Exciting times- I think side by side ovens have more presence and the island is a great place for the microwave. I don’t like seeing a microwave high up as I think it is dangerous. In fact you should put your ovens at a really comfortable height for you. I notice all of the designs show a draining board- personally I would choose an undermounted sink and no drainer to maximise work surface. I agree about putting the extractor in a cupboard- it doesn’t have to be a 600 cupboard though- I think it looks more luxurious if it is 20cm bigger than the hob. Consider if the 70/30 fridge planned is big enough. You could have a larder sized fridge and a freezer elsewhere. All of your designs show the breakfast bar sitting in an Lshape at the end of the bar- Personally I think that you should have the stools on the long side of the island so that they can see the TV, so you don’t have to have a cheap looking metal pedestal and so the stools don’t obstruct the sofa in the TV area. You have also shown the breakfast bar in a different material- if you want to use the island for food prep it might be easier to use and to keep clean if there are no differences in height and it is all the same material. If you want variety of materials in the kitchen you might choose two different cabinet finishes- perhaps one could be textured. I noticed the glass cabinets on one design- I would be careful about their placement because of getting steamed up. Lastly I felt the the designs with lots of vertical lines made the room seem smaller and I preferred the designs with uninterrupted horizontal lines.

That’s a shame. Could you claw it back by not going ahead with some of the internal works? What struck me when you uploaded the pre photo was how much of that lovely spacious lounge you had sacrificed for a bigger kitchen and inner hall. It looks like you propose moving a supporting wall which doesn’t come cheap. If you didn’t go ahead with that would the funds saved go some way towards building an extension to the front of the garage? If the utility was there then you would keep your spacious lounge and still get your larger kitchen/dining/garden room with more options as to the configuration than you have now.

A floor plan would be handy! However on first looking at your pics, it stricks me that the fridge encroaches into the carpeted area which seems to be the natural location for dining. I'm wondering if the radiator and the cupboard above in the kitchen could be moved and the fridged located here?  Thinking further about the room, having the same floor throughout would help it feel as one space. The different floor surfaces divides the room at present. It could be that the carpetted section could be a diner, with comfortable bench seating, with storage underneath, and table along the wall looking out the slider.

Hi Peter, The bifold doors between the kitchen/diner and sitting room sound like a fantastic idea! It’s a smart way to create a flexible, open-plan space while keeping the option to close it off when needed. As for the existing kitchen door, boarding it up is definitely a practical option if it feels awkward next to the bifolds. But if you’re worried about losing that access, here are a few ideas: Feature Wall: Instead of just boarding it up, turn that wall into a design feature with built-in shelves, textured panels, or even a bold paint color. Widen the Hallway Door: If possible, converting the current kitchen door into a wider opening or archway could improve the flow and make the space feel more open. Pocket Door: If you want to keep the hallway access but reduce visual clutter, a pocket door could work well and stay out of the way when open. For the kitchen/diner, with the size of the space, adding a central island or a peninsula could help define the zones while providing extra storage and seating. Also, using the same flooring throughout the kitchen, hallway, and sitting room can really help tie everything together and create a seamless flow. Hope that gives you a few ideas to think about! It’s a great layout with so much potential—excited to see how it turns out! 😊 Good luck with it!