I've been looking at every detail on the plan...and I only want to change one thing...more or less. I want to add one foot, to the kitchen and bedroom addition.

This would give me a little more space in the kitchen, between the stools and dining chairs, when people are sitting in them...and a little more space around the wood stove and french door. It would also be nice to have an extra foot, in the mudroom, between the cubbies and bench, just in case we decide to put a tool bench, where the cubbies are, now.

Last, I'd like to add one foot, to the closet area, in the bedroom wing...after flipping the bath and closet, like above. This would make the closet 8' wide and I'd like to put a bench area, under a tall window, for a small dressing area. It would be nice to have a place to sit down, put on shoes, etc...and I'm just a bit claustrophobic, so the natural light would be nice. Maybe on the courtyard side...something with a transom feel, so there's still plenty of privacy. I could move the door, to the hall and make the linen part of the closet, or keep it separate.

Everything else is just wonderful and I really like the way the sunroom and dining room borrow light and views, from one another. If they were more separated, I think the sunroom would feel too small. This way, they're both light-filled spaces, one for eating and one for sitting.

As I write this...there's several inches of snow falling and we're supposed to get at least another foot this week. Did I mention we have VERY long winters? And, work from home? It's going to be so nice to have a space that feels like summer, all year round!

Oh, and I did add an arbor, around the sunroom and over the window of the utility area. I guess that's two changes...technically. LOL I'd love to grow some wisteria and climbing roses, but I don't think I could do it without the courtyard. Those deer get hungry in the winter, too.

Shades- Are you getting all this snow, too?

Our friends saw five huge elk yesterday, as they were leaving our house. I never see elk here, but I guess they're around after all. Do you see any, in your area? At least, they're not in my garden...well, hopefully not. It's hard to tell, what's visiting at night :)

Here's kind of what I want to do in the closet, but smaller, higher window and without the 'island' part. LOL I like the soft colors and the natural light, though :)
{{gwi:1400119}}From Courtyard Garden album

WOW Beautiful closet. I bet the bench on top of the heater is nice on a crisp morning.Chandelier is a nice touch.LOL

Was tired yesterday and missed your question. We did get snow and it rained all night. Still raining today.

Also the other day when we went to town there was a large herd of elk at the foot of Midvale Hill. There was well over 100. they were beautiful. They were there a few days. Might still be we have not gone back that way since.

Mostly in town it is the deer that rob our gardens. LOL Funny. This fall because my hands were hurting so bad I did not bother to pull up the dead vines and zucchini LOGS left or missed. Well the deer came in and cleaned it all up for me. Learned I will just let it go in the fall from now on. What the deer left behind will make free mulch. I do not till anymore.

Here's a quick change to the closet, to show the idea of the door moved and high window with bench.
{{!gwi}}From Courtyard Garden album

Shades- I'm glad you like the chandelier! Don't all closets need a little something, special? Hehe

We're still getting snow...which is great for the lilacs...but that's about all I can say :)

100 elk! Wow, we only see elk occasionally and rarely near our house. There are only about five deer that I see on a regular basis, but I'm sure there are more that don't come down to the house. A few of the does have come down with their babies and they're so cute! I'd rather hide my roses and mix in marigolds with my veggies, than miss those little sweeties. Why live in the country, if you can't see the wildlife? :)

How nice that the deer decided to clean up your garden for you! LOL Sounds like they're being pretty good neighbors, after all.

LL if you did one of those sliding doors on your closet you would not waste the wall space inside the closet.

Door would slide across pantry wall.

Shades- That's a good idea, but I think I may be making another change.

Bevangel (on the Building a Home forum) just made an excellent point...what if I switched the closet and mudroom, which would eliminate my long hall and I could move the hot tub, to that corner of the deck.

Then, the mudroom would exit, closer to the barns and parking and I wouldn't be tracking snow and mud, through my porch! The BBQ could still be behind a fireplace, just the one in the keeping room/kitchen. I'll definitely need that extra foot now, so the mudroom will be big enough for the main walkway...so 8' will be better than 7'.

This could end up functioning much better! I'm off to go make a few sketches :)

Well, this is a very rough cut and paste...but what do you all think?

