As a clue I really like this table http://casefurniture.co.uk/contemporary-furniture-products/contemporary-tables/cross-pedestal-table/

Hi new house It looks like you are doing a really nice project and definitely as OnePlan has suggested you really need to see a professional kitchen designer. To be honest it looks like you have left it rather late! As a professional kitchen designer I suggest you go and visit 2 or 3 independent kitchen specialists, have a chat with them, see if this is the sort of project they often do. Now this is the important bit - be honest with them, tell them you want the space designed properly then get the design costed by 2 or 3 other suppliers. If they are sensible then they will suggest you pay a reasonable fee to cover their time and advice, and you get a design that's right for you and can get like for like costings - well as much as you can. You will also save a lot of time and repeating processes. In fact I had a customer in last week, they are building a beautiful German timber frame home, very modern, and they said money is tight for the internals so want to get several costings for the kitchen and other rooms. I suggested we design the space for them for a reasonable fee, they get all the alternative costs they want and then hopefully they will come back to us in the end so they will get their design fee back on the order. They emailed me yesterday and are coming in this afternoon with their house plans to discuss their requirements! New house where abouts are you in the UK? I might be able to suggest / recommend someone or company. CK

Hi Lauren! I worked on a project with a similar situation! The windows were in a spare bedroom, so ideally they really did need to be covered at night time, however only when people were staying over. We had venetian blinds made for the standard rectangular window, then for the 2 angled windows, we produced a 'shield'. Basically, we got our joiner to make two shields which were templated to the same shape as the window reveals, with a handle in the centre, which then hooked on to the window. So they could be taken up and down as you wish. They were produced in oak and finished the same colour as the rest of the joinery and blinds, with a handle in pewter to match the rest of the ironmongery in the house. Unfortunately I don't have ay photos of the shields, but you can see the window, and the hooks that the shield mounts on to! We found this to be the most simple, unfussy option, and you are still able to see the windows in their full glory. The shields are kept in the cupboard when not being used. I hope this helps! Holly @ MillChris Developments Ltd

Mostly on new builds no workable topsoil is imported so the landscapers have try to level what they have. If it's sticky clay then all they can do is roughly level and squash it flat. That will almost always lead to 'capping' although turf can cause capping too when it is firmed down. If these are the 'only' issues then getting a hollow time aerator and getting a bunch of cores cut out, then filling them with sandy soil might change things a great deal. You may be able to test whether this is going to work well by just using a fork to do a smallish area, sticking it in few inches and wiggling it around. It would need to be an area which is not at a low point as that will refill with water from the rest of the lawn anyway. Sites vary a great deal and what is going on adjacent will have an effect too.