Hello Amanda, : )) Do you mean in the kitchen? Yes a nice idea. I like flat plate too, but really plain. Well the best way to describe how I feel about certain alterations is to tell you about someone I knew who "did up" her flat to such a degree that she literally took away all that was characterful about it.. Sometimes it's best to leave things as their patina develops over time and results in something quite special. Restoration is one thing but you can also restore the life out of something and thus diminish in certain contexts the value- and so it's good to know when to stop.. So yes, I'm firmly in the camp suggesting leave them, but of course it's entirely your choice. : ))

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In my opinion your plan looks like a typical suburban kitchen and given the architecture of the house you should be aiming higher. In my opinion a U shape of units doesn’t suit the corner window and you should be working to continue the simplicity of the architecture. I would want a contemporary handless kitchen with wide drawers and a palate of dark textured grey warmed up with a minimal touch of wood. I would put all the appliances together in a tall bank and then have another tall bank with everything hidden in them. I would make a decision about what goes under the windows based on their height- I might choose reduced height wall hung storage drawers then have the same put in the living area at a lower level to hide AV equipment. I would have the sink, DW and hob in a peninsula and have a flush fitting ceiling extractor above. Remember to source whisper quite appliances. Although you could probably fit in stools at the peninsula I think less is more in this case as it is not a massive space I would choose an eclectic oversized refectory style table with mismatched chairs and low but simple pendant lights over it and make this the key sitting area for guests with drinks. I would want dimable LEDs in the kitchen ceiling, LED plinth light, some walkover up lighting/ wall washers in the living area plus task lighting and then outside the glass doors I would have walkover lights in the patio. For this principal room I might even consider a lighting technician to put in a system that helps you get the mood right. Personally I think you should be looking for a kitchen showroom that specialises in contemporary kitchens or a designer that has a portfolio that includes this sensibility. Given that this is the main room you must get it right. In the utility area I think it just has to work. Personally I would put extra tall units in here to maximize storage and reduce the need for cabinets that could crowd the kitchen space.

Hi, I am a lighting designer if you need help designing a scheme and specifying fittings. Kind regards, Katie