Kitchen Remodel Ideas

Bought my first house. See pics here: house layout help - Album on Imgur . My issue is when it comes to resale the kitchen is tiny. Also there is a step down 22'x9' room that is essentially dead space. Raising up this floor would be too expensive for us. My question is based on the pictures 1) do you have any ideas for how to make the kitchen bigger and 2) how to make use of that 22'x9' room.

My idea was to expand kitchen into existing dining room and then move dining room into dead space room. Also knock down the wall between kitchen and current dead space room to open it up a bit. Any ideas regarding a new floorplan, including specifics about kitchen layout, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

You've already asked about this a few months ago. I'm putting that link here so people don't have to repeat suggestions already given:

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/de...ml#post2613292