The closet and mudroom have swapped (on advice from Bevangel) to make access to parking and barns, much easier. I would like to add a foot (depth) to the mudroom, closet and keeping room area, to make things a bit less tight.

The length of the closet, is more than I need, so we could move the banquette to the left a foot or so, if that would make access to the screened porch easier. The BBQ should be on the other side of the porch, too...I forgot to move it :)

In the bedroom area, I'd like pocket doors, for the closet and bedroom, but the main door, would be off the hall. The access from bedroom to hot tub, could be by the fireplace, but I don't want a door from the bedroom/hall to the courtyard. It sounds nice in theory, but the indoor kitties need to stay indoors, which is one reason for all the vestibules, porches, sunrooms, etc. If they get outside, there are too many owls, coyotes, speeding cars/truck (like the one that hit my house) not to mention mean barn kitties, for them to be safe. Plus, I'd like to have a little water feature that we could put in that corner of the courtyard, by the utility sink. Just for summer, but it would be very pretty.

Anyway, that's the plan...and I know it's probably getting too big for the Smaller Homes forum...but I still value all of your opinions and I want you to remember that while I started the remodel, just for me and my husband...somewhere along the way, it turned into a place for family. My grandmother used to say that she was the keeper of the memories...no one else wanted to store them or share the stories...but she thought it was important. I'm the only one, who seems to want to do that, in my generation...and now I have not only our family's antiques and stories, but my husband's family's too. So, I guess the house plan has grown a bit, to include all that, too. When everyone else is downsizing...someone has to leave some space for all those things that have meaning, but no one wants to be the one to store. Anyway, I digress...here's the plan :) {{gwi:1400120}}From Courtyard Garden album

I like it. I can't tell if you have any plumbing on outside walls though. I know that's one of your concerns.

Did you say one time that you have trouble getting your drawings to scan right? You might try a black permanent marker. They make nice dark lines that are easy to see.

Marti- Thanks. The plumbing is on the inside walls (which is much better) except for the utility sink. That could be turned off, if it gets really cold, but the courtyard should help block the wind, which causes most of the problem.

As for the lines...it's because I'm scanning a print of Summerfield's plan and I can't figure out how to make it any darker. Here's one more attempt, but I don't know if it's much better.

Oh, and I did put the bigger table back in the kitchen. Apparently my husband has plans for the other table, down in his 'man space' LOL. {{gwi:1400121}}From Courtyard Garden album

Bevangel made a much nicer change to my plan. Thought I'd post it, for all those getting tired of my too light plans. I'd still like to add a fireplace, in the bedroom and maybe see if we can have the door open out, to the porch :)
{{!gwi}}From Courtyard Garden album

Oh I can see your plans the way you have them now. It just looks like a lot of work trying to make the lines dark enough. When I draw a plan in pencil on graph paper and try to scan it, it always comes out so light that the graph lines don't even show up, and I can't find any way to darken them. I finally started going over my pencil lines with a sharpie, and the drawn lines were much better.

bevangel did a good job with that. Wonder how she did that?

Marti- First of all a big 'thank you' to Bevangel, for doing the cut and paste! She said she used 'paint' on the computer program. She has a detailed explanation, over on my post in the Building a home forum. It sounded complicated, but probably much easier, once you've done it a few times.

Let's see...so people don't have to read earlier posts...I still want to add one foot (in depth) to the mudroom, closet and keeping room. Also, maybe move the closet/keeping room wall over, so it's even with the utility wall...bring the banquette to the left enough to give a little more room for the (now main) door to the porch.

I really like the bathroom (Bevangel changed this) much better than my version. I still want to change the living room back to my earlier plan...mainly becuase the fireplace hearth (raised) sticks out 3' into the room...and there really isn't room for that second chair. And, I miss my corner bookcases. I have lots of books and display (see explanation/rant above, about no one else wanting to keep this family stuff) so I can use all the shelf space I can get! :)

Oops, I forgot a few things. Also, want to add the high window in the closet, over a bench...probably where the shelves are, on the wall to the porch.

I'd like to add that fireplace in the bedroom. Maybe a window on the wall, to balance the door to the porch, with the leather chair in the corner (like earlier picture) and take out the windows, on either side of the bed. I like light on two sides of a room, but it's much easier to position the bed to fit in with the other furniture, without those little windows.

