My husband trusts me and prefers I make all those decisions. That said I always ask his opinion on large pieces. If I left it all to him he would lose interest before finishing! Design is so not his thing. But then I'm not interested in documentaries on outer space or Lego.... Best we stick to our own interests I think! ;)

Some (I'm guessing most) American style fridge freezers need extra space for their door swing, but yes, inbuilt ones take up 2 x 60 cm, that's probably 20 cm more. But you will have more space inside the fridge/freezer too. American style ones are big lumps, but offer less space inside (I have one). If you can, look for a fridge that has a fresh zone (I don't know the technical term, differs from brand to brand), keeps your meat and veggies fresh for longer. Anyway, it's something to consider. Choices, choices :-)

Hi Vicki, Would there be any way you could change the mechanism of the kitchen/hallway/bathroom doors, so they are sliding doors rather than doors that open into the room? I've found this to be a good solution when you're tight on space, though you mentioned you may not be there for long so perhaps this would be too great an investment! I think installing shelving in the recesses around the fireplace would be great - I love this look in a living room. Also regarding the TV above the fireplace - you could get an extending wall bracket so that the length and angle of the TV can be adjusted, in addition to it being able to lie flat against the wall if you wish. Though some aren't fans of this type of bracket! Just a few ideas. Have you decided on any furniture?

If the arch shape is a recurring theme throughout the house then I’d suggest keeping the arch shape but adding storage shelves - if this is the only arch - I’d suggest squaring it off and adding book shelves - or - of you want to add panelling to the walls and then have a hidden storage area for a safe or personal accounts/paperwork etc etc -this can be built into panelling with a good fitter. But it needs to be thought out and planned at an early stage, together with the rest of the study and study furniture, so that it will work efficiently. This is the sort of design project we work on with clients all the time - eeking out as much storage from a place as is possible etc.