Thanks a mill for the feedback. Yes I did think about switching utility door to other side of utility so that kitchen could be L shaped and more uniformed, great idea to incorporate cloakroom in there though and perhaps get rid of the extra door. I also definitely want a corner sofa in living area but not sure which way to position it or where to put the tv. The corner glass is just a window, only patio doors off dining area. I had wanted a gas feature stove and tv above on far left wall but that wall has to be inset now to avoid garage and I'm not sure if window seat is a waste there with view obstructed. We do love the U shape of extension so don't necessarily want to enlarge playroom or dining area (plus it means not knocking the external wall which budget may not allow). Also don't need patio doors off master bedroom, west of Ireland weather means they'd rarely be open so a large picture window should suffice! Just need to play around with main open plan space and get the doors, kitchen, living spaces right so really appreciate all feedback.

We've ordered a Wren Kitchen (Milano too) and so far so good for us. I love the design we've come up with together, they've been more responsive than the smaller local companies we spoke with, and more creative than the Howden's plan we had. We got quotes from 4 companies - handle-less kitchens were dearer than shaker etc in all. Wren have a 'list price', and a price that they say is the 'discounted' price which is the one they offer customers. Discounted is closer to the actual price, but you can still negotiate - they have the space to move. I hate that they do the whole 'this price will be held for 24hrs' routine (ugh! I wish they'd cut that out.), however they will price match if you get a better quote for a similar kitchen elsewhere. Initially their designs were fine, but nothing startling, but with a bit of thought and a moving things around we've got something really creative. We've had 4 x 2hr slots with our designer to get to a point where we're proper excited about our plans. They're also had a surveyor come round to measure up. We are using our own fitter - he's someone who's done a lot of work locally on friends kitchens so we've seen the quality of his work. When I was seeking advice on the quality of Wren kitchens v others from him, he said they are as good quality as any, and kitchen issues are usually a result of a bad fitter rather than a bad product. Our fitter will be meeting with our designer over the next couple of weeks to run through everything with them. Trust Pilot reviews for Wren are good (8/10), and they've won 'kitchen designer of the year' or something similar from one of the interiors magazines recently (sorry I can't remember which mag!). It seems that the main issue with them is their post-sales customer service when things go wrong so we'll see how it goes and report back. Colleen your update has prompted us to check our measurements again with our fitter. If you're keen on the Wren kitchen I'd say trawl through the Photos section on Houzz and see if there's anything that takes your fancy in there, then see the designer again and play with the plan. I LOVE Wren's midway shelving (thin shelves which sit under the wall units). I'm getting those, with lockers instead of traditional wall cupboards. It's rotten to hear of any bad experiences though - it always feels like a gamble when you're spending thousands on your dream kitchen.

Good to know that the deal is being extended! I have a gas combi boiler and am v interested in ground source heat pumps. There just doesn’t seem to be many people doing them though... (and even fewer people retro-fitting into draughty Victorian terraces 😂). in fact I’m sure I read somewhere that there are so few people doing them that it’s unlikely that anyone will actually have one fitted on the Green Deal. (Although I think that was with the March 21 deadline).

Hi Charlotte, Zssu the upholsterer again. My go to fabric for a lot of customers atm is a fabric guard protected linen look called splash by Warwick fabrics. Another one they have is their Krayola fabric. You can really scrub this stuff! Get a sample and try it out with tomato ketchup. It comes in a great colour range. I have been an upholsterer for 30 yrs and I know what is inside modern sofas. I have had clients pay 5k on a sofa and I know it is made of particle board. Manufacturers get around it by saying it’s hardwoods, but it is hard wood particle board. The joints are all bolted, no tenon joints and after time the particle board is eaten away by the bolts and it creaks. Also you remove the fabric for reupholstery and the staples just pull out chunks of the board! Real throw-away stuff after a few years. I would advise anyone when buying a sofa to run their hands underneath the sofa along the bottom rails, if you find anything narrower than 5cm be very wary.