As an owner of a large glass kitchen table (octagonal btw) I would not recommend getting one! Especially if you have children. Octagonal shape is great as every guest gets a side, but glass shows fingerprints, even little dust etc. and underneath the table top as well! Harder to clean too. Then you would probably want to get placemats as it's not a nice feeling/sound when you put plates and cutlery on the glass.

Check list for kitchen planning may help. Planning a Fitted Kitchens Step 1: Getting Started Designing the most important room in your home requires careful planning. So, before you do anything else there are some key questions to ask yourself. As you do so keep a record of your ideas so you can refer back to them as your project progresses. Step 2: How and when you want to use the space What do you and don’t like about your existing kitchen. What really works for you in the current kitchen layout and what frustrates you? The negatives are just as important as the positives as they can help you form a clear idea of what you do or don’t need in your new fitted kitchen. Step 3: Key areas of the kitchen There are four vital zones that will create a natural and efficient flow to your kitchen design; cooking, food preparation, sink and storage. However, increasingly kitchens are used for all types of activity. Do you need a room that can cope with the rigours of a busy family? Are you going to dine in your kitchen? If so, plan enough room for a dining table, breakfast bar or island is a great place to congregate. You may be a keen cook and if your cooking for a large family a range cooker may figure in your plans along with plenty of worktop space. You may want turn your kitchen into a open-plan design in which case a area to relax, and room for a sofa and TV may be important. Ultimately, it’s your kitchen, and the most important thing is how you and your family are going to use the space. Design the space and features (must have items) around the activities that will take place in your kitchen, and most of all ensure you match your kitchen to your lifestyle. Step 4: Finer details As you become clear on the demands you will be placing on your new kitchen make a wish-list of your preferred products and materials. From a practical perspective consider what you will require from you appliances, worktops, storage solutions and sink and tap. You may already have a look in mind of the kitchen in terms of colour, style and finish, but it’s a great idea to gather ideas from magazines or websites. Enjoy creating a scrap-book with cuttings of furniture, flooring, taps, even paint finishes, crockery or vases- anything that inspires you. Even just images with right ‘feel’. Step 5: Budget With a kitchen the cost of key elements such as appliances, units and worktops can vary dramatically. For instance, appliances may account for a considerable percentage of the total cost of the kitchen, however if branded top-end ovens, hobs and extractors are specified this percentage can escalate dramatically to become the most expensive element of the project. Similarly the choice of worktops materials and door material may increase the budget substantially. There may be areas of the project where you may have to be prepared to consider a compromise to stay within your budget. Step 6: Layout As a rule of thumb this will be dictated by the existing dimensions of you room, or you may be lucky enough to be planning to extend. If you are extending you amy wish to consider an open-plan kitchen to seamlessly link through to the living area. Whatever the shape there are clever design options that will ensure you can make the most of the space available to you. Even in a tight space a clever designer can still work miracles.

Here are the tiles , although haven't yet decided on which ones , but both of the same tone

Hi everybody, thank you so much for your help! I quite like the idea of a warm grey, as Steven suggested. We haven't really considered glass splashback, Shaun, we were set on tiles, but I'll be going out this weekend and would certainly look at both, hopefully come back with a few samples. Minnie, I really like the tiles and rug you've chosen. We had a rug under the coffee table, that was lighter, it didn't last! I think we will need something more hardwearing. I would love to have a plant on the left of the TV, but unfortunately the radiator is there. I might have to look for a plant that enjoys the heat! I had initially chosen a shelf to go above the TV and it was long and white and it just didn't look right. I'll try again with smaller staggered ones. The mirrors above the dining table were from the old layout and I tried to find a use for them but I can see how a nice picture would work better. The pink cushions are really nice, Carolina. We only kept the grey ones because they came with the sofa. I know what you mean about the chair under the stairs. We do pull it out whenever someone comes over and can sit around the table. Even if it blocks the walkway while it's being used! :)) I will get to work and come back with more photos :)