You have 1650 sq. feet of space without a bump out. The first alteration for openness is to level the living room with sleepers and new floor. Remove the two walls between the LR and new kitchen/dining and between the kitchen/dining and the space where the old kitchen was. Add the study from your second plan in place of the family room. The now open rest of the back of the house can be a combination of family room tv area and children's playground. If you want to consider a more open layout, the powder room could be moved to the end space in the mudroom. The sewer line routing might impact that as to cost.

You need an architect and a KD for this project.

For a project this big you absolutely need an architect and kitchen designer. For fun here’s my stab drawn while drinking morning tea. Pantry top left. Butlers pantry top right. Dining in center. The nice thing about this plan is your current kitchen stays in place the whole time.

Thank you all so, much! What great ideas. I should have mentioned, we had one architect and KD through recently, like the idea but the recommendation was a bigger bumpout than the one in my drawing (we are struggling with the idea of more sq ft since this is a bigger house than we thought we'd ever have. Fully open to more sq ft, but don't just want space for the sake of space). Have another architect is coming in about a week, but trying to firm up a view as I don't think I'm being as helpful as I can w/ them. Can't thank you enough!

You don’t need a vision, that’s what they do. You need a clear expression of what your house is missing and what you love about the current house. I would not feel the need to show them any ideas. You also shouldn’t expect to walk away from your first consultation with a plan, that takes time and money.

Agreed ^ make sure to tell the architect you don’t want to add on from the beginning -

FWIW years ago we moved our kitchen, added a master suite etc - first architect wasn’t a fit (we didn’t realize till we were pretty far into the plans) so we just paid/thanked him and the 2nd one we connected with was terrific -

I will say even he had trouble and wasn’t happy with how the new addition was connecting to the original home on the first floor - so randomly a friend of a friend knew a retired architect who stopped by when he was out riding his bike - he walked thru the home and in 2 min he told us how the old and new should connect, it was a simple & elegant solution we all missed - so sometimes it takes working thru it till you’re satisfied

Really great to know. It's our first time taking on a project that requires an architect and KD. Maybe I'm leading the witness too much w/ ideas and just need to start w/ the clear expression of our wants/needs and let them roll with it. I tend to over analyze, so this is really helpful!

I wanted to take a stab at it. I was hoping you could keep the kitchen closer to the garage/mudroom. Convert the breakfast area to the new kitchen (by stealing some feet from the family room and flipping the location of the mudroom entrance)….would this be a possible solution? The existing kitchen footprint would work for a nice butlers pantry and you could gain a closet in the office which would then classify as an extra bedroom for resale.

Directly opposite the new mud room door is an ‘art niche’ with a picture light :)

Lastly, with this scenario you would be best going to the KD first - they would partner w an architect that could get the drawings done for permit.

But this all may not make sense if you say the fireplace wall and built ins in your family room are one of the things you’d love to keep as is or if there is some reason that the mudroom door can’t be moved. If

Great ideas! Zero attachment to fireplace or built ins :)

What kind of function and flow are you looking for, besides wanting a view into the family room? Which view is really only a step away from the kitchen now?

I'd put the kitchen in the breakfast nook and close up the door there. You already have an entrance from deck into mudroom. Make a 2nd passage from porch about where small kitchen window is. then close up the den to porch door. Build a banquette in the corner where the fridge is now. Banquette seating will be close to den as well as those coming in from porch . Kitchen now in the breakfast nook with family room straight through for your stated goal. Not difficult to change doorways along rear outside wall.... much easier / cheaper than a full bumpout. Does the kitchen need a redo ? these adjustments only if you need to update anyway.......Your existing layout doesnt seem awkward but if the kitchen is dated and you envsion something different and have the budget then no point 2nd guessing your wishes.

Reiterating that the layout I did does not require exterior egress or window modifications or any new bump out.

I like thinkdesignlive’s ideas, but I would also consider just doing a full swap of your kitchen with your family room (breakfast room stays in place) to give you a wider space for an island, former kitchen pantry turns into an entertainment center/ cabinet for the new family room, then perhaps swap your formal living and dining areas to allow an easier path between kitchen & dining.

Hi all! Thank you again for the ideas and designs! An architect was over today and provided a rough sketch. Sharing here :) I'll plan to share updates along the way.

I’m leery. The 9’10” dimension at that upper quadrant is very narrow and you are forcing quite a bit of circulation through it. Make sure you have the exact furniture pieces laid out in a floor plan with a clear understanding of spacing of aisles and traffic.

For instance they are showing an island with 3 seats with circulation on both sides. My math has a minimum of 36” aisles which leaves 46” for that island. That will barely seat 2. The new family room layout can only be a long sofa with side chairs - not a 2 seat sofa as shown. There would be no circulation at all - and that will be your main dining room entrance. Again, leery.

This is what I mean by the upper quadrant. At 9’10” this will very much feel like a bowling alley - especially if your ceilings are 8’.

You are so helpful, thinkdesignlive! Really great points and will look into them. I appreciate you :)

Good call- none of that fits in 9’ if that’s an accurate measurement.

I think you want a door to the office, to have shared light, easier to see the front yard, faster route to the front door and stairs, and just to have another circulation route through the house. And one route to serve dessert to the dining room while someone clears the dinner plates and serving platters via the other route.

Would it be possible to make the existing family room the dining room, move the kitchen into the breakfast area similar to the designer's plan. then combine the office and existing bedroom into a family room. Use your living room as an office. The former kitchen could have a small breakfast table,