you have now.

Consider the following, for the layout and then you can concentrate on the finishes and details:

Move the opening to the garden room to the center of that room, allowing for a 15'-0" sink / oven counter elevation on the window wall. Reconfigure the kitchen windows - one to the left corner and one over the sink (or leave the window over the oven).

The fridge / pantry wall is 10'-0" with a 24" deep fridge and pantry towards the mud room entry. On the right of the fridge allow for a counter to accommodate the cooking area.

The Island is 8' x 3' with plenty of room for storage and a generous prep surface.

Don't forget, it's all about the finishes. To keep with the style of you home, consider a darker color (charcoal grey, moss green, navy blue) lower cabinets and pantry and a unique island base. I feel like a white kitchen will detract from your home's wood details and stick out new and shiny, instead of complementing the space.

Relocate the existing dining room french doors to the mudroom entrance, using the right door as the operating one and the left stationery.

Move the coat closet towards the front door and create a niche at the dining room for a buffet, art, light sconces.

@Denise Marchand Excellent ideas, especially opening up the wall dividing the kitchen from the dining room. I am not sure why anyone needs so much counter space on either side of the fridge. I would keep the stove on its current wall -- for the counter space on either side, where the frig is in your drawing -- and leave the sink where it is, and put the refrigerator to the right of the sink. (When you put the stove under the window, where is the hood going to go?) No one needs working space around a fridge, just room to land groceries.

@Denise Marchand I like these ideas! Although I realize it's confusing that I didn't draw the front windows on the dining room side. The way the windows are placed, there's not really enough room to put a coat closet between the front door and the nearest window.

But I like the way it flows with having a wider opening between dining room and kitchen- again, it's similar to what I've been thinking. Maybe put a pantry & niche on the mudroom side?

@Ann Olson does have a good point that where you've moved the stove, it's in front of the window. Plus it means moving the sink. What if the stove and the sink were swapped? Wouldn't that match the "ice water stone fire" thing anyway?

@Denise Marchand I agree with you on colors- not planning to do stark white in this space!

Jennifer- Your existing dining room is good the way it currently is now. This new plan eliminated the niche altogether. I would love for you to use the existing french doors now leading into the dining and relocate to the entrance of the mudroom (with the left door stationary). It's a beautiful door. Or locate them to the stair opening and just move down the mudroom entry towards the dining room. This way it will give you more pantry on the left of the fridge. Keep the pantry on the fridge wall. Don't separate the pantry with the mudroom entrance, it will just be the same issue you now have.

(Ann Olsen-on the left of the fridge is a pantry, not counter. On the right of the fridge is counter for more cooking area next to the oven.)

The reason the stove is in the location indicated is because it tucks the cooking area and keeps access to the sink and fridge (which are used most) more convenient. Relocating new windows on the far left and far right of the counter makes the most sense. See third pic on my original post.

Also looking down into the kitchen past the fridge and front face of the stove - which can be amazing with the hood - is exciting. Since the oven is now on an exterior wall, it can be vented at any position.

Let me know what you think and what color / style / finish you are considering.

V V V Note the stove with the exhaust vent over the windows. I've specified "backsplash" with success. Also consider clerestory windows across the entire back wall.

Following....

Ooh, I like the new configuration of the dining room!

I see what you're saying with the stove placement. Although for "exciting" views, the living room is the big open space and then we'd look at the fridge/pantry wall. Anyway, this is really food for thought.

If you get a new 24" deep fridge, you can put a wood panel on front to match the cabinets, instead of a big stainless steel block. Also seeing a pantry at the far wall from the living room is a clean simple elevation. Taking in groceries should be near the fridge if possible. Walking diagonally thru the kitchen might be annoying.

I'm a really messy "Swedish Chef" cook, so I like to be tucked away -

I love your home, it's small and well proportioned, which is a pleasure these days. Keep a restrained design and the reno will look like it's been there forever.

When I look at a space, I imagine myself interacting with each room. You had mentioned that the dining room always seemed remote from the rest of the rooms. The way we live now is so different from years ago.

You should make the dining room an unconventional set up with an area that not only is for dining, but also reading, working, hobbies, games. - An area that you would like to hang out.

It's not for everyone, but I am a big fan of banquettes. Not only are they comfortable but they remind me of a fine restaurant when done right. Don't be concerned about covering the windows, as the banquette can be brought forward to allow the light. The room shouldn't be only about the windows to make it useful.

Note there is also a wrap around buffet on the back of the closet and to the kitchen. Functional and adding another layer to the design.

Here's some pics:

Thanks for doing all this thinking about my space!

I do like banquettes, but I think it's not right for this space for a few reasons. First is because we frequently have my in-laws over who both have mobility issues- they wouldn't be able to sit at the banquette. Of course, that could be my family, but then we don't have an easy way to get up & down while hosting (bringing food it, getting more water, clearing plates). Also since the windows are close to the ground the banquette would be blocking them.

I do like the first diagram you generated with the table in the middle, rotated 90 degrees from where it is now. The 1 thing with that is our heater: this house has baseboard hot water radiators. Right now the only kitchen heat is a baseboard heater that runs the length of the wall between the center hall closet and the kitchen. If we changed the configuration of that wall, we'd have to figure out where to put the heater. I am going to find out our options- our furnace is due for replacement this year anyway.

Also re the double doors to the mudroom- looks great in that diagram but our mudroom is actually narrower than you've shown it, and we have hooks along that wall that you've replaced with the glass doors. I might move the doors to the sunroom entrance though!

Re style/finish, we like things simple and classic. A mix of shaker doors for cabinets and probably slab doors. We will either do all natural wood, or a mix of natural wood and off-white painted cabinets. Somewhat similar to image #3 in the first set of inspiration photos you shared.