Hi Maire, We work mainly in the UK, we are doing this style of overhang roof all the time for the same rain shelter, we really do love it! We always recommend somewhere in the region of a 500mm overhang up to 1 meter. This allows space for some downlights within the overhang section of flat roofing, while also providing the much-needed rain shelter. We will always recommend fitting a roof lantern if the budget will allow, this gives you the natural light to the kitchen space which we agree will be needed. Our Director grew up in Kerry and is always talking about how much it rains in Ireland! For some reason he loves it...

Hi. I wonder if you use the drawing room as your kitchen diner? You could then use your existing kitchen as the utility and include a downstairs toilet in there as well. I was thinking you could extend the hallway so that the door into the new kitchen diner is moved up slightly so that you enter from the area that is currently your kitchen. This would give you a full run of units along the wall between the new kitchen diner and the living room. You could then have an island, peninsula or u shaped kitchen in front of that run and have your dining table in front of the windows. For what is left of the current kitchen (after a square has been taken out for the extended hallway) you could have the toilet on the right (block the current external door) and a new external door in the middle of the back wall with units either side. The alternative is extend as planned and put the utility between the living room and new kitchen diner which would give more light to the kitchen diner area. All subject to plumbing of course!

Lol, yes, the fruit bowl is hiding it at the moment! I would live with it but I was thinking of selling the property in the not too distant future & I think I’d struggle to pass it off as a selling point 😊