No picture appeared!

ughgh here it is :

I did also want to add that the architect suggested making the island longer, but then I thought it would be odd looking at my oven when I work and not at my family room.

Moving the sink would give me a second prep in front of the window for when the kids are outside.

This might work out a little bit different than you are seeing in your head. Because of the water, you're likely to end up trying to work between the sink and the cooktop. The island shape and the oven location are a little bit freaky for me as it looks like the oven is in a hallway with the closest water coming from the powder room? I also got this thing about people's chairs backing up into a post.

Drawing below puts the main working area where I think you'd like it - facing the family room and dining room. But also available is at least one side of the cooktop if you have a crowd or as extra space for cooling racks.

You can lower either one side of the island. If I was, ahh, height-challenged or did a lot of home baking, I'd do that. The other place that could be lowered is one side of the cooktop. I think that would be my choice.

Switching the pantry and the mudroom entrance would be excellent!

So, this is meant as a concept idea, not a full boat plan. The hallway run is partly a hutch and partly a beverage center and partly a buffet - slightly away from the kitchen, but still central and easily accessed by family on a daily basis and guests. If you entertain a lot, I might go ahead with a bar sink there.

For you, I would suggest taking a look at one of the big sinks - either an orca or a full size stages. They each have some unique prep advantages as well as the ability to hide a ton of pots.

Like bmore, I am really concerned about the (lack of) distance between sink and range in your plan. This is the most valuable piece of real estate in your home. You have got to find a way to make it bigger. Can you make the addition longer but narrower? If so, you could put the range on the refrigerator wall.

Bmorepanic - the posts will not be there and I wanted a secondary sink (for prep) I looked into the stages sinnk I beliece and it is horribly expensive. I thought having two would work out better

Angie, - I can make the kitchen longer and narrower, but that will lake away a bit from the nook the fireplace is in :(

I am very frustrated at this kitchen and the very fact that it is the last piece that does not fit right --- and as with last pieces, might not fit ever :(

Newhome- I like your kitchen. If you want a prep sink, why not change the shape of the island and do something like this? Nice baking area, too :)
{{!gwi}}From Cottage house plans

I just saw you didn't want to look at the oven wall, but maybe splurge on a marble countertop over there for baking. Add a really pretty backsplash and looking at the oven wall will not be too bad. Of course, you'll be talking to the kids/hubby across from you while you're working at the island...and there should be room for a third stool, if necessary :)

You're gonna need the posts, or you're gonna need quite a bit of costly heavy duty steel to support all of that open space. That's a point you need to clarify with your architect before declaring any of this design as "final".

Sorry, where is there a fireplace nook? I cannot find it anywhere...

oops, teh firelplace got cut off, its at the end of the family room between the doors

any thoughts? anyone else?

I also want ot add that the window in the kitche is from teh east side, so if I stand at one endo fhte island I am blocking my sunlight.

This kitchen really seems to be great, just in the wrong direction!

You're constructing 4 corners for this addition if you note the outline from the exterior. Each access point[outside mudroom,outside kitchen windows,outside family room windows] has a barrier because the exterior walls keeping cutting off the sections. Unwise. Pull the fireplace or far wall of the family room in some feet and make one long wall of construction left to right across back of house....extend some to the right as well/move mudroom door over .The frig wall in kitchen will be longer..the kitchen is positioned furthur to the right and up a bit. then take whatever you have on powder room wall into your longer kitchen wall runs and ... Omit cabinetry entirely on powder room wall which enables island to be turned so it runs longer top to bottom in the space-more seating capacity.

Sorry, I don't understand how my idea to make the kitchen longer but narrower would affect the fireplace?

To create more space between cooktop and sink, I would move the Refr. wall closer to the Family Room, and move the cooktop wall up (East, I believe). This makes the room longer and narrower, and allows you to put the cooktop on what is now the fridge wall.

Newhome- East light is wonderful for a kitchen! It means it will be bright and sunny, first thing in the morning :)

How about something like this? Your original plan, just moving around the appliances a bit... {{!gwi}}From Cottage house plans

Too many bumps and jogs in the foundation. That, along with the large open space with no interior walls for support (and you say no posts) will make this a darn expensive build. I'd reconsider the entire layout. First start by squaring up things. Then look at the layout with the idea that you don't want to go longer than about 18' without a post or internal wall to support the roof. Partitioning a large open space into distinct uses through architecture actually makes the room work better and seem bigger at the same time.

