Hiya, My cottage is about the same age and I know exactly what you mean. First, I would check and see if it is structural. There is no point in doing all the work, then finding out that you are going to have to replace it in 5/10 years when it folds in on itself. I stripped the floors in one room and it was a massive job. Old floorboards have big gaps and mine had lots of old nails and other bits that I had to remove by hand one by one. Eventually I dark stained them and bought a carpet that leaves a 1m gap around the edges of the room, to give it the period feel, but cover up the not so good boards in the middle. After doing one bedroom, I have screwed Flooring boards (thick special chipboard) to the others. Made it level and reinforced, then bought a good underlay and carpet. To be honest, it looks and feels so much better, I wish I hadn`t bothered with trying to strip the floors in the other room. Please show us pics when it is finished :)

It looks like the simplest thing to do would be just add one bedroom (so 2 bed one bath). Keep the current bedroom and reception as they are. Knock down between kitchen and bathroom to make a large kitchen diner. Leave a small courtyard to allow for light for the bedroom, then behind this build another bedroom and bathroom, order depending on soil pipe access, but it would be nice to have the bathroom between the bedrooms and master bedroom at the back overlooking garden if possible...

Ah thank you, I did use to seal diamond hard finish and put about four coats on. I think I will lightly sand and varnish again over every year. I'm reluctant to get a big mat as knowing my lot they will see that as an excuse to walk even further into the kitchen without taking their wellies off! Aarrrrrggggghhhhhhhhh, I have got a small door mat and a rug where the shoe rack is

I quite like the wooden ‘pastry bench’ although if actually needed for that purpose, marble would be better. Also, for practical use, personally think it’s too far from the sink & cooking areas. I would also be unsure about the floor, I like it but there is just something that isn’t right - as you said, maybe it just needs some copper elements in the room (handles) to pull it together. I’d keep the direction of the ‘grain’ as it is - I think it would look odd all in line but it’s worth trying it before committing.