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I do think that the general layout of Johns plan (and most others from yesterday) is ideal, with the kitchen leading into the mudroom/utility area of the house. I really like the way the house immediately opens up when you walk past the stairs, but then the closet defines the dinning room.

I wanted to do something a little differently though. Orient the living and dining areas to the back to take up the view of the garden, as that is supposedly quite lovely. It also creates a much larger space for the dinning area, theres probably space for 12 there.

The kitchen I’ve placed at the front of the house. I’ve seen a few really nice kitchens recently that have open fireplaces, and I’m quite taken by the concept. Nice and cozy. Or it can be re-appropriated as a pizza oven!

I moved the garage door to the side of the house, opening into a mudroom with shelving/counter space between the windows, coat hooks on the right, and a main floor bathroom. I’ve got a storage room in the garage, but it may not allow enough room for the car if they have a big one…

Another thing I did thats different to most is keep the enclosed entrance, much like Louis’s. I’d like to have some interior connection with the house’s past, and the entry hall would be a nice way to keep that.
That leads to the office, which everyone agrees is best placed in the front room. With only one door into the classic entry hall, there is a lot of separation from the rest of house physically and stylistically. I think it would be a great place to get some work done.

One problem I have, echoing Doug, is that the second stairs most of us demolished are probably there for a reason…

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Some creative ideas here, especially today. Well done!

Yesterday I started with what became the popular layout, but was persuaded by Louis’ post to provide for a bigger foyer and living room in addition to a large dining room. And since I didn’t want to tramp all the traffic through the living room or office to get to the kitchen, I needed to keep the thru-hall.

But then I noticed the undersized stairway, just 2.5 x 7′. When I rebuilt that to a standard 3 x 10, there just didn’t seem to be enough space for a hallway and sizable living room on the north side the stair (Louis, your window seats are a GREAT idea, but the living room might feel crowded at just 12′ wide).

So I gave up one fireplace and moved the office to the back corner on the garden, which gives Pamela a sunnier, cozier space with a view and light from three sides. This seemed to me to be a better use of this asset than the mudroom I had planned.

The front-central part of the house then became a formal entry, closet, powder room, hallway, and mudroom (accessed through the garage for storage of gear and dirty boots). The circulation is circular :), and the living areas get the continuous exterior window walls.

Just a comment about entries. I think the front entrance needs to have the set of inner doors (enclosed entrance) in a climate like Winnipeg’s.

I also think that the mudroom should be accessible directly from the backyard, as well as the garage. With 3 boys and usable backyard space, coming in through the mudroom is essential. In John’s design, the only backyard door comes in between the kitchen and living room. Potential cleaning nightmare!

Michael,
As much as I think it’d be great to have all the living/dining space across the back, I find your front hall a bit closed-in with that long wall behind your kitchen. Also, it’s going to be a bit circuitous to bring groceries in from the garage.

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Great ideas from everyone. Although Steve’s plan offers us a fresh perspective, including Michael’s, I too wonder about the cost implications. John’s solution would indicate to us the extent of the renovation budget as well as the restraint shown concerning the exterior modifications. Nonetheless, it’s interesting (and fun) to explore all possibilities.

Given the need to host large dinner gatherings, i thought the Goodwins (as well as others here) would appreciate the flexibility, quality and precision of using a Captstan Table from DB Fletcher Design (UK) – a table that expands to over 8′ in diameter and doubling its seating capacity. With slight adjustments to some of the furniture arrangements, it would work well in all the plans submitted thus far. Also, a round table may also be better suited to most of the square-like Dining Room proportions posted. I was even able to expand the size of Kitchen after making some minor adjustments to my plan from yesterday.

Sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh_qn62zny0
http://www.dbfletcher.com/capstan/

Louis – interesting table…also liked your mud room design.

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Further to my previous comment, here is my suggested demo plan.

We’ll see how much change is required upstairs, but based on the first floor alone, I disagree that complete demolition is preferred to the changes I’ve suggested. It’s really not that different from the other plans. Windows are moved, but otherwise the exterior walls remain intact. If the concern is the stairwell, I’ve only widened it a few inches, moved the newal post to the other side, and made the steps to the basement usable. I think the second floor adjustments will be minor … unless it really was crammed into just 7′, in which case it’s a mandatory fix.