Love the kitchen design but don't really see the connection with the zebra and why you would want to have it in your kitchen but it still does look very eye-catching. But as with all home design what one person likes isn't always likeable to someone else so think if you do like it, its your home and that's all that's important as its you that has to live in it!

I hate it. I quite like the smell and the look is quite nice (especially if over an ugly building). However the cons, and there are many, far out-weigh the pros. High maintenance, potential structural damage, insects (though I don't mind them too much) and worse - you may as well be building a network of ladders for mice and rats to get around. Ugh. On the structural damage - with old houses, it is essential that the pointing is regularly checked and it has to be redone from time to time. Even if the ivy doesn't cause damage by getting in through cracks, it still traps moisture and holds it in your porous brick walls for longer causing potential damage to brickwork and timbers behind it such as lintels and joists. Even at the very least it obscures the view of your walls so you can't check your pointing regularly and monitor any cracks (which you mightn't notice until too late anyway if ivy-covered). Ivy is just bad news for a building even if it does look nice. Edited to add one more thing, that I forgot - ivy spreads rapidly and aggressively (birds sprinkle the berries around) and smothers trees and other plants so it's not all that environmentally friendly after all.

Please can anyone suggest the best method to deep clean, what I think, are porcelain floor tiles? They have a textured finish and ad we live beside a beach, dirt, dust and sand easily lodge and make the tiles look constantly grubby and generally filthy. I have tried conventional mops, scrubbing on my hands and knees which isn't ideal! Any suggestions, recommendations greatly appreciated!

hi, my sister in law has a very similar sized kitchen to u and shebhasbso much storage she even has empty cupboards!! she put her sink infront of the windowbwith the hob opposite, to the left of the hob shebhas a tall unit with her ovens in it and the otherside she has her fridge and then 2 base units and 2glass display wall units. on the far wall to the right of her sink she has wall units, and to the left of her sink she has a stretch of worktop similar to ur plan which leads to a peninsular island that steps down from her worktop height to create a table. would love to see some pics of what plan you go with and the finished result