My husband and I purchased our home last year and now we are discovering that our kitchen space just isn't working for us. We entertain a lot, so it's becoming a bother that our dining space (which is in the "den") is so detached from the kitchen. Also, we do not use the wok kitchen, which is now just empty unused space. We can't move the dining table into the "family" room, because that's our TV lounge space.

We are planning to open up the kitchen by taking down all the pantry and wok kitchen walls (except of course for the wall that's shared with the powder room). I've got a thumbs up from our contractor who assures us that a beam can be placed overhead. We could then extend our kitchen island to approx 9ft in length, which would provide us with loads more casual seating.

Our dilemma now is whether or not to also remove the left wall of the den. Again, our contractor tells us that an overhead beam is feasible. This would really give us a much more open-concept space, but I'm concerned about the powder room facing the dining table. Would all the destruction be worth it?

Thanks loads in advance for your advice and opinions!!