HawthorneVillager.com

_________________
Some people are like slinkies. They're really good for nothing but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.

_________________
Some people are like slinkies. They're really good for nothing but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.

In general an eat-in kitchen will appeal to more buyers than one without an eating area. So I'd say option 2 (smaller L shape with banquette eating area and pass thru with moveable small island) as a starting point but it REALLY depends on the layout.

Do you have to have a "pass thru" vs. taking down the wall to open it up? Can you post the layout options?

the open concept one (your last photo) no question

I agree, the last one. Just a few suggestions:
1. on the island, since there will be no stools, will the cabinets facing the hallway be tall ones that you can put coats into?
2. that tall skinny piece of real estate beside the dishwasher would be perfect for a tall skinny broom closet.

If you are going for open concept then dooring anything off defeats that. How long are you going to be staying in the house? If a while then go with whatever you love. If a short time then I would go with stainless steel. Real estate agents can chime in on that. I actually think that you may need more cabinet space ie a pantry.

IMO I'd ditch the french doors (any doors) on the foyer. I know 3 separate friends that have a foyer with french doors and they are always open. I can't really make out the dimensions of your layout, but having these doors open may cramp your space. Even if they don't, if they are going to be open all the time (they will), what's the point of them?

For appliances, the only colour I would consider outside of stainless is black. White seems a bit tacky IMO. I would stick with stainless for your kitchen. I'm not a fan of butcher block either, but to each their own.

Open concept for sure, great for entertaining (as long you can create a proper foyer/entrance-way). I agree you don't want everyone walking right into the kitchen. We came from a place that had a corner kitchen with doors to get in. It really sucked and felt claustrophobic. Super awkward when we had guests over for dinner. In our townhouse here, the open concept kitchen/dining/living was one of the biggest selling features for us. For regular nights we could watch a bit of TV right from the kitchen while preparing dinner, and when we entertain, the dining room is right there, and we have the home theatre system for music.

Personally I love stainless (with the right grain and design features), versus white stuff, but it has to be carried through from cabinet hardware, sink, etc. Mixing and matching never looks right (with the exception of dishwashers, its nicer when they just blend into the cabinetry).

What sort of colour are you thinking for wood floors? Depending on the feel you want, the colour of floor will have an affect on other colours used throughout. I tend to not like really warm colours, so I am not the biggest fan of really amber looking oak (for example). If you paint white walls, the orangey floors will make the white feel more beige than a bright white. In our last place we picked a medium brown that was a bit more subdued and neutral (not super rich or dark brown) and it worked well with whatever colours we decided to put on walls (and we had a purple, orange, yellowish/green, charcoal and white walls throughout). Also, satin finish FTW!