Hi A satin / matt finish would be fine and still look contemporary, in fact I think much better than gloss white. We actually do far more matt finishes than gloss ones now. CK

It all depends on your style really. Open shelving can look great if you carefully curate the space but from experience small spaces tend to benefit from clean lines and clever storage ideas. Open shelves look great in all the styled photos on here but in real life (from experience) they can end up looking messy very quickly and glass jars need to be cleaned all the time as they get dusty and greasy in the Kitchen. I'd spend some time researching small kitchen spaces and make a list of things you'll need to store or make space for - pots/pans, kitchen gadgets, crockery, cutlery, tupperware, baking items, food stuffs, spices etc. Understanding your needs first is a good place to start. Tall cupboards are a godsend for brooms and mops etc and if you find a good carpenter they should be able to help you make the most of the space by adding door storage as well. Drawers can also provide useful storage although I'm not sure I agree with those who say they are a more efficient use of space - I've always found cupboards to be a bit more flexible but it's easier to get to things in drawers.

Hello Karen, WOW what a fantastic project and this open plan space looks incredible. I feel the positioning of the living area and dining area works well and makes complete sense from what you have said about the views etc. My concern is the kitchen as I feel the current position/layout is a bit of an obstruction and to me the space does not flow efficiently and effectively. I would switch the island around so it sits the opposite way and then you could potentially have your hob on the island which will sit in front of the tall units where your ovens and fridge will be. This way the kitchen layout will work a lot better. I have attached a quick sketch below so you can see what I mean. Also this way it will give you more room around your dining table meaning the whole space will flow a lot better. You have asked quite a few questions here so I would be more than happy to discuss all of this through an online video design consultation. I provide a personalised design service by working closely with my clients to create a space that reflects their personalities and way of living. I would love to talk in more detail with you about this exciting project, so please do get in touch and we can look at ways to see how I can help to create your dream space. Regards, Hannah

I also like floor to ceiling units. It’s very fashionable and a larder unit holds a wealth of items. Having said that in a small kitchen sometimes it’s a case of tall units versus worktop space. I‘d be tempted to go with the single oven and microwave under the stairs as you suggest, giving you another tall unit for fridge and freezer and another for washer and dryer. Where you have the corner pantry unit you could have a 900 L shaped base unit and this would give you more worktop space around the corner. You might have to jiggle the size of the tall unit on the end though to get it in if that’s possible (obviously you have the stair drop here, so I’m not sure on the measurements even though you’ve allowed 800).