Prior to renovation, the floor plan of the house had remained unchanged for decades. For the most part, it was a very functional and fluid layout that lended well to entertaining. One could enter the front of the house and do a complete loop of the first floor without ever seeing the kitchen, so it lended well to staging formal parties. Also, it contained ample storage space.
The layout had its problems, however. Notably, the kitchen was tiny, with very little counter space. It was also dark: the sunroom -- which was added after the home was constructed -- limited the kitchen's natural light. Also, the kitchen was essentially sealed off from the rest of the first floor, preventing the cook from any social interaction with others while preparing meals. Families today do not desire kitchens that are so separated from living spaces.
The breakfast room adjoining the kitchen was well used (most meals were consumed at the breakfast room table on a daily basis), but not very functional. It was a small space, and maneuvering around the table was difficult. It also benefited from little natural light because of the sunroom.
Another problem with the floor plan was that there was no powder room on the first floor. If ever the bedroom was in use -- as either a master bedroom or as a guest bedroom -- guests would have to infringe on the privacy of the person/persons using that bedroom or walk upstairs to use the restroom.
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