Have you though about using a luxury vinyl tile such as Karndean or Amitico? With the right floor prep you could end up with a very neat finish where it meets the tiles and not worry about expansion gaps. The wood effect versions of luxury vinyl can be very realistic and extremely hard wearing. I have used this product quite a bit in recent months even completing a gym in my own house just this week. www.fusionfloors.co.uk

Completely agree that there are no hard and fast rules. We've done many projects that use oak for both the flooring and the stairs. A good way of breaking it up may be to go for tiles what was your reasoning for not considering them before? It can often be a throwaway comment by friends who similarly cannot envision what the finished look can be. If they aren't a professional with your overall 'look' and 'feel' constantly in mind I would often take their opinion with a pinch of salt.

For me it would be looks, insulation and being able to repaint in the future....so more questions if anyone is patient enough with me! 1. Can a composite door be repainted in the future? 2. Is there a benefit in keeping the house warm? I am wondering if the actual body of the door is an insulator, so is a composite door filled with something to insulate against the the cold or is a wooden door as 'warm'. Or is the insulating factor dependent on the quality of either door; good composite, good wood is better than cheaper versions of both? 3. Again about insulation, is the 'warm' factor not linked to the body of the door at all but to the fit in the frame? The wooden door we will be replacing, due to the build, will open straight into the kitchen. Hadnt expected this to be quite as confusing. Thanks to those for advising.

A couple of thoughts on the design that may help you replan...... There seems to be very little counter space between your hob and sink, once you set dirty dishes on one side and clean on the other, where will you prep? Perhaps you could put the hob in your island? Or move it or the sink to the other wall? It’s worth considering a change from your wall oven to fitting one (or two) under the counter one. You’ll get back the worktop space, and thus could easily move your fridge next to the pantry. We opted for two full size Neff slide and hide door ovens under our counters , one regular oven, one steam oven, with our hob directly above them and it’s one of the best decisions I made. I have the ergonomic and space benefits of a range cooker, but superior capacity and functionality for my needs. An induction hob not only looks sleeker, but effectively gains you work space too. You can stick a cookbook / chopping board/ etc directly next to your pot while cooking and it will be fine. Karen from One Plan is terrific and will draw you a proper well thought out plan. Alternatively a virtual planning appointment with Ikea will also result in a plan, and unlike Howdens, an actual price, too. Both companies work in standard cm dimensions....a 40cm wide cabinet is a 40cm cabinet is a 40cm cabinet. (One difference is depth and height.... Ikea units are a little bit deeper, and a little bit taller, so they have a little bit more capacity). Hope that helps.