Thank you Carolina and Minnie. I'm still surprised people are so helpful on these forums- really grateful for everyone's advice! I'm no expert at design for sure - if it's xray guided surgery no problems haha. Carolina I'm glad you think the steps can look OK. I'm beginning to think maybe it might not look so odd. The kitchen design is just whatever the architect put together himself for the plans, but I'm yet to consider how to actually lay it out. Any advice? The idea for the 'utility' is that there will be long closet / cupboards from wall to ceiling with the washer and dryer hidden by those. I know it's called utility but in reality itll just be an extension to the massive hallway in order to get access to the kitchen and downstairs loo. Storing the washer and dryer there was a thought to utilise the remainder of that space. The reason it has to have a door is because the architect says new fire safety rules stipulate there has to be a fire door to a kitchen to prevent fire from spreading to the main house. Otherwise I would have just not kept that door at all and kept a big hallway. Although the hall is disproportionate, with the high ceilings, it is what we really liked about the property and gave a really nice airy feeling to the place. Minnie thank you for that link. What a stunning conservatory they've built. With regards to having one set of steps- I was thinking the same at one point - that maybe I could just keep one set of steps from the 'utility' down - and swap the kitchen and dining space. The only thing that I don't like about that idea is that I wanted there to be a free flow of space to go from the living room down into the extension too. But I guess you can't have everything in life and maybe having a bannister like they have in the link you've sent, would allow for that airy feeling and continuity of light. Should people need to go from the living room down into the kitchen they'd have to go through the 'utility'....

Hi, Sometimes constraints are not real. Please reconsider each of your perceived constraints in turn. For example if a window cill is too low to put a kitchen counter in from of it. Then consider actually putting the kitchen unit in that place, but have a step down beyond the counter with a decorative backing board (seen from outside). Likewise reconsider each and every space in your home as the possible location for the kitchen... best wishes

My garden originally had a step down from the kitchen, onto wobbly concrete, then 2 steps up to the rest of the garden. We eventually decked the lower patio bringing it level with the kitchen door. Problem with decking is it isn’t long lived. Within 8 years it was starting to rot. However, there are some lovely hardwood decks that aren’t cheap but last much longer. Last year we removed the deck and laid paving level with the kitchen door with a drainage grill running by the house. It wasn’t cheap but I think it will outlive me! With yours, I think the 2nd option sounds good. I would raise the whole lot level with the dining room, create a nice big patio suitable for seating or a table and chairs, and then further on create nice wide steps going down to the lawn. This can be done with decking (budget option) or paving ( more expensive sandstone/porcelain). Your current layout isn’t ideal and very bitty. This is my little patio level with house then steps up.

Never seen a flexible downpipe before