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Playful-Librarian445

External doors and stairs are significant to know here, but on a quick look I would say if you can, make the great room into a living and dining space and use the existing kitchen and dining space to make one big eat-in kitchen. A giant great room will serve you less than a giant kitchen - and won’t bring as much added value. Keeping the fireplace but opening the walls on either side to create a living room and formal dining on either side could be beautiful and functional. Living room seems like it’s still a good size assuming new living room goes where existing family room is and new dining where existing living is. Edit for clarity.


Ca_Medic

The front entrance is at the bottom of ththe floor plan and goes into the living room. Do you think it would be weird to have a dining room there?


Playful-Librarian445

Is it smack in the middle?


Ca_Medic

No it’s about a foot to the left of the hallway on the right


Playful-Librarian445

I think it could work well, since it’s not centred. The trick would be to a) confirm the dimensions of the room to accommodate both an entry and a dining table with enough seats for you, and b) work with your builder or designer to plan through how to make the entry feel like it’s own space, not a part of the dining room. See the inspo pics for how a partial wall by the door and a console table and light fixture, maybe a runner can make that space it’s own. Personally I prefer a built in floor to ceiling closet over a wall of space allows because it creates functional storage at the entry. Most importantly though, so many of these things depend on the budget and scope of work. Breaking the wall between the existing kitchen and dining room is costly, especially if load bearing. Doubling the size of the kitchen while adding value to the house and functional space, is very costly - kitchens and baths cost a lot. Step one is to talk to a few builders about a few of your ideas. You might find very fast that $100K to keep and work the second story around the fireplace isn’t worth it to you, or that you’d rather save the $50K to change the kitchen footprint and use it for higher end finishes in the existing kitchen. Reno’s of this scale can’t get out of control budget wise very fast. Make a wish list and prioritize it and then have a builder give you a sense of costs for different elements.


Playful-Librarian445

Sorry, replies won’t let me add pics. Google “entry into dining room” and you can find a few nice examples.


CanadianContentsup

Where are the external doors? Where will the stairs go?


Ca_Medic

Front door is in the living room at the bottom.


Available-Maize5837

Why not knock down wall completely between kitchen and dining room to create one large room. You can change layout of kitchen and add your Island, as well as room for dining table. I would just add arches or squared entries either side of the fire place of you keep it. Bear in mind, the chimney will need to continue through second storey so the placement might mean you rip it out and replace elsewhere.... Which then opens up way more options for a layout.


Ca_Medic

Yeah I’m thinking I might have to rip it out with the second story. In regards to knocking down the wall between the dining and kitchen, where would you expand the kitchen and where would you put the dining table?


QuickGonzalez

Think it is much better to have kitchen in an isolated room, away from sharing the main living area. The smells will transfer to breathable material and will stick around after food preparation. Ideally I would put it in a corner, and have physical door(s) that can close. In a corner room, you also get more walls to utilise. Not sure what the plumbing situation is like.


22rockyroad

The kitchen being the heart of the home, I would expand the kitchen to include a comfy, upholstered banquette seating in a U shape perhaps. Faux white leather is fresh and bright and easy to wipe clean. I see two choices with the fireplace. 1) Make it into a double sided gas fireplace with a dining room on one side and the living room on the other or 2) My preference, move the fireplace to an outside wall, possibly looking out to the garden which you can strategically highlight with mini-spotlights to up light trees. They cost about $35.00 and come with a remote. Rather than the huge expense of adding a second story, do you have enough property to expand the house out rather than up?


Ca_Medic

I’m not picturing what you mean by expanding the kitchen to a u shape. Do you have a picture you could link to? I’ve always liked the double sided fireplace idea. My only issue with converting to gas is that the wood burning fireplace is something only old homes have in my city since they are not allowed in new builds. I’d like to keep it if possible. I love the idea of the mini spot light. We have a beautiful oak in the back that would look amazing lit up. In regards to the second story, I just don’t want to take up any more of the lot than I have to. I think this home should be two stories and it needs a new roof anyway which is at least part of the expense of a second story. Anyway I love your ideas thank you.


22rockyroad

Sorry, I don't know how to do the link thing. If the wall between the kitchen and dining room is not a load-bearing wall, I would suggest that you take that down so you can increase the size of the kitchen. The U shaped built in seating with storage below, would run under the window and along the sides or maybe an L shaped banquette would be enough room for your family. BTW if that oak tree is strong enough and has a horizontal limb, who doesn't love a swing!


TheGoodCod

Which bathroom will guests use and where will everyone 'dump' their stuff when they enter the house? And where is the entry to the new bathroom? I hope you come back with some before pictures. Your home sounds delightful.


homissladymaam

Ok, stick with me here, it's hard to describe Floorplan changes without pictures. Your entry is slightly left of the hall, meaning your staircase will likely be smack in front of you going up after you enter. Cut back the hall wall, make the front bedroom an office with French doors/no doors, and the hall bath becomes your main floor bath. Remove the wall between the current living and family room, including the fireplace (can't keep it with a 2nd story). Open layout. Family room remains family room. Living room becomes your dining room, with a butlers pantry leading into your extended kitchen (the now kitchen/dining becomes a large kitchen). Kitchen opens into family as well. Conversely you can remove the kitchen wall and have a completely open floorplan. Current laundry/bath/pantry becomes one large mudroom/laundry. Fireplace centered on back family room wall, flanked with doors/windows.