Thank you all for views! We had considered various options such as those suggested but then would always come back to one of our boxes not being ticked so I do agree we may have created more walls than needed and maybe cramped the space? However I did still think the kitchen would be spacious enough? And the living room wall, when building we could see how we feel about this. I do think a dining table could also work in that corner and playroom instead of the dining room BUT then we are without the living room that we wanted. In terms of dining and kids eating, in our current house we have a breakfast bar with 4 stools and a high chair and his does work well. Also I would use the dining area/table as a family too but realistically probably not everyday. Maybe a small round table could be put into the kitchen also? I would just have to see what fits without it’s being cramped. Utility I thought it would make sense to have access from the kitchen? In terms of the formal lounge, I think that’s all it is...we want it as a formal lounge, also as someone mentioned it will stay tidy and away from the noise. Id say a large chunk of the house is dedicated to me and the children and I thought that area could be a kid free zone in a sense. I also have a lot of nephews/nieces that would visit often. It’s more about it being formal than it being dedicated to my husbands entertainment as unfortunately he doesn’t have much time for this due to long work hours.

As it is a utility/mud room, we will have: Washing machine, dryer, American fridge/freezer, boiler, mega flow tank, recycling bins, kids bikes, shoe rack, coats (on hooks). The main thing I don’t want is for the kitchen/open plan area to lose its “wow factor” but then is 650mm (according to the architect) going to make that much more difference?

Thank you, Naturally Allard. I like the idea of putting some unique storage options under the stairs to make use of the space. Perfect for a busy house! Thank you, Jonathan. Here's the plan for the upstairs. Any suggestions would be most appreciated!

I think you have to be realistic about how bad your mobility could be. On paper this sounds like a big house because it’s 5 bedrooms but actually every room is smaller than you would expect in a 5 bed house. If you are future proofing it you need to consider if you need bigger spaces. You should consider if you would ever need wider doorways. You mention a study in a bedroom and I wonder if you couldn’t get upstairs then you wonder if you wouldn’t be able to work and earn an income. You may conclude it’s better to buy a house with fewer but bigger rooms. Alternatively you might plan to spread out into this one.