And...a pocket door for the closet...so I'm not blocking storage space, with the door. I'd also like one between the bedroom and bath/closet, in case I want to close off the sleeping area. My pet peeve is walking through other people's bedrooms, to use the bathroom, during a party.

What do you all think of the arbor, around the sunroom? I think we'll have to put a roof on the screened porch, due to all the snow. (Did I mention it's been snowing...constantly, for three days?) So, instead, I thought having a narrow arbor running around the sunroom and above the utility sink window, would be perfect for wisteria and maybe some climbing roses. It would provide a little shade, in the summer, too :)

I definitely like the trellis on the side. I don't know about the front. I am so bad about imagining how something will look, and I can't remember what the front will look like.

Well, not like it does now, that for sure! LOL

Here's what the house looks like now... {{gwi:1416731}}From Farmhouse pictures

The front door opens right into the dining room. What I'm calling the foyer, in the plan...is a little connecting space between the old part of the house and the new part...or the dining room and the living room. Way back when, it used to be a very small bedroom, but now it seems like the obvious place, for the entry. {{gwi:1416725}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

The vestibule will be very similar to this style. I love this arbor, but I discovered it totally blocks my lovely 'secret opening' in the lilac shrubs, which connects the farmhouse to our current house...or at least the yards.

Lilacs in fall (entry all the way to the right) between the apple tree and shed... {{!gwi}}From Lavender's Garden

See how it almost disappears, in the winter... {{gwi:329681}}From Lavender's Garden

The sunroom will be the same as what you see now, but will come out even, with the front of the house. I think the arbor will give it some personality, some shade (that's the south corner) and keep the bay window and vestibule from seeming like they stick out so much. Since the courtyard comes forward, too, I thought the arbor might soften things, a bit.

Something like this...I love the wisteria :) {{!gwi}}From Snow White album

WOW that wisteria picture is Gorgeous. Can;t wait to see more of the farm house.

Shades- I thought I posted some of these...but here they are :)

This is the porch, with a very cool door I didn't even really notice, until I took the picture. The wood door, although the screened door would be nice, with new screen LOL. {{gwi:1549247}}From Farmhouse pictures

This is behind the house, but it gives you a good idea of the view. {{gwi:1549249}}From Farmhouse pictures

Oh that is a cool door. Looks like you have a lot of work ahead of you.

Cool door I love mine in the master as a window treatment. I took the screen out. It is now painted white but I might do it back to green just not as dark as it was.Waiting to decide if I keep the bathroom white or paint it a color.

You better keep that baby it is a beauty.

That is a Gorgeous view.

STILL pouring rain here LL/

Here is a link that might be useful: Door Window. LOL

Shades- Oh, that's cute! What a clever idea :)

Marti- You're not kidding! It will be a lot of work, but if we don't do it, the house will eventually fall into disrepair. I think it has a lot of potential. The good thing is that the porch and back bathroom are probably in the worst shape. The dining room, living room, study/bedroom and bath we're keeping...are not in too bad a shape...and the living room fireplace is definitely a keeper! The kitchen is going to look so different, with the addition...I think it will really be the heart of the home :)

Summerfield found a way to make everything we wanted, fit together perfectly! I wanted to show you and thank Summerfield for the beautiful plan! :)
{{gwi:1585859}}From Courtyard Garden album

Wow! This is the best yet. Definitely a keeper.

Thanks, Marti! I am so excited...we finally have a plan that takes advantage of the great views out the back AND the great light (southeast) in the front, for the garden. Did I just admit, we ended up designing a house, to suit the garden and views? :)

Seriously, this is a wonderful plan (thank you Summerfield) and I can't wait to show our contractor tomorrow, who will be out to finish our porch. Almost back to normal, after the 'truck hitting our house' incident. What a relief!

I've been 'living' with the plan these last few days...and there's one thing I miss...natural light, in the kitchen. I really love my big window, over the sink that we have now. And, I wish the sunroom was a little bit bigger.

So, here's the kitchen plan {{!gwi}}From Courtyard Garden album

I'm wondering if switching the sink and range would be better, if the sunroom was extended another 10' back. The 'north' wall of the sunroom, would be where the new addition starts...basically the 'south' edge of the fridge. This would make the sunroom big enough to put a large window over the sink...looking through the sunporch and out to the courtyard. I had this in the original version...and I miss it.

