Thank you everyone! chantelle- I love the design but thinking more brass/gold than silver. Definitely liking the picture rail and chandelier though! Alison- clever use of space there! Love the dark colouring. Headsters- loving the photo and definitely the sort of look I'm thinking. Where did you get the vanity from? Really nice. inga! Your such a tease! (((Sob sob))) love the photos, well all of them aside from the one that I have the space for. :( i should seriously just consider just getting a shower as I know this will look better then cramming a bath in but with a toddler and a concern for resale (especially due to prime school catchment) I am hesitant. Mirrors are a great idea and I do like the shape of the bath in last photo- traditional vibe. if you feel my pain for the bathroom situation then you will be even more saddened to know the kitchen dimensions! lets just say I had better not put on any weight as I may get lodged in cabinet to wall! any ideas on antique looking vanity units and gold brass looking taps would be appreciated. thanks so much to all x

Elainer, This really would depend on the style of kitchen and the colours used in the space. Seamless cupboards for example can seem far less imposing when they are larger/taller and can give you all the storage you need. There are also lots of ways and types of cupboards you use that are very flexible and accessible. A modern contemporary kitchen is much easier to be able to achieve this but there are still things that can be done if it is a more traditional space. The amount of light that bounces around also makes a big difference as to how crowded a space can look and what colours are best to use. As suggested, a 3D render of the space would really help you see the overall effect and allow you to play around with the space. I offer a package for 3D's like this as I feel it is really important to be able to see and feel the space before you have any work done. I would be happy to go through this with you if you want to get in touch. Regards and all the best with your project, Gina

I was also going to suggest Ikea's Ivar: super flexible, comes in three heights, two widths, two depths and a corner option, with as many or as few shelves as you need. Raw solid pine and you finish it yourself, it's fantastic value. I've attached two photos of it in my (small London) flat and you can see it's adjusted for CDs, files, books of different sizes, display etc. This is the medium height and 30cm deep one.

Most ceilings are 2.7 m high which is about 8'6" so you only have 18" more. This means that if you built a mezzanine you wouldn't be able to stand up in it and the room below will have a low ceiling. Also it doesn't look like you have a solid wall on both sides of the kitchen so you may have nothing to attach the joists too. Personally I would abandoned the idea. Instead I would decorate to show off the space you have. Firstly I would add some really substantial coving and perhaps a picture rail. I would paint the ceiling a pale grey, coving and woodwork a soft white and then a deeper colour for the walls. I might also see if I could get cornice put on top of the kitchen to make it feel more expensive.