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To start, I am not a home improvement show watcher. My family's current home is a typical 3 bed 1 bath rambler "starter home." We've been here for a long time and as the kids grow up it's become far too small.

It has as expected a small galley kitchen which is mostly walled off, small dining room and small living room. Our plan is to build a 20x22ft rec room off the back of the garage and push the back of the house out ten feet. That will give us a much larger master BR and a second bath. It will also double the size of the kitchen and dining room, which seems a bit too large in proportion to the living room. We plan to go more "open concept" and take the wall between LR and kitchen down to bar height. We also plan to have a good sized island in the middle of the kitchen with the sink, a cooktop and other bits. After living in a small box, I'm looking forward to having the room.

I know it's not to everyone's taste, but since we are effectively creating a huge living room/rec room I look forward to having an open area in the common spaces. The extra bath will be awesome with my wife and girls in teen years. We will also have space for an office area in the new enlarged master bedroom.

Everyone is different I suppose, so if you don't like the concept don't do it. For me/us we are looking forward to having the open space in our house after living in 1000 sf for 15 years!

Micah