Do you have a kitchen that's located next to a family or living room?  If so you can turn it into one great big room.  If you are planning out a new home build you might want to consider a great room. Great rooms can do a lot for your home.  They can open up the size of the house and make it feel a lot bigger.  They help to create a warm and communal environment joining the two rooms where most people spend most of their time.  Typically most time is spent in the kitchen and if you have a great room everyone can hang out in the kitchen and spill into the sitting and television area. The great room makes a perfect place for holiday events and family parties because it's easy to accommodate so many people without segmenting off part of the group into another room.  Another important point about the great room is often it can be an easy conversion.  Depending on how your home floor plan is laid out you might be able to just remove a couple walls and connect the two rooms together.  As long as there aren't major support studs in those connecting walls between your kitchen and an adjacent room then it is a very low cost improvement that can really add some value to your house, financially as well as the value you get from having a great place to gather with your close friends and family. If you have any questions about building a great room or remodeling your kitchen into a great room give us a call.  We can come and take a look at your house to determine if your kitchen can easily covert into a great room.