Now, the downside...I don't know what to do with the rest of the plan. I'm thinking laundry/mudroom, opposite the sunporch and scoot the screened porch over, so it's just behind the keeping room. The bedroom wing would still be in more or less the same location.

I went out and really looked at the parking area...and it will mainly be towards the front, easily accessible to the vestibule door. The barns, would be out back and with the screened porch moved over, maybe just a small covered porch, off the mudroom.

Any other ideas? While part of me feels like I'm creating more problems, I also know one of the best things about the remodel would be the french doors, out to the sunroom (from the dining room) and the great views, out the kitchen. With the screened porch, there won't be that much natural light in the rest of the keeping room. While that's fine (I can use bright colors) I would really miss the light, over the sink.

Well, it's late and I was in a hurry (sorry the plan is not nicer) but just wanted to do a quick sketch of the sunroom with window, over the kitchen sink. All this gloomy weather (first snow and now rain) has me thinking that I can use all the sunlight I can get! LOL
{{!gwi}}From Courtyard Garden album

Now is the part where I get stuck. I can't go back too much further, but the bedroom area could go a little further 'west' or the closet could end up in the bedroom, instead of a separate space. And, while I like the fireplace in the bedroom, it's a splurge we don't have to have. Any ideas? Thanks for looking :)

LL you were going to show the plan to your contractor. Did he have any comments on the feasibility of what you want verses what the little farm house will handle as far as remodeling?

No, not yet. I wanted to work out all the 'kinks' in my own mind, before I show him the plan. I know he's going to have a question about the roof lines. That's going to be a tough one. I'm hoping the sunroom will be easy to add on (where the existing porch is) and maybe the bedroom addition can just be a separate wing. As the addition 'moves south' it not only shrinks my courtyard, but makes the roof lines much more complicated.

On a brighter note, the porch (on our current home) is almost done and it's beautiful! The wall, bay window, siding, etc. were all repaired right before the snow hit...but it's so nice to be able to go out the front door, again. Bringing home groceries or getting home at night, it was not easy walking around the back of the house, to get in :(

Shades- What if we put the master bedroom, where we have the study, now? If I can work out the roof lines, I think that might work. Then, we could have the laundry/mudroom and second bathroom (with claw foot tub) behind the sunroom and courtyard.

The tub doesn't have to be in the master bath...in fact, it might be better if it's not, since I want it more accessible to everyone. Claw foot tubs are so wonderful! I could see a pedestal sink, toilet, the tub...a small chair and maybe a little armoire for linen storage.

This might work out well, since the second bedroom would be for a study and guest space, for my mom. I don't want her to have to go up and down stairs...and she'd love that tub! Maybe with a view, out to the courtyard? :)

What do you think? Here's a rough idea... {{!gwi}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Oh, and when I say I have to work out the roof lines...I mean just have a rough idea how I want the gables/additions to work. My contractor is not an architect, but once we all decide on a plan that should work...then I'll go see an architect, to see if there's anything we've missed.

As for the porch, off the keeping room...we may go back to that being a deck with a pergola above, rather than having a roof. All we really need screened is the hot tub :)

LL I REALLY think you need to talk to your contractor with some idea of what you are wanting to do. To me working it all out on paper exactly how you want it and then it is impossible to do in reality seems like a huge disappointment brewing. Ask me how I know. I did exactly this with a manufactured home and ever since I have been heart broken we did not get that house. This house is great but that one was a dream come true.

I am so confused with what you are trying to do I can not even think. I still go way back to the plan you had all worked out and I posted the link to but I do not remember where.To me it is way too many rooms too cut up. It is confusing to me. BUT it is you that has to live in it and pay for it.

So glad you got your porch fixed. We just got home and it is gorgeous out on our porch right now. I might just go out there and enjoy my coffee before the sun goes down.After I vacuum. The dogs trashed the place while we were gone with their rope toys. LOL

I don't know LL, moving the sink & stove seem like 6 of one and half dozen of another. You're trading viewing out across the dining room to a window for viewing across the sunroom to a window. Personally, I'd like the sink where Summerfield put it so the noise of the vent hood isn't as loud in the dining room if you have to leave it on for awhile after cooking.