Thank you all for your responses....greatly appreciated

herbflavor _ I'm not sure what you mean by: Each access point[outside mudroom,outside kitchen windows,outside family room windows] has a barrier because the exterior walls keeping cutting off the sections.

Unfortunatelly mudroom cannot be moved over, however, teh current enterance to the mudroom will actually be an enterance to the pantry (actually in the mudroom so to speak. teh mudroom is enclosed in the garage)

I did consider making that back wall even, but one issue I had with that: the family room might not be as cosy as it is right now with that bumpout. Maybe I'm wrong, I have a hard time visualizing all these changes

Angie: I meant that the fireplace got cut off in my scan of the plan and didn't make it in the picture I posted.

If you would put the cooktop on the ref wall, where would you put teh ref.?

Levender _las - I love the big window. I just want to make sure I don't have my back to it an make a shadow :(
In your proposed plan: you don't think the fridge will be too far out of the way?

Green designs: Yes, the no post idea will be $$,
I don' mind reconsidering the whole layout............I just don't know how. I feel like I have speant my last month hunched over this and not much progress beyond some minor changes in other areas of the house........but the kitchen....eh...big, big, but does not seem practical for me :(

I think this is the best the archetect could come up with. He wanted the mud room enterence to be by the kitchen so I don't have to crosss an obstacle course with the groceries.

This is the part I have trouble understanding:

Angie, - I can make the kitchen longer and narrower, but that will lake away a bit from the nook the fireplace is in :(

WHY does making the kitchen a different shape affect the fireplace nook?

If you would put the cooktop on the ref wall, where would you put teh ref.?

I would leave the refrigerator on the same wall it is now, along with the cooktop. This would be possible because that wall would be longer (as described in my post of 14:59).

I also want to note that I think Lavender Lass's latest effort (15:24) would work.

Thanks, Angie :)

Newhome- I think the fridge would work well there...in fact, in would be closer to the family room, for quick drinks during commercials!

I'm still 'voting' for marble at the baking area...it would also make a great serving space when you entertain, since it's so close to the dining room.

I'm pretty sure what herb means is that the staggered back likely cuts off the flow of light to the kitchen windows as well as views.

Adding greendesigns comments, quite possibly reducing the kinks and complexity of the exterior walls may pay for adding more floor space. Fewer exterior corners and jogs cost less.

Part of the confusion for me is that its not at all clear which part is addition and which part is existing. Does the long-dashed line across the family room represent the addition?

I haven't responded for a long time adn I am sorry :( But have made some changes in the kitchen layout.....though have yet to discover how to change the HOME layout.

I was thinking of flipping the island so that the seating is on the other side. If I do that I benefit from the great window view as well as the sight of my kids in the family room....and i guess outside too. However, I'm wondering if that island layout would be weird.

As far as the corners on the addition. I finally understand about the light.....:)
What I meant about the family room is that it has a bumpout, and if I make the kitchen longer (or pull the family room in) I am not having that nook by the fireplace anymore. I feel that that is making the room cozy. Though this is an opend floor plan, I am aiming for it to be a "semi open" where the rooms are nicely connected - as opposed to just being one room. (The dining area has a sort of nook or its own)

Please let me know if what I am saying does not make sense. I don't have a great ability to imagie what all these scetches will look like in reality and maybe my thoughts are wrong.

Thanks for all your help.

where the posts are is wehre the existing house ends. The dashed line means that there is no second floor over the bumpout (possible higher ceilings)

any thoughts about this layout?

Here's an idea to consider:

I think you should start over with a blank slate. Post the existing space without any potential additions. At a minimum, I'd move the kitchen wall out to be even with the family room and start there with the space. It will simplify the rooflines and foundations and give you a cheaper box to figure out where to put the puzzle pieces in the interior.

I really like live wire oak's suggestion. It will be interesting to see what people who know MUCH more than I do suggest about additions.

Do include considerations like sloping land, views, irreplaceable trees, or whatever that might constrain your extension.

Best luck with this fun and challenging project.

I talked to my architect who said that the layout we have, (the general layout) is the best that we can do with this size house. Now i didn't post the whole house (maybe I should, in a different area besides kitchen?)

That being said, we made some slight changes to the kitchen and we will have that plan tomorrow....which I can post.

Since I cannot come up with a better plan, and my architect tells me that is the best we can do I don't know what choice I have. :( Maybe I can post the shell of the house on the remodeling forum, I don't know.

But like I said, I will post what we have so far with the changes.