Thank you @Dytecture! The separation was an early goal yes. I didn't want any view of bedroom doors etc.
Few details I left out. The column behind the love-seat will be covered in rock, floor to ceiling (ceilings will be 9'). Originally we had the love-seat backing the bathroom wall with the TV hanging on the rock column. My only concern is the size of the living room.. Here are few pictures (from houzz) that show our design ideas.

Gosh are you sure you want critique ... Well ok then ...
1. Master bed right next to family shower ... Not ideal for a Sunday lie in ?
Suggest move bathroom down to include the store cupboard in hall.. Move bedroom door down the hall a bit and install cupboard with side access in bedroom instead - ie behind master bed wall before you get to the bathroom which has now moved down - ideal for suitcases and winter / summer wardrobe change over storage. ( or Christmas presents - add lockable door !!! )
2. Dinning for 8 - but after dinner seating for 5 at a push ?! Suggest 2x 8' four seater sofas opposite each other instead of the 3 and 2 seaters as shown or ex large L shape sofa.
3. master WIR is too small for two people. Suggest add more wardrobe storage in master bedroom too.
4. Add bin and rinse sink next to dishwasher in island
5. Centralise dining table !!
I hope that wasn't too awful !! All said with the best of intentions !! If this isn't your 'day job' then I must say I'm jolly impressed !!! :-)

Afterthought ... Could solve master bed wardrobe quandary by moving bed forward and having straight robes behind and even in cooperate the newly moved closet by the bathroom into a walk in bit at the end -
Adding an idea book that I drew that shows island bed idea !
http://houzz.com/ideabooks/9321438http://houzz.com/ideabooks/9321438

I would consider pushing out the back wall so that the back wall goes straight across (the bit your sofa backs onto). You then gain internal space but still have a nice large covered deck.

Looks like it will be a beautiful home. You have put lots of thought into your plan. The rock column will be amazing. I had only two thoughts. The master walk in closet does seem small and you almost have room for a corner walk in pantry in the kitchen. I have one and it is so convenient.

@OnePlan Awesome! Exactly what I was looking for!
1. Yeah... thought about master bed by the family shower but didn't think of your solution! Great idea! Awesome! The master shower isn't ideal by the bedroom either..
2. "After dinner seating for 5 at a push"? you mean make the table smaller? yes that is intended we are only a family of four right now.. I put in dinning for 8 to make sure I made the room large enough. and the table is off center to see if there was enough room to access the deck door. I agree it should be centered... The larger sofa would then stick out on both sides of the column (does that look okay).
3. Yeah... we don't have much of a wardrobe yet. We like to keep it pretty minimal but we are just starting life (24yrs old) so that could grow. We could move both bedrooms down making the house bigger to accommodate for a larger WIC.
4. A double sink? and dishwasher in the island hey... reasons?
5. See above.

That was the opposite of awful! great points! And no this is not my day job (would be my top pick for a profession though)... I work at my fathers lumber yard!

Thanks again!

Another afterthought - last one I promise ! Move the ensuite toilet into half the space of the WIR ( the side by the shower) - with it's own door opening into the en suite - access the wardrobe ( now straight ) by doors opening into bedroom - this way you can have a relaxing bath and not be bothered by someone 'paying a visit' at the same time !! You will thank me the morning after a Thai supper !!!! Tee hee !!!

I didn't mean make the dining smaller - you need seating on the sofa for everyone after dinner ! Unless you are a really bad cook and they don't want to stay after they've eaten ! Lol !

@Debbie Pearson. Yes there have been many renditions over the last year or more. I've had mixed opinions on my rock column, love that you love it! The rock column and the stair case in the front of the house is where this plan started (and the bedrooms separate from living). Yeah we do have room for a corner pantry and the pantry problem has always existed... If we do a corner pantry it effects the window and frontage/curb appeal... we both tried many options to get that walk in pantry (sister and parents both have one). We are considering pull-outs on our cabinet pantries..

4 - it's quite a trek otherwise ! When you are clearing the table it will be much quicker if its in the island - but then I'm quite a bit older than you - so I have to think of these things !! My poor old legs !!

@OnePlan Oh yes! I see what you mean now! Basements around here are a very common place and we intend to use it for most of our "after dinner" seating. But yes I see your point! I've got a small living room though...

@shelleyuk I also thought of that too. I was thinking maybe a walk in closet from the bedroom could be placed there. It does kinda chop up the walls/deck. and add cost with all those corners!

@OnePlan "Move the ensuite toilet into half the space of the WIR ( the side by the shower) - with it's own door opening into the en suite - access the wardrobe ( now straight ) by doors opening into bedroom"

Trying to understand.. put the toilet between the shower and the WIR into its own "room" (maybe make the shower smaller). then access the WIR from the bedroom. this may or may not make the WIR smaller not? I guess I could try and fix that.

Well it would make the WIR a straight robe like the other bedrooms opening into the bedroom - but if you had more wardrobes in a line at the back of the bed (like the Ideabook) then the wardrobes in both spaces will act as sound absorbers between the sleeping areas and the bathrooms - the shower can stay the same size - you'd have a 3'x6' loo area !