Okay, I just talked to my contractor! He really liked some of the inspiration pictures I have...and wanted to take some, to show another client, especially this cottage exterior.
{{gwi:1397301}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

This wood stove (which I really like) {{!gwi}}From Courtyard Garden album

And Young-gardener's kitchen inspiration picture...thanks, Young :) {{gwi:1586397}}From Courtyard Garden album

And, after showing him some of the different plans (he was VERY impressed with Summerfield's software) he liked this one the best. It would be much easier with the roof lines and easier to construct, although he said we could figure out the bigger one, if I really loved it. What's funny...I showed him this one first...probably because he liked the cottage exterior shot, so much! Sorry, it's so light, but it's an earlier, cute cottage version...with the corner banquette. Having the bigger plan, helped me realize what we really wanted and what we could live without. {{!gwi}}From Courtyard Garden album

I want to thank everyone for all their help...especially Summerfield!...but I'm thinking smaller may be more what we need and more importantly, can easily afford. I need to save some money for MORE GARDENS!!! LOL

You all know me, so who knows what I'll come up with next, but this one looks like an easier fit, very fairy tale and probably enough room, with the back porch. I'll probably add a few feet and make it a sunroom/porch, so it could also be used as a guest room.

Here's a much easier to read plan, just imagine a slightly shorter dining area (it's about 6' back from the corner) with the corner banquette...and maybe a desk area/hutch combination.
{{!gwi}}From Courtyard Garden album

Right after I typed all the above, I realized that the bathroom windows overlook the back screened porch, so that will probably stay a porch, not a guest room.

What's funny...I just talked to my mom and she said "how about a guest house, off the mudroom/greenhouse area? Then I could take advantage of the greenhouse space, too!" LOL Now, that's a good idea! :)

Sorry, if I seem a bit giddy, but I just finished ALL this quarterly/year end paperwork and finally had the contractor look at my plans. What a day!

Yippieeeee I think this is the one I liked the best or close to it. It makes so much more sense. you are using rooms for more then one purpose. More a small house concept. there is still lots of rooms and places to enjoy. there appears to be more light in this plan. I can get excited about this one.

Mom has a great idea on guest house as needed. You could also jazz up the living area in the office home you are in right now for a fun guest house. Pare down the things and make more living space more livable. I know you said you might turn it all into off but do you really need it all office? Maybe one bit for guest house.

If later on the family needs to move in or back in you can always add on. Save all the added cost of maintaining all the years for what if for the time you might need it and in the mean time enjoy your yard.

Oh Goody when are you going to start on this?

SO gad you got your book work done. I know that giddy feeling.

Shades- LOL! I thought you would all think I was a flake, for being so all over the place, lately :)

I'm so glad you like this one...I wondered if that's what you were talking about, in the earlier posts. This has always been my favorite 'smaller' home...and you made a very good point about how much work it would take to clean a larger one. That would seriously cut into my gardening time!

I'm still a little nervous about having all the main living areas in the front, but my husband and our contractor said we could easily build some kind of barrier, much more easily than adding on so much to the house. Plus, we don't have to heat or clean that, but I might be able to plant some roses or other flowers on it...

As an aside, there have been two other homes hit by cars, in the past few weeks. One outside of Spokane, where a car crashed into the corner of a manufactured home and last night in Spokane, a car crashed into an apartment. They showed pictures of the apartment on the news just now, with the wall pushed in and said the baby's crib was pushed across the room, by the impact...with the baby in it! Thank goodness, she wasn't injured, but she easily could have been. And, we've been having rain lately and I don't think the roads were even icy...so probably just drunk/idiots/both on the roads, when they shouldn't be. Sheesh!

Lady Lavender ...

pleased to see that you have completed the repairs to your house :-)

i was thinking about a possibility ... in renovating the old farm house , do you really need an additional bedroom ?
since you have the current home , which you will continue to have , and use , as office space ... why not keep a bedroom and bath , there , to use for guests?

i've reworked your farm house floor plan ... made it smaller , with roof lines that will work , and in keeping with your "inspiration" cottage ...

i'll attach them , here ... let me know your thoughts ...

Summerfield- It's just beautiful! Wow! Thank you :)

You're right, we could have extra bedroom space, in our current home...and we would have the space upstairs, too.

