Have you considered using the living room as the dining room (and using it regularly)? That would allow you to use the kitchen as you are wanting, with maybe a perching spot, or casual seating, and room for a pantry.

With 11’ width the space will never have an island (you don’t mention an island…) You can expand the kitchen into the dining and get a large L or U but unless you open the wall between the top half and the living it will always be constrained by the width

Breakfast and part of kitchen are new dining area (blue) with kitchen and dining combined and large opening to living area with island.

I did a layout for a customer with a similar layout.

The pantry closet was removed, and in its place, it became an opening into the living room (which was used as a dining room). The other opening was closed; they wanted more counter space and to add a pantry.

The wall where the ref is was an HVAC return for the living room and heating ducts for the second floor, etc. They thought about removing entire wall as @HALLETT & Co. suggested, but the budget wasn't there, and they didn't want to remove that wall.

Thank you for all commenters, we are wanting to remove all walls (as much as possible) to create an open space. However, the other corner family room with the fireplace feels disconnected from the rest of the floor and wanting to include it in the plan.

@HALLETT & Co. Thank you for the layout! It will be ideal to have an island... we are open to remove walls if possible. Right now that area feels crammed.

@GN Builders L.L.C that layout looks similar, we would like to remove walls and even add windows if needed to create more light to the area. What would be your suggestion if budget is not a constraint?

Since your goal is “open and airy,” the first step is assessing which walls are load-bearing and which can come down.
• Kitchen to Living/Dining: If there’s a wall between the kitchen and living or dining space, removing or partially opening it with a wide cased opening or an island peninsula creates a natural connection. This lets you cook while still engaging with people in the living room.
• Structural Work: In NYC, load-bearing walls can usually be replaced with a concealed or decorative beam. It adds cost, but it’s worth it for the open sight lines.

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Kitchen as the Centerpiece
• Island with Seating: A large island with counter stools makes the kitchen a social hub. Guests can sit, have a drink, and chat while you cook, without crowding the work zone.
• Banquette or Breakfast Nook: If space allows, consider a built-in banquette near a window or sliding door. It feels cozy and conversational, yet doesn’t eat up floor space like a bulky table.
• Zoning with Flooring/Lighting: Even in an open plan, using area rugs in the living room and pendant lighting over the island defines each zone while keeping the flow.

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Living Room Comfort
• Conversation Layout: Arrange seating (sofa + 2 chairs or a sectional with swivel chairs) so people face each other, not just the TV. Floating furniture slightly off the walls creates a cozier zone.
• Fireplace/Feature Wall: If you want a focal point, consider a fireplace wall (electric if venting is tricky in NYC townhouses or apartments) or built-in shelving opposite the kitchen sightline.

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Doors & Windows
• Sliding Door Upgrade: Replacing a dated slider with French doors or a modern black-framed glass slider can dramatically change the vibe—adds light, elegance, and connects the space to the outdoors.
• Windows: Enlarging or re-positioning windows makes a huge difference in “airy” feel. In NYC projects, we also look at egress and DOB permits, but conceptually, more natural light = bigger feel.

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Hallway / Utility Considerations
• Washer & Dryer: If the laundry is off the garage hallway, consider stacking units or enclosing them in cabinetry with sliding/pocket doors. This keeps circulation space uncluttered.
• Half Bath: Relocating a bathroom is possible but plumbing moves add cost. If it stays where it is, use pocket doors and wall-hung vanity to save space.

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My Contractor Take - If this were my project, I’d recommend:

1. Knock down the main wall(s) between kitchen and living. 2. Install a large center island (with seating for 4–5). 3. Float a cozy conversation living area adjacent. 4. Hide the laundry in built-in cabinetry. 5. Keep finishes light/neutral, and layer in wood tones for warmth.

Is it possible to open the wall on the Family Room side of the basement stairs? Or at least at the bottom step, allowing passage from the foyer? It would be up one step and down one on the other side, but it would be a connection. It would also affect how you can arrange furniture in the family room. I have seen this in a couple of houses and it worked.

(Just curious: in the current kitchen, do the dishwasher and oven doors ever collide?)

@Meron Gebru This was an approx. layout in my case. That was a bearing wall, and most likely it is in your case as well. If you want to remove a wall and reroute anything inside, it's doable. I'm sure your contractor will explain what to expect.

I just did a kitchen remodeling where we removed a bearing wall, and in our case, we added a non-bearing partition a few feet back. We had to drop a new beam because a flush-mounted beam wasn't feasible, and since the kitchen was being moved from the original location to this new location, that dropped beam became part of the soffit; therefore, everything worked out fine.

Before:

After

In this job, the ceiling was 9'; they ended up with a raised ceiling in the middle. In your case, if you have an 8' ceiling and you have to use a dropped beam after taking the wall out, it will look something like this (this is an 8' ceiling with a 9 1/4" beam projection just to give you an idea (in your case, it could be a different beam projection depending on the load).

Good luck

@GN Builders L.L.C very helpful! Thank you! Nice to see the possibilities!

@bpath I like the suggestion on opening up the Family room from the front door side... I just wish there are more ways to integrate that room to the rest of the floor. As far as the dishwasher and the oven goes, it's a pain! You cannot open them at the same time, for now it's functional, but not ideal for future plans.

Do you have the actual measurements of the space? What you're showing isn't enough information to determine what will/will not fit where. Even in the layout you show, the measurements don't "match" what you state. E.g., per your label of the DR, it's 11' x 11'. However, that doesn't match your drawing b/c the DR is not a square. It looks more like 11' x 12.5'.

While we can give you some very general ideas, no one will know whether the ideas will work when it comes time for the details of the Kitchen - and the devil is in the details!

Have you seen the "New to Kitchens? Read Me First!" thread? (It's almost always on the first page.)

Please see the Featured Answer in that thread for more information.

I suggest also posting this to the "Building a Home" forum in addition to "Kitchens" to get some of the architects on that forum involved -- they often have better ideas than many of the KDs, Contractors, & others on the Kitchens Forum (our main "specialty" is a functional Kitchen). Rearranging such a large space is really a job for an architect to get the things you're looking for -- more open, better use of space, incorporating the FR, etc. That's their "specialty"!

To add the "Building a Home" forum, edit your original post and when you're given the option to pick up to 3 Forums, add "Building a Home". (I would also consider removing "Living Room" and adding "Remodeling". Just a thought!)