If it were me firstly I would have one switch for task lighting- I think your planned 4 spots in the island boxing is enough but would have them in a row. I would have an additional 4 in a row in the ceiling above the walkway between the island and the main run of kitchen cabinets plus an additional two behind the sofa (but put a softer bulb in these). I would have two in the ceiling above the sink as I think it is tidier than having a wall light. Don’t forget to put a few in the laundry cupboard too. Since your extension ceiling is sloped I would have inset spots that you can angle. Personally I think that when you use the desk you switch on a desk light. I would have a ring of 3amp sockets so that you can switch on two table lights in the sitting area and two standard lamps in the dining area (or two table lights on a console table) and the LEDs above the bookcases. In my opinion you specify more than you need as you don’t have to plug something into every socket but the flexibility is useful. Personally I don’t think you need the coving light in the sitting area and think the idea is odd in an area with sloping ceilings. Next I would have additional kitchen lighting - I would have a run of LEDs under the base cabinets near the plinth and around the base of the island- these are nice to have on at night when watching TV as the kitchen is not fully lit but is light enough to navigate. Additionally I would have lights above and below the wall cabinets. I also like your idea of the boxing above the island having a shadow gap to conceal further LED strip lighting. Pendant lights- I agree that you won’t want one in the sitting area. I think it is messy to have pendants over the island with the additional boxing. I would have one over the dining table and choose an oversized fixture later- ensure that this lighting flex is near somewhere strong enough to mount a ceiling light of some size. Additionally I would have walk over lights in the floor near the garden doors. Remember these will reduce the focus of the garden at night- you might prefer to put these on the outside of the door to reverse the effect. Don’t forget to specify at least one socket behind the cabinets/ under island should any of the kitchen cabinets include lighting- this is especially useful in pantry cabinets. Don’t forget that you will likely need additional sockets in the laundry cupboard as you might well have a charger in there for a vacuum or drill. Personally I would have extra sockets around the desk and contain the router, you home answer phone, etc etc all in the same place. Don’t forget you can also get sockets that include a USB charger inlet. Since you are doing a plan for electrics don’t forget tv/ satellite aerial points. You should also take this opportunity to consider outside lights and power- consider sockets outside for garden lights, outdoor heaters, awnings, water features, mowing the lawn etc. LEDs unless you like decorating in very dark colours choose warm white lighting- a lot of strip LEDs can be adjusted to color match other lights in the room. LEDs- Last time I sourced these I was disappointed with the quoted costs from the electrician- do your own research online about price. Pay attention to the lumen levels and consider if you want disable LEDs. Boxing over the island. Choose your extractor before specifying the size of the boxing- I think the shallower extractors are deeper than the 20cm you stated.

Hi Julie I think you’ve probably hinted at this yourself but you might be trying to squeeze too much into the space. It’s a good size room so you really have the opportunity to create a feeling of space. Re. the oven, I think that a tower with an eye level oven will actually balance the fridge freezer tower at the other end and will look fine. More practical to see food while cooking and considerably easier for handling. Also gives you the opportunity to have a 1 and a half or double oven which is well worth it if you can stretch to it. Hold firm with the hubby on the breakfast bar. Do you really need it when the dining table is less than a metre away? Far better to have the space to stretch out at the table which currently looks tight as others have said. Do you already have the sofa? If not, I would be tempted to buy a smaller two seater, an armchair and a footstool so you can be more flexible with the furniture. A large L shape like this will block the room off whichever way you position it and impede movement and make the room seem smaller. I don’t think anyone else has mentioned this but it might be worthwhile rethinking the lighting plan. I’m all for downlighters in the kitchen area but not in the living and dining zones. A really attractive statement pendant above the dining table would look great and if dimmed, give more atmosphere when dining. Similarly in the tv area, a pendant would look good or a smaller number of downlighters and functional dimmable floor lamps for atmosphere when you are watching tv or function if reading. Good luck with the renovations

You'll see every single little bit of dust on a really dark floor. Especially if it's a really bright room. But I do like the Blackened Spa. Having said that, I'd go for a lighter colour that isn't too orange (I think the Royal oak is too orange). I'd probably go for something like Pale Ash, from the same range.

I agree, your first idea (removing weight bearing wall but keeping the kitchen in the same location with a peninsula) doesn't really make sense in my eyes. You're not really adding much, other than a view of the dining area. If you go to the expense of removing a wall, think about how you can make the most of the new bigger space. I made a draft below of what I would do with the layout - this reflects my personal priorities (adding natural light, view of the garden while dining, using the dining table as additional prep surface...like in the old days). You may prefer a view of the garden whilst doing dishes in which case you could stick to a smaller patio door (as opposed to the full-width sliding doors in my draft) and extend the worktops along the back wall, adding a sink and window. What I'm saying is: think about what's important to you, the details that will bring you joy when you're using the kitchen and that reflect your idea of what's practical (foot traffic, workflows between fridge/freezer+sink+hob, etc). This might then actually also answer your second question - would combining current kitchen and dining room meet your needs and priorities? If it would be just a compromise and you think you'd end up wanting an extension anyway, then I would leave things as they are and take time to design your ideal ground floor extension. PS can't hurt to reach out to architects/build companies now and get some estimates, at least then you can work out when you might be in a position to tackle the project and if you're happy to live in the house as it is until then.