Perhaps you could use the mantle elsewhere - even faux fireplaces can make for a nice focal point if you need a feature in your newly repositioned living room? I also think the way a house 'flows' is one of the most important elements of how well a space 'fits' it's owner. You've got to make it work for you and the way you like to live, if that means switching some of the rooms round then absolutely go ahead. Especially if it's going to be a long term or forever home.

Hi, I am having my ancestral property in India refurbished. Having lived in Uk for 15 years I quite like to have the full range cooker and so far quite impressed with Range master- duel fuel 110. However- they don't deliver to India . I am interested in ideas as to what's best available in India + if there are dealers in India who would get Range Master? Thanks

If the range is an Aga/Rayburn/Esse type then I would go for cream, it’s a timeless colour and will fit in with many types of kitchen cabinets, they are expensive, heavy and will take some shifting if you decide to change it in the future. A stronger colour that is fashionable will date. If the range cooker is just a bigger cooker then stick with stainless steel.

Some really good comments above with helpful advice. Just to throw another idea into the mix. If you are worried that a mantle might be to 'traditional' for your home, there are always clever ways to put a more contemporary twist on a shaker kitchen. The picture above shows a kitchen we completed last year, that has traditional elements such as the T&G panels that we used to create a floating shelf that stretches the entire back run. This is hiding the extractor & ducting out, whilst also offering that option of using the shelf for recipe books or ornaments. The splashback was a book matched granite, again spanning the full width, giving the illusion of more space. Hope this helps/is useful in making your mind up as too which way to go. Thanks Spencer Marchand Kitchens