I would definitely go for a bold warm colour like a dark grey either a paint or a textured wallpaper. Both work really well in small cloakrooms with white fixtures. Put a big glam mirror above the sink and a pendant light too. I tested a new Valspar colour today called Sooty Lashes which I'm about to use in a bathroom project. [https://www.houzz.co.uk/photos/expressing-views-contemporary-cloakroom-perth-phvw-vp~19553731[(https://www.houzz.co.uk/photos/expressing-views-contemporary-cloakroom-perth-phvw-vp~19553731) [https://www.houzz.co.uk/photos/marina-home-contemporary-cloakroom-san-francisco-phvw-vp~5964939[(https://www.houzz.co.uk/photos/marina-home-contemporary-cloakroom-san-francisco-phvw-vp~5964939) [https://www.houzz.co.uk/photos/contemporary-powder-room-contemporary-cloakroom-boston-phvw-vp~1904090[(https://www.houzz.co.uk/photos/contemporary-powder-room-contemporary-cloakroom-boston-phvw-vp~1904090)

Ludo Gallagher great idea - I turned mine into a gallery, all the smaller and fun items that would have got a bit lost in a larger space ... photos, prints, postcards framed and not, 2 geckos climbing the walls, a mirror from Morocco and I add more or swap some out when I have something new. The colour is Salsa Red and the tall mirrored cabinet has lots of room for toilet paper, cleaning products and you just push to open/close so it's steam-lined and almost invisible. bombel1972 I loved your options! If I had seen them pre-decorating I may have been swayed. Love the zebras, the orange/monkeys, the tree ... thanks for sharing!

Hi Darren, having seen the photo's of the neighbours, no you may not have problems with planning. However, I don't see how this will solve your initial directive. You wanted a social space connected with the lounge. Just making the kitchen bigger I don't think solves this. I also do not think that the majority of people these days just want a big kitchen, they, like you want more open plan / broken plan living, thus putting the extension at the rear makes the most sense. I think you're going round in circles and making this a lot harder than it needs to be. There's enough room at the back for an extension, which gives you great space and lets you keep the garage. Win, win.................and more saleable in the future with more probably adds the most value to the house. Check with an estate agent.

Lucky you to have the space for a lovely large extension - it will be fabulous! Your dog clearly features largely in your life, which is lovely, but I'm just wondering whether the vestibule into the garden is a step too far. Why do you feel you need it, given that you usually bring the dog in another way, and there is a special shower for him/her in the utility (so presumably you'd bring him/her in that way if very muddy?). What would happen inside the vestibule? It just feels odd to me - I think it will block your light, block the flow of the room, limit your options for sliding/bifold doors, etc. So in answer to the question about lining up the island and the vestibule, I'd say, "get rid of the vestibule" (sorry, I know this isn't what you were hoping to hear!). Personally I like the clerestory roof - it gives an interesting roof line and looks like it would provide a lot of lovely natural light - but before committing to it, in your shoes I'd want to know whether it's a more expensive option, in order to make an informed decision about whether to go ahead with it. The two kitchen layouts are confusing me a bit - it's like a reverse spot the difference as I can't really see much between them other than the fact that they mirror each other. Perhaps you'd like to say more about what you feel the choices are between them?