" perhaps by taking sq footage from the existing dining room. "

Where is this dining room? You ask questions based on the entire forst floor and then do not show us te he first floor. Can you take down walls? Have you figured out what is load bearing and the cost to do this?

depends on what "usability" means to you. The kitchen can be made better by use of wall that has the bifold doors and the adjacent cabinetry. I'm not sure I'd move into the dining room.because there are windows there with light and a fireplace on the outside wall nearby. This says to me , leave that alone but consider adjustments RE to furnishings and how its used now but could be different . in the future. Dining spaces can be more multifunctional and with the existing open-ness w sitting room , I'd stick w working on the kitchen sq footage that you already have....being generous . As mentioned , provide the entire 1st floor layout. If the " flow" and space designations arent working for you thats a bit different, [ altho related ] to focus that a kitchen renovation entails. Clarification about household use of space and problems you are having / future plans for the property/ budget etc are critical at the onset.

I need to see the whole main floor layout and all measurements clearly marked every room named and what you do not like about the kitchen. IMO bigger is not always better for kitchens but function is a must. If I read this right the DR is only 7.5' wide so no way to have an actual dining table in there at all. INfo and the whole floor plan is a must the plan posted here in jpeg format and ideally nothing in the kitchen except an x where the plumbing is . Post all here in a comment DO NOT start another post

It isn't TOO hard to make it more functional, based on what is shown....no matter how little is KNOWN.

It can get better suggestions with more info and a lot of money lol.

Front entry spaces, are basically best for public vs, private cozy hideaway purposes.

No clue what is left of the room labeled sitting room. My wild guess is a living room. We only know what someone shows......and tells. In detail.

Simply reading the provided drawing, the existing Dining Room is open to the upper stair landing, has a pocket door to kitchen, is approximately 11'x10', and has a step down into a sunken Formal Living Room with a single 7 1/2" riser. The room to the left of Foyer appears to be a flex space.

HU-xx, I would evaluate that if you convert to a single dining area (used for all occasions) which will then be at the existing informal Breakfast Area, that you enlarge that area. Meaning, the beverage/desk counter, Pantry, and possibly the short wing wall next to the stair closet all be removed and maybe other things to open up and enlarge the new Dining Room. The entire floor plan would need seen if other things should happen as moving the Dining Room makes the Powder Room more prominent to guest circulation.

space only, no detail

Even with windows? a 10 x 9 space is claustrophobic and a step is a main in the ass, in ANY scenario.

Few if any, want to completely give up table/sit dining in a kitchen....and my guess is the kitchen has the usual storage problem , at that size. Not meant for an island in the first place, as it was shown,let alone with a cook top on it

My neighbors across the street had the same exact type of "cut out" (or whatever you want to call it) in their kitchen as you do. They are Italian (I'm half Italian - from my mom's side) - and food is a HUGE part of get togethers for us + she cooks every day (even though they are empty nesters now).

They decided to add on to the kitchen - they pushed out the wall so that it was even with the dining room (she has a nice size dining room - she also has a separate hearth room/sitting room - but it is over on the left side of her kitchen - and a two sided fireplace that provides some separation for between the kitchen and her great room/living room). Her dining room is located to the right of her foyer - just like what Jan has drawn in her proposed layout.

I remember that it wasn't very many feet that the corner was pushed out in order to be even with the dining room wall on the side of the house - HOWEVER, it was $$$. They have a walk-out basement with high ceilings (maybe 10'?) - their yard slopes front to back.

The new corner bump out that they added wound up costing quite a bit more money than the original estimate due to how high it was off of the ground + issues that were encountered along the way.

Her kitchen turned out very nice. It was already a nice sized kitchen before the addition was completed - but the bump out allowed for a longer island which works well for her when entertaining/holidays/etc.

If you determine the best functional layout for your existing space, you will save quite a bit of money.

Jan has provided a possible plan for you - if you provide her with the EXACT measurements (including all doorways/windows/etc.), she will be able to confirm what the best layout would be for your space.

It's always curiosity.........

Got cash? Blow out the corner, move/lose windows

No?

"is there something we can do with ( sp ) that corner to make the front rooms, current dining and sitting rooms more usable? Thanks!"

Once you "steal" from the dining room you did not label as such, , it is no longer dining space.

How MUCH larger a kitchen?

The sitting room........it's SPACE. How do YOU consider it "useful"? Quiet space? Dining space? A study? It is literally atop your entry, It is too far from a kitchen in a home cut in half by a stair - it will NEVER be convivial gathering to a kitchen where folks tend to gravitate and gather.

To now.......mystery HU OP.., mystery house, mystery needs etc.

These threads are always a curiosity. More like someone asked......"do you know what time it is"?............................

Maybe they decided to move.

I don't ever understand when posts go like this. It has to be very frustrating to spend time drawing out a plan(s) by hand - and have the OP go silent.

Why post something like this and then disappear? It's not like when an OP posts a design dilemma and receives a lot of negative comments about what he/she would like to so with a space.

This post received attention from a well respected designer with many, many years of expertise. I don't know how much Jan's retainer is (or if the work is done on an hourly basis) - but to receive expert attention FOR FREE - and then not respond at all = rude.

Even if the OP decided against doing the project, a simple "thanks for your suggestions, but I've changed my mind about moving forward with the project" (or whatever the reason is for no longer working on the project) would be nice - and good manners.

LOL There's a lot of "Elvis" disappears, leaves the building, lately. POUFFFFF!!!

We contribute because we love design. WE LOATHE to see folks waste money. But it does show us how much value is placed on "free".......anything. : ) Time, product. matters not.

It's part and parcel of why designers take retainers.........and even hefty fees. The same is undoubtedly true of therapists and attorneys.

I've always told people that my most difficult clients are typically the "pro bono" ones - whether they are a family member/friend or an indigent "pro bono" client (we are required in one of the states where I'm licensed to take assigned "pro bono" cases for indigent clients - the other two states encourage "pro bono" work - but don't track it).

I think part of it's because the work is "free" = the amount of time I spend on the work doesn't really matter to them because they aren't paying a $500+/hr fee.

But it's more than that - because there can sometimes be a different attitude towards the advice that I provide. I provide the same advice whether I am being paid or not - but I think that the clients who aren't paying may feel that maybe I just am telling them something because I don't want to put any more hours into the transaction. Who knows?

What I do know is that my SO shakes his head every time I agree to help someone out with some legal matter for free. He doesn't do it anywhere near as often as I do - maybe that makes him smarter than me (in this area - not overall 😂).

I so agree on that free advice just goes on forever and then pouf the OP is gone no thankyou or anything