The pantry is almost as large as the kitchen, which is a terrible use of space. There are lots of ways to keep a pantry hidden without having it take up so much space. The most obvious solution is to make your pantry a single run of cabinets. This allows you to increase the size of your kitchen and gives you better clearance around the island.

The other option would be to have the pantry be a reach-in, not a walk-in, by giving yourself the entire space for the kitchen and creating a pantry wall in it.

You can go extra deep on that wall and add pantry cabinetry.

If this is a new build I think you can do a better kitchen layout. Best to show the whole plan of this level so we can see adjoining spaces. You may wish to do a hardworking section of pantry/appliance garages with a more generous kitchen (basically agreeing w eam44)…

Lots of ways to do a combo appliance garage and pull out pantries.

Oh and be flexible on window placement/size until you get the whole kitchen plan locked down.

I'm less picky about what a "good use of space" is -- I think it's best used for what you want, which may or not be what the average market wants. If you want a sink in the pantry, then you're going to need more space to move around in than just food and appliance storage, so a larger pantry makes sense to me. One size never fits all.

The pantry is 8"2", but how wide are the counters or shelves in there - i.e. how wide is the area for walking? Make sure that's wide enough for you to walk in, pick something up, and turn around to walk out, and think about space when you're using the sink. I personally would suggest you use a pocket door or one that opens out, to make the space behind the opened door more usable (otherwise you have to walk in, turn on the light, close the door to get to that area, then walk further in to open the door so you can walk out again....I had a walk in closet like that, and it bugged me to no end).

Designers will tell you the space between your island and the fridge is too small, but I've lived with that space and it's absolutely fine, especially if there isn't a passel of people cooking at the same time. That said, remember that opening the fridge door will take up most of that space; that was fine for me, but at least think about it. It looks like there's just about a foot between the wall of the island and the wall - not enough to use for seating, and it might be tight even for cleaning back there - you might want to make the island a bit smaller to give yourself an extra 6-8 inches, at least, between the counter and the wall. (I'm pretty sure I did the math right).

Excellent ideas so far and you are giving voice to my concerns and I am liking your ideas

Here is a bigger picture showing the great room etc…

Excellent ideas so far and you are giving voice to my concern: re Pantry is too big probably.

Here is a bigger picture showing the great room etc…

Also: I want to add the dotted lines are showing the vaulted ceiling line - it will be open to the great room.

Love all of the ideas of pull out appliance garages!!

Also- let me note: the top of the sketch faces West and we have a stunning Mountain View. The left side ( South) also stunning Mountain View’s. Windows are not set in stone yet- but we will maximize the South and West views. It is why we bought the property

Thanks

Seeing the plan, I'll suggest it needs work, and would focus on the overall and not just the kitchen.

Do you understand how the vaulted ceilings will look where they come together?

Hi PPF
This is FAR from done but here are elevations and a beginning layout

Enlarged image of the plan.

What direction will the house face?

What's the building site like -- acerage?

Who will be living there?

Only my husband and myself. We are grandparents and our grandchildren live 3 minutes away ( and we will do sleep overs) We are also relocating to a new State, so we will have family/friends occasionally visit as overnight guests.

The house will face a range of mountains West-Southwest.

1.5 acre that is square for the most part.

The top of the drawing is the back of the house that will face the mountains

The back of the house will face West-Southwest?

Yes

The front of the house faces East/Northeast and has a smaller Mountain View

The pantry should be entered from inside the kitchen. This eliminates the inside corner in the kitchen and allows you to adjust the pantry somewhat smaller and add some cabinetry in the hall- bookshelves, glass storage, etc.

Oh clever! Thank you

What would this space be?

What do you need? Bookcases the face the hall. Cabinetry floor to ceiling. Built in buffet. Built in China cabinetry. Bar. Wall for art. The pantry was quite large before so I was just trying to show a way to make it smaller without changing everything.

I like a modest-kitchen with a large attached pantry; this one is large but would be useful. I don't see the point in adding a sink.

I like Hallett's suggestion best -- a better connection between the kitchen and the pantry. But I'd add second door closer to the garage, as no one wants to carry groceries farther /through the kitchen. And with this size, you can afford the second door. I'd make that door a pocket door, which wouldn't hide anything behind it when it's open.

That would allow you a drop-spot, a coat closet or bookcases in the hallway -- all are a positive.

I'd turn the bathroom door so it's closer to the bedrooms, and I'd question why you need a full bath + a half bath right there in the same area. Something about the bedroom entires is wonky.

Last thought: If I counted right, this floor plan has 22 corners -- that's going to raise the cost of your build without adding anything positive in terms of function or comfort. It'll also push the roofline into something more complex. Simplify, simplify, simplify.

Thank you . I just needed help interpreting your drawing.

Thank you, Mrs Pete

Would it be weird to have no powder bathroom? Just the one guest bathroom for guests to use when they come over for dinner?

Not weird but it’s odd having them open directly opposite each other and all in the same hall with the garage door. That whole area needs reworking. The laundry will never work when you get an actual washer dryer in there and it’s an awkward shape. The bedrooms should have feel separate from the main part of the house- at least move the bath door to face the bedrooms and create a cased opening so that hall feels like a separate area.

Moving rooms around to show potential general locations.

I'd move the master behind the garage.

Or putting the dining table between kitchen and living.

Thanks Hallett.
PPF - the original layout had the garage and the main bedroom together and I asked to move it as the other end of the house will have better views and be much more private. Also- was thinking of garage noise ??? But your drawing is very very appealing!

and be much more private

How do you define private? Your plan has the bedroom directly off the entry and living.

was thinking of garage noise

What sort of garage noise? Does your husband like to work out there in the middle of the night? Do you or he work odd hours where one will be active while the other is asleep?

will have better views

I understand taking advantage of the views. Here are the two locations.

Your entry is rather large, and there is a large space in the great room that seems like a large space.

Someone also needs to be thinking about mechanicals. As designed I'm guessing those 3 boxes shown in the garage are for your HVAC and water heater. Probably not the best locations.

You might consider creating two zones. One for the guest wing, and one for the rest of the house.

Hi PPF - no - there is a mechanical room off of the garage but inside the house ( crawl space issue)
Those three boxes represent what we currently have in our garage:
A full size freezer, a full size refrigerator and a 180 bottle wine refrigerator 🤣🤣

I said the exact same thing to the person drawing the plans re: the space in the great room seems to be a bunch of wasted square footage - so that needs addressing

And I also agree: re/ foyer is too big .

Thank you for your responses - they are MUCH appreciated.

And you are excellent at pointing out the issues for view and privacy.
No - my husband will not be coming and going at night. I may- I take call for hospital. But not so much anymore/ so that may not be an issue

Please step back and get a new designer. If you are questioning these things now think how you will feel after you spend a couple million building. This is a big house with some big wasted spaces and some small squinchy spaces. It all needs tweaking. Why build a ten thousand square foot brand new custom house and your wine fridge is in your garage plus TWO MORE FRIDGES! If you need that much cooling design a bigger kitchen with column fridge and freezer. Wine fridge in the garage is what happens when you buy an existing house, when you build custom that stuff gets designed into the house. You also should have the next person draw in furniture layouts- maybe these big empty spaces have a purpose but if you don’t draw the furniture in scale you will never know.

Thank you all
For your input.
I will certainly take everything said into deep thought and make some changes.