This is just amazing...and the exterior is so lovely! I hope we can fit all this in...I'm going to do some measuring and let our contractor see this...but it's just perfect, as far as I'm concerned! Thank you so much :)

Summerfield- I posted this new plan, on the Building a home forum, too!

As beautiful as this plan is...just in case it won't fit in our space...could you do an updated version, of this older plan, with the extra foot in the mudroom and the covered deck...and two feet on the back porch/sunroom?

Although this is smaller, I know it will fit in our space and I have to find out how far we have to be from the well (back right corner of the house). The bigger plan is beautiful, but I'd like to show them both to our contractor.

Here's a quick cut and paste of your earlier plan...and the pergola is a bit smaller, to allow for the access through the lilac hedge, to our current home. If you could, I'd love to see the exterior of this home, too. That way, we could look at both plans and see which one would work better and give us all the space we need, in the remodel. Thank you, so much! :) {{gwi:1400142}}From Courtyard Garden album

I meant to add...there's only one step up to the front of the house, but three or four, on the back, due to the slight slope, down to the creek. So, the pergola can just be a step up, too. I'm thinking of a swing on the right, with the chairs and table, on the left :)

It looks like there isn't enough room for the bathroom bumpout, in the new plan...and the hot tub area would be too close to the well. It's the kind of well you can actually climb down into (all cement) and it's pretty cool, but my husband was not in favor of digging too close to it...so it looks like the smaller plan is the favorite, right now.

That being said, I'm still having second thoughts about the corner banquette. While I love the way it fits into the corner, it would be hard to imagine a bunch of big guys sitting there, when my husband's friends stop by for drinks and snacks! LOL

So, here's the single banquette, with (supposedly) six feet set back from the keeping room corner. I don't know how accurate this picture is, but if there's room, I'll probably add a buffet table that could double as a desk.

Sorry, if you're all getting very tired of my plans...but I do think we're getting close. It really helps to talk about it with all of you, even if you don't want to comment...thanks for looking :) {{!gwi}}From Fairy tale cottage

LL I like the single bench banquet better then the corner one. Maybe I am biased because this is what I have used at our last house. Will also use it here too if we ever have a sit down dinner again.

Also like the buffet desk combination piece idea. This way you can still enjoy your sunny dinning room and have it as a serving space when needed. I love double duty furniture. Even at regular desk height it will work great for a buffet. I used to pull up the island at our last house to use as a buffet.

You have to use your imagination a bit here. The fold up table with cloth fits over the top of the trunk. I happen to use that trunk to hold extra pantry items. Flour ,sugar beer,wine and gallons of whatever, vinegar syrup. Oh and the bread machine.

Then I bring the captains chairs up to the table and then roll the island around cross way as a serving buffet. It really worked well as I would prep at the sink counter area and set it out on the island. then we did not have to clutter up the table with large serving containers. And of course I did not have to worry about hot pots hurting my mosaic top desk. And the top held the heat in the foods.

At this house if we do a dinner party I will either set the food up on the Hoosier pull out tray or the long counter.

Here is a link that might be useful: Last kitchen.

Shades- That's a great room! I love all the windows and the banquette is very nice. I like the way your furniture serves more than one function :)

I like the single banquette, too...especially if it's our only table. While I love the idea of the corner banquette, I can see it being too 'close' for some dinner parties! If it's just me, my mom, the nieces and nephews...it's all fine, but when I pictured three of my husband's friends all 'snuggled up' together...LOL! Well, that kind of made the decision, a little easier.

I think it will work out much better with the windows, too. I like the way your windows wrap around two sides (like this porch) and how good the banquette looks, in the space. Now, I just have to figure out countertops!

Shades- If I do go back to the single banquette, I think an arched window like this one (although it's over a sink) would look wonderful! What do you think? Maybe a smaller window (with window box outside) for the other wall?
{{!gwi}}From Fairy tale cottage

Although the light is great, it does face the road...so not much privacy, at night. I guess that means, I'd only need the arbor on one side, but that might look better, anyway. Then the pergola, over the living room, would be the focal point, on the front :)

LL that is a Gorgeous window and kitchen. I do enjoy the windows at this house. That last house(picture) felt like we were dinning outside with all the windows around. We have that here in the living room and both of us really like it.