Yes I see now!

Have you thought about switching your dining area into the space where the living room is? If you did push out that back wall you could have your dining area where the living room currently is, still close to the kitchen, and a large living area next to all the windows and the lovely big deck. Is the whole deck coved? We have a large covered terrace outside our kitchen and whilst it is great for enabling us to spend more time outside, it really blocks light and so I'd be concerned that your current living area will be dark, not such a problem if its a dining space.

Plus you could, as you say use a bit of the pushed out area as a second wardrobe space for the master bedroom.

Personally I'd want to get another window in the kitchen area on that side wall but I'm a bit light obsessed!

Are the stairs by the kitchen the stairs down to the basement? Have you thought about swivelling them around so that you have them to your right as soon as you enter (if they fit). It would give you more kitchen space which is always a good thing.

@shelleyuk I like all your suggestions, I will have to draw them out to see what is possible/what it will look like!

Swivel the stair case so it runs a little bit below the kitchen? Might work out! (yes they go to the basement)

Yeah the house is facing the south so windows on the east kitchen wall would be nice for sure! Also tempted to put a window on the east wall of the stair case... my window package is getting expensive!

Yeah the dining where the living is has been talked about, but with the push-out, it makes more sense! Isn't it a little odd having the dinning right when you walk in? You would suggest we keep the rock column?, maybe put some family pictures on it facing the new dinning location... not bad!

Yes the whole deck is planned to be covered... I was thinking of vaulting the deck ceiling with a the gable end also being open and vaulted to bring in more light..

My thought would be that in general, your efforts seem rewarding. In terms of the broader needs, I don't know at what life stage you are, or if there would be the idea of accommodating or hosting aging in-laws at length, but those would be valid considerations to integrate into your plan. If this home is to be the "be all, end all" home, you may wish to reconsider some of your decisions, in terms of access into the house, and making the nexus of your design, the kitchen. owner's suite and common areas are closer together. Also, in terms of future planning, how your OS bath is laid out may be great now, but in the future, it may pose limitations. One other thought is that if you revised your u-shaped stair to surround a storage room sized to house (houzz) an accessible lift, it can be storage for now, and the elevator, with a shaft space in place, is about $30k to install when and if you remain in the home long enough to need it. Your instincts are such that it appears all the right rooms on the main level are oriented toward what I assume is the view (S/SW/SE)? If what I say makes sense, if you have gotten this far, no doubt you appear quite capable of making further adjustments. These efforts not only create added value for you, they would make your home more appealing to a wider audience, if it became necessary to sell, in the future. If you have any questions about what I propose, contact me directly. Happy Houzzing.

Yep kind of like this (sorry, my scribbles are very amateur!)

Love these ideas ! So great to see this all evolving !!! Nice one Shelley !

In fact, if it fits, here's your walk in pantry!

My drawings are almost like yours Karen!! (Think I'd best stick to being a lawyer!)

Shelleyuk's ideas lean toward that nexus I was speaking about. An 8' porch is nice if you intend to furnish it, with a swinging bench or a table and chairs.

yes I like it shelleyuk! the porch is an outdoor covered deck (which you wouldn't have known) so the stairs would have to be moved up to allow entry into the basement since there is no basement under the porch...

We started out saying 1500sqft was our "max" but then we added that laundry mud room and made a few things a little big bigger and now we're at 1706! And now you guys are making it even bigger! haha its all good! Thank for all the awesome input!

I did some of the changes talked about. I like it! its now 1771sqft but I think the jog I had in the deck would have cost me more money than just making it indoor space.

Looking good -in the master bedroom, if you push the bed forward and left a bit on a pony wall, move the chairs to the left and right corners, that will allow full access to the wardrobes .... Think the dining room and that feature wall will be beautiful as a welcome to your home for guests when they walk in !! Really like it !! :-)

Can you get a wood burner in the lounge ?! On or near the corner walls between lounge and dining area sort of ?!? And soundproof the wall between family bathroom and dining room !!

Wood burner would be good being right beside the deck/outdoor space. (or a two sided shared with the deck!). Up here in Canada it gets down to -30.C (-22.F) sometimes colder! I also like how the TV would become less prominent on that smaller wall...

Yeah I had plans to do double duty on soundproofing the bathrooms. The island master bed feels a little too contemporary for me. A few years ago I would of loved it! times change...

I like it too. How will you get to those wardrobes behind the bed though if you don't have a pony wall? Or are those cupboards now in the dining area?

The long closet by the table I would split. So the dining would get some storage for board games, table cloths etc. and then take the other half that is above the bathroom and split it in half. One half having access from the master on the end. And the other half having access in the bathroom. Now I would have to move the tub to the other end of the bathroom. But that should work!?

Since we are doing 9' ceilings, Would it look okay to put skinny/small windows above the cabinets in the kitchen on that east wall. I kinda like the look of it too.

