Hi - in UK that's an acceptable size and as a designer I would say that's totally fine - although most islands tend to be 900mm deep. In USA you'd need a bit more depth behind your hob - it's a min of 12inches clear landing space one side and 15inches clear the other side of hob then 9inches behind.

There are lots of companies who can supply the doors. If you want more storage swap some of the base and wall units for larder units. They hold a wealth of items but of course you will be minus the worktop. If you're only using that particular area to store items on then it won't matter as you can put them in the larder unit.

Hello all. When I made my first post I grossly underestimated how much time (or not) I would have available to think about my project so apologies for the lack of engagement on my part. Lockdown has provided a bit more time for a meaningful ponder so thought I would throw our latest idea out there as the cross section of views on Houzz are so interesting and useful and spark so many new thoughts. The key change is a small front extension to allow the stair to be relocated and make way for a home office - a new must have following recent experience of trying to work from home without a dedicated space. There is scope for the stair/hall to be double height. The utility has been pushed from the middle of the room to the far corner which is the darkest spot in the house. The other option we considered was to put the utility just beyond the ground floor WC which would be cheaper for the plumbing but we wondered whether it felt a bit cramped and gave a less instant open feel when entering the kitchen / diner.... Instead, this space (where the small chair and coffee table are shown) is intended to be my little 'coffee shop' spot with a breakfast/coffee pantry and low level units on the back wall doubling up as a bench seat. This outcome is around 4.75m length for the kitchen along the rear wall with a 2.35m island between 2 structural columns that we think will be needed. Combined with the low level units, breakfast pantry and small utility were hopeful this is a more appropriate and workable amount compared to what was proposed originally. The area beyond the kitchen is a play space for the immediate term. Would be nice to be able to close it off in due course as a snug perhaps. Dining table is shown in front of bifold doors (southish facing). We already have large sliding doors onto the garden from the lounge. Still 50:50 on bifold doors versus a built in bench seat with a bifold or sliding window instead (I blame the Irish architect on Your Home Made Perfect and his love of a bench seat!). The other key change is to widen the openings into both the lounge and kitchen diner with tall sliding pocket doors so we can open the whole space up or close areas down as needed. Quite cathartic to think out loud! Any views, observations or suggestions very welcome. Many thanks

Thought I knew that nice warm light in the photos. I'm from Melbourne but now in the UK and this is the UK Houzz site your on :) A few things that are specific to AU to check. When I last renovated I discovered due to building regulations we had to have a laundry sink near the washing machine. On a garage conversion. Here's some info I found: Since you're converting a non-habitable space into a habitable space, you will need to get a building permit for your garage conversion. An architect or building designer can tell you if your garage is suitable for conversion and what the requirements are. These may include: Ceiling height of at least 2.4 metres, which may involve structural changes The concrete slab must be waterproof, termite resistant and perfectly level if you're using certain garage floor coverings Walls must be waterproofed and insulated Windows must cover an area at least 10% the size of the floor area Walls within 900mm of property boundaries must be fire rated, which may limit the location of windows and doors Many local councils across Australia require that a home has provision for covered parking, so a garage conversion might not be possible unless you have a second garage or add a carport first. I'd check with the council on that. After all that I think taking out your wall between the kitchen and laundry will give you the best value for your extra space. And if you want more Australia specific advice you can pop the question onto the Australian Houzz site. 👍🏻