I think we have 46 inch windows four in living room and the lighted door. And one in the dinning room and two 30 inch windows on the kitchen wall. when the sun is shining it is really bright in here. Some times too bright. I have to draw the blinds a little.

We are so right on the road but the shade cloth on the porch really makes the house feel private. We can see out but traffic people can not see in.

Shades- All your windows are so pretty, in that picture. I like having lots of light/views, too. Shade cloth sounds like a really good idea. I didn't think about the privacy...but that's a nice benefit, too :)

I posted this on my unfitted kitchen post, but I wanted to get your input, too. I've been debating about putting the washer/dryer in the mudroom (for various reasons) and a fireplace type of surround, around the wood stove. I don't like the idea that a hot surface would be so close to the entry.

So, that being said...I was playing around with some new ideas for the kitchen. I'd like to have a bigger baking area and maybe a little place for marble, out of the main work space. Then, it hit me, what if I moved the wall oven/microwave into the pantry area (I still have the range oven in the kitchen) and I could put the baking area, between the wall oven and corner pantry.

I have the farmhouse sink (with the drainboards on each side) in the pantry, for watering plants, washing veggies, arranging flowers, etc. The main sink (maybe a farm sink?) would be for clean up (especially big mixing bowls, pans, etc.) and the little bar/prep sink on the island, is for drinks and washing produce, out of the fridge.

Although it's just the two of us, most of the time...we do have a lot of people over in the summer and at 'harvest time' so the extra room is really nice. What do you think?

Oh, and I'm thinking the marble in the baking area, blue countertops on the L part of the kitchen, and butcher block on the island...and maybe around the pantry sink. {{!gwi}}From Fairy tale cottage

LL That picture is not this house but the last house we lived at.

I think it is a great idea to put the wall oven in the pantry. This would keep too much heat out of the kitchen when possible at times you are serving up big family dinners. I did have a double wall oven at one house and no stove oven. there were times I used both ovens but have lived most of my life with only one oven.

I think having that pantry room used as a baking kitchen would be good too so you could be doing up diners and some one else could be doing up deserts.

I think I told you we had a house with laundry just around wall from kitchen and I used it for my milking kitchen and also the deep laundry sink was great for soaking pots while we were eating. AND a few times I had some one helping me do dishes each of us at a sink and it really went fast that way. Also took a lot of the dish washing noise out of the eating area of the kitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: Laundry room sink

Shades- I like your sink! That's a great idea, to be doing dishes in two sinks at once, after a big get together.

I have always wanted two ovens. Four burners have always seemed like enough, but there are so many times when I'm baking meats, potatoes, casserole, etc. and I'd love to pop in biscuits or cornbread...but the temperature is completely different. So normally, the food sits for 10-15 minutes, while I bake the bread...then the food goes back in, for a few minutes. Another oven would be wonderful!

Here's a plan, showing the new kitchen layout. I still need to make a few changes, but it's pretty close to the way it would look. Ideally, the fireplace is 3' deep, there's about 6' of space, on the window wall in the keeping room area, before you get to the dining area. And, I'd like to add 1' to the mudroom and 1' to the covered porch (depth) and that would give me 2' more in the screened porch. Much more comfortable.

So, what do you think? Even though this is my smaller plan, now the kitchen feels much larger, than the larger plans. I would much rather have the baking area and the greenhouse, than the second dining room. That was more for everyone else...and this is definitely me :) {{!gwi}}From Fairy tale cottage

Lavender - will you be comfortable putting the casserole or biscuits you just took out of the wall oven directly on the marble? That is your only landing zone near the wall oven/microwave. I guess you could make sure you have trivets in the drawer under the marble, but I wasn't sure if you would have drawers here since you are looking to do an unfitted kitchen. Do you see this as a table with a marble top or cabinets with a marble countertop?

Marble...all marble! LOL

Seriously, it will depend on what I find. It might be wood with a marble inset or a big piece of marble, with some wood cutting boards.

Casseroles would be in the other part of the kitchen...much messier. This is mainly for breads, desserts, biscuits...and I like patina. Especially when it's not in the middle of my island, where everyone stares at it, while they're sitting there! :)