(UK time delay ! - it's tomorrow now !) Re wardrobes - if you do lower half opening into dining and upper half as concealed push doors opening into bedroom that could work for bed linen - similarly by moving the bath like you said, and putting the basin on that wall, the under basin cabinet could go all the way back for towels, cleaning items and spare loo rolls? And you could have a concealed (or T&G style barn loft doors) opening above the basins ( could have two now with two mirrors fixed to the doors?) for makeup and first aid kits etc etc !
Am liking the windows on east wall above the kitchen - will let the morning sun pour in ! Beautiful ! And the wood stove will be fab ! ( i guess you will always have a good supply of wood form work !! ) when can I book my visit !! Lol !!

Dont put the main bedroom near the main bathroom. Trust me that when kids are teenagers and they come home late and have sowers it will drive you batty!! Also it is much cheaper to try to have all the plumbing close together, bathrooms ,laundry or ensuite back to back if possible. Your laundry looks, really big and your ensuite massive then main bathroom really small. This seems a bit odd to me. Also DO NOT have a wardrobe door into your bathroom. The stream will get in there and make it damp and mouldy. Love the living and kitchen areas.

Alright everyone, love the input! Here are some living room's laid out. On the previous living room, in order to get to the deck door you'd be walking in front of the TV, and invading the living room space.. so we moved the deck door and re-arranged a couple times. I think the old walk in closet comes back in the bedroom seeing we no longer have those new closets in the master.

@OnePlan Haha don't plan too soon, I will be building most of it myself so its a two year plan from the time we dig (fingers crossed March 2014). I should make an ideabook with my progress and decision making process/products used.

I am bothered by the "rock wall" not aligning with anything - not stairs, not front entry, not centered on dining room/table. Maybe it only reads this way in plan and will be different in 3 dimensions. Anyone else see this?

I like number three since it gives you a nice wall space for your woodburner and TV. If you out the walk in wardrobe back in the just change the opening so that you access directly from the bedroom (ie on the right hand wall) rather than in through the bathroom.

Brilliant idea !! Will make a truly inspirational idea book !!! I'll put my suitcase back in the attic for a while then !! Like the two big sofas best - great for chatting with company and you get to stretch out with one each on movie night ! Agree with Shelley that you could move the living to the left a bit to get another length of wardrobe on the right wall of master suite - and still have room to walk out to the deck behind the right hand sofa !

Just a few pictures that may change your mind about floating the bed forward so you can use all those wardrobes in the master suite !!!

Four post bed in centre of room - and not looking contemporary a bit !
http://houzz.com/photos/913440
And this one :
http://houzz.com/photos/107144
This ones a bit unusual :
http://houzz.com/photos/3609375
This idea is fun :
http://houzz.com/photos/2466492

So it doesn't have to look contemporary !!

Right I'm off - need to do stuff !! Will bookmark this so I can find you again later !! :-)

The farmhouse one would be our pick! and you get a night stand built in.. not bad! thanks!

you could hide a TV in that farmhouse 'headboard' that would pop up when you need it and then just lay the other way when you want to watch!

better off making a matching base board with a seat and pop up TV so you don't much up the bed linen by getting in bed the wrong way round to watch TV !

So we completely changed our layout again. Feel free to critique!

I'm not keen on the wasted space where you enter the two smaller bedrooms. I prefer the original setup there in terms of use of space.

Hummmmmm ! Not so sure..... ! I thought we'd helped you iron out all the tweaks needed ?! Where did we go wrong ?! And how do you think this works better ?!

OK honestly, I think number three plan on the last post with plans attached (from september 13) was your best layout. I'm not so sure about having the living room at the front. I think you'll prefer being able to walk out onto your terrace from the seating area. I also think your dining space worked better the way it was previously. It feels a bit shut off in the new layout. The space just doesn't seem to flow as well as it did.

Were there specific reasons you changed it around?

@shelleyuk Yeah I would agree that this one may not flow quite as nice. I don't think flow was really the objective in this one, we wanted to try a 'non-open concept' layout. This idea came from a house we visited that had some clear division between the living areas. (see attached pictures, please excuse the mess, this house just hosted our extended family of 75 people). This house was close to 2000sqft on the main level (two storey house) with only a den. And we took its design/layout and tried to fit it in a 1700sqft bungalow. We really liked the large entry and feel its a lost art.

@oneplan I don't necessarily think this works better, its really just a completely different plan/idea we wanted to entertain. You guys have been awesome! And we appreciate all the feedback!

The layout started with the entry being its own separate area. And not having the ability to see into the house from the entry. It then evolved into the kitchen having multiple ways to access the kitchen and having the kitchen the central hub of the house (lots of traffic, could be good could be bad). this then allowed us to put lots of windows around the perimeter of both the living and dinning areas which face east. This is also what that house had that we visited and we loved the natural light it provided. So a mix of lots of windows on the eastern walls, a centralized kitchen and a private entry. this is what we came up with.

We are also considering removing the dinning room pillars and beams to help open up the living areas.

Also we do love the september 13th batch of plans I posted earlier. I guess we just like making this decision harder on ourselves :)

ok ... I can see the logic ! this is going to sound a strange question - but I'll ask it anyway - are you happy with flat plans - ie can you visualise well - or as you seem impressed by somewhere you were actually able to walk around - do you think that made a difference ? would you be better off using a planner /software that you can walk though to thrash this out ?! some people find it easier ?! we can't all think in 3D !