Just to give you an idea about how the kitchen layout would be here is a picture of the design I made on Ikea's kitchen planner. I know this isn't the kitchen forum but just to give you an idea on how I am imagining the space. Colors aren't finalized or anything, and I'm not sure why there is shelving showing up on the door ;)

Cute and compact ... I like it.

I like it too. It's actually laid out a lot like our house. Unless you really want two toilets upstairs, I think I'd combine the 2 main floor baths, kind of like a jack and jill, so the master could have access to the tub/shower.

Are you going to have a door between the kitchen and stairway hall? If so, make sure you leave enough room for the refrigerator door to fully open.

Tell us about the back door? Is the house meant to be 1/2 in the ground? Or is that back door have a long stair case to ground level? Or, is your staircase only to a basement and therefore the back door is at ground level (but up a 1/2 flight of stairs to the main house level?)

There will be no door in the kitchen just a walk through so opening the fridge shouldn't be a problem.

I think we would like an extra toilet upstairs for us to use. Especially when our kids get older.

The door in the back is not ground level, is raised so we will have stairs down to the backyard. Although maybe we should eliminate that door entirely since we have the patio doors in the dining room? But I like a place to take off shoes so back door would be good for that. I'm hoping to eventually build a deck off the patio doors in the dining room.

Dining room is very narrow...would you consider a banquette on the long wall? This might open up a little more space. Also, you could make it an L-shaped kitchen and have the dishwasher next to the sink. You might have room for a small work table :)

This is a possibility....with sofa, two chairs and an ottoman for seating in the living room. Coffee table in front of sofa, with ottoman accessible from seating area, or entry, to help with taking off shoes, etc. Just a few ideas... {{!gwi}}From Kitchen plans

Those are some good ideas to consider, the dining room is narrow. That made me think maybe I could do the bay window in the dining room and have a nook with built in seating beside the table. But all good suggestions, thanks!

It's small, but I like it overall.

I was going to suggest a door from the living room to the dining room -- similar to what L-Lass drew, though I do prefer the U-shaped kitchen for a compact space. However, without that living room -dining room door, everyone would have to funnel through the kitchen to reach the dining room, and that would cause traffic jams.

I like the idea of the banquette seating in the dining room, but I would consider a bay window in the dining room as well. It would enhance not only the dining room, but the kitchen as well. I would not give up the living room bay -- I'd make it a second bay. In such a small space, the extra light and visual space the bays would bring would be very worthwhile.

My only other concern is with storage: The closets are small.

And I do like the idea of a jack-and-jill bath.

Where's your laundry?

8 x 11 is fine for a nursery, but it's going to be small for a kid's room -- you could "build up" with a loft once the child is older: Bed up, desk and storage underneath. Without that, though, I don't see an 8' wide room being all that comfortable, especially in a cold climate.

Yes the wall between living room and dining room would be eliminated so that opens it up. I agree I like the u shaped kitchen, and can use that storage underneath the cupboards there. Although the banquette in the dining room is definitely a good idea. I've rethought the bay window nook though as I wonder if it will be chilly in winter? Will have to research that.

Laundry is in the basement which I don't mind I am hoping to put a laundry shoot somewhere as well. Also hoping to put in some cupboards and folding area in our laundry room downstairs.

If we end up staying there a long time we might switch our master bedroom to the downstairs, once the kids are old enough.

More storage would be in the basement I have included the stock plan for the basement but we will probably make some changes to that.

The third bedroom upstairs is mostly for resale eventually and when we have a second child. Although I mostly see us using it as a computer room until then. As I mentioned we have a spare room in our current rental that's 8 x 11 it has a double bed in it and a desk with a computer so I know it's small and would be tight but I think we could manage. I think a loft bed is a great idea though. I want to make a toy room nook in the basement next to our living space down there so they have a place to play.

My fiancé has a lot of experience doing foundation so he thinks we should push out the living room a couple of feet to make the entire house a straight rectangle. Less corners means less money in framing, foundation and drywall. So that will gain us a bit more square footage but only in the living room and entrance way.

Thanks for all the advice I'm hoping by keeping the design simple we can splurge on a few things like extra windows, custom cupboards etc.

I wonder if this could work? With a toddler, not really sure which is better, stove inside a small U or open like this? At least DW and oven doors can be opened at the same time with this layout.

Re coats closet, it might be better if you swap that with the closet in BR 3 imo.

This post was edited by sena01 on Mon, Nov 18, 13 at 7:08

It might be possible to get a tiny powder room under the stairs so you can make that one large bathroom with a door to the master and a door to the hall. It would be a much more pleasurable place to get ready. I know it's hard to give up closet space, but you do have the basement for storage. Btw, there's some very tiny sinks out there to put in a small powder room. (Just search tiny sink. :) )

Thanks everyone for the feedback we now have a very similar plan in mind with a slightly different kitchen/dining/living room. But this house is a split level so the basement would have larger windows. Once I know for sure on our plan I may post again, thanks again!