That's looking a lot better. A few followup comments: 1. I agree with bepsf that the opening to the dining (formerly living) from the entry should be an "archway" or similar opening. A pair of pocket doors would work or make sure the french doors can open 180 degrees and stay out of the way. Similarly, I'd add an opening (with french doors if you must) on the other side of the fireplace to match the ones you have. 2. I'd flip the door to the utility room to the left so it aligns with the exterior door. Much more efficient use of space OR (better yet) flip the exterior door to the east and move the countertop to the other side. This way the door won't be as visible from the entry, you'll get more countertop, and the flow will be better. 3. Sitting room - if you need to keep the entrance from the front hall, why not move the fireplace to the southeast corner, flip the couch to the north wall and use this as your formal living room (and no door). The flow into the room will be much better. It also gives you much better use of the bay window. Then you can use the room now labeled "living room" as your more informal sitting/family room. 4. Squeezing past the shower to enter the powder room is still awkward. 5. Kitchen - it looks like the island (I assume that's what's in the middle) should move to the west to give yourself enough space to have a usable counter on the east wall. 4'6" is a pretty good distance between counters.. You seem to have more space than you need between the island and the patio doors. There's also a lot of inefficient space between the fireplace and island. I'd make sure that there's either enough room for a small table, or just make the island and east wall cabinets longer. 6. One last thought - since you rearranged the use of the rooms, had you considered switching between the dining and living? I think this would make things work even better. If you do, I'd go back to my comment of opening the sitting room from the study ha

Mary, I am very glad to hear from you. I think of you often. It hurt me terribly when that unthoughtful person said what she said. I can only imagine how it must have hurt you. I would love to see how you have decorated for Christmas. I am almost certain there are differences between how our 2 countries do it. Take care and looking forward to seeing updated posts in the near future.

Thanks for the explanation. Try a wall that is drawers up to waist high, cupboards above that. YOu can add pull-out cutting boards at waist height so that you can put things there when unpacking groceries and putting things away in the cabinets and drawers: Drawers will help but they will not increase storage space by a factor of two. You could also add drawers where the microwave is now and continue to keep the microwave on top. Here is another wall of wood cabinets: Although it will not solve your storage problem, I recommend that you pull everything out of the cabinets and drawers, one drawer or shelf at a time. Be flexible about storing things elsewhere while the children are very small. Or discarding "aspirational cooking" implements (egg slicers, orange zesters, martini shakers. lobster-shaped gelatin molds) that just haven't been used in years. Families with children tend to accumulate an enormous amount of plastic stuff. In six months or a year, they will need different plastic stuff!

If you take the wall down between the hall and front room you wont get any more furniture into it as it will still be a corridor. I say save your money here. Personally I would put a dining table in here. The back room with the stairs will make a lovely living room. I presume the upstairs is not big enough to put the bathroom up there. In the kitchen area I would put the bathroom in the sink area and then put the kitchen at the garden end so that you end up with a lighter kitchen and a bathroom with no window. Plus this way even though your kitchen will be small now you may be able to extend it later.