If you missed Part 1, it’s here: How It Began .

After the bathroom had been entirely ripped out, Matt commented to me (yeah, it’s me, Esther) in a moment of weakness, “You know, now that there isn’t anything left, we could put the bathroom anywhere in the house.”

He says he doesn’t remember saying that.

But he did. He distinctly did.

It was because of that comment that I re-examined the house’s floor plan (that I had already plotted for the purpose of arranging our furniture when we moved in).

The bathroom was on the east side of the kitchen. To the north of the kitchen and bathroom was a bedroom in the back corner, and an odd oversized entry that was going to be difficult to use in any efficient way.

Was there any other room arrangement that made more sense than what already existed?

Yes. Yes, there was.

If the bathroom was moved into that northeast corner…And the access to the bathroom was through the kitchen….that left space for what could either be a small bedroom for one of our five kids, or a huge walk-in pantry, or something.

And the kitchen–

Ohhh, the kitchen. I had been wondering how on earth we were going to fit our large family of seven into the cramped eating space. This change would expand the kitchen/dining to be huge, and lovely. And let in more light! The kitchen had no exterior walls, and therefore no windows. I hate a lack of natural light in my interior spaces. Exterior walls meant maaaaybe windows…

Now I just had to convince Matt.