I've been mulling over this one too ! I think if I, as in me personally, were living here, I would put a Murphy bed in the top left corner of the lounge - so I'd wake up with the sun coming in ... I'd put a run of ceiling high wardrobes with rolling ladder along the right lounge wall to the new door ... ( so it would look like enclose library cupboards ) I'd put tall integrated FF, oven and tall store cupboard the other side of the fire place ( to match the closed Murphy bed ) I'd knock down the bedroom /kitchen wall have an island for my sink / hob and to eat at - I'd put an L shape sofa in front of the fire, floated in the middle of the room as would need to be cosy - it's a NE facing room remember - then in the old bedroom space is have shower where the old entrance was, opening into the loo area . ( you could possibly put a bath with shower over - but it would feel a bit too enclosed for me ) I'd straighten the loo wall to the window and replace opening door with sliding one . And I'd have a second seating area in the old bedroom that will be the sunniest spot all afternoon and evening ... Perhaps have a sofa bed in that spot . I doubt that it would increase the value though ! As would loose the classification that a separate bedroom brings... But use the best of the natural light that makes living nicer ! Adding an incredibly rough sketch as I'm mad busy at the moment - but as you asked specifically - I wanted to make sure I responded .

I'm a bit confused as to how many people live here - bedrooms suggest 6 - dining table suggests 8 - but soft seating only has room for 5 ?!? Anyway that's not answering your question - for simple electric update, a chat on site with your electrician and a copy of the plan you have should suffice. Think about where you want lamps and sockets for vacuuming and charging phones in addition to permanently plugged in appliances etc . It's not difficult - just be logical ! If your designer has priced up your project to include detailing the spec for builders you should let her. If not, and you want to go down the route of using the common sense of builders to build the walls in the right place and kitchen and bathroom company being able to draw plans and work with the builders, most are more than capable of doing so. You may even find one company who can provide kitchens, bathrooms and the build team to do the whole project ! You have done the structural thing - so sounds like you have the important parts covered. Comments made by some people about your designer being inexperienced sound possibly a bit harsh !? The shower door could be bi fold to avoid door clash. One last thing - a laundry room with shelving above appliances - opening with double doors into the hall space might work better for laundry area for a family home rather than just one door and a stack of appliances at the end - although I know that means talking to the structural guys again ! But in the long run - this way would make more efficient use of the space IMO .... a bit like this http://houzz.com/photos/26461611

I buy one or two cookbooks every year for inspiration (last one was Jamie's Everyday Super Food), but only keep hold of a few old favourites or speciality books, so my cookbook shelf is quite modest. Over the past 5 years I've gone digital and all my favourite recipes, whether they came from cookbooks or magazine clippings originally, are hunted down online to copy into Evernote. Handily, several of the big-name cooks publish their popular recipes on their own websites. This way I've got a bespoke cookbook of my favourite recipes, annotated with my own tweaks, which can be used on a smartphone for ingredient shopping, or an an iPad while cooking. I do find it really satisfying flipping through a new cookbook and tagging the pages of recipes I want to try, so I'll keep buying the cookbooks as well as using online resources.

Is taking down the Chimney breast safe for the house- Information I found online, cut and pasted below ------------------------------------ The chimney breast The chimney breast is the visible part of the chimney that you can see on every floor in your house (unless any have been removed). It provides important structural support in your home. A building regulations application will be needed to remove a chimney breast. Your structural engineer’s designs will need to be submitted to building control prior to commencing work. A Full Plans application may be better than a Building Notice because you will need to submit calculations and have them approved before you start work. Considerations Other permissions may be required, for instance if you’re in a listed building or a conservation area – speak to your local planning authority if you're not sure if this is the case. Consult with a structural engineer who’ll come up with a method of working and establish what support will be needed. This may require a fire-protected steel beam or the use of brackets (known as gallows brackets) but your structural engineer is the person who can advise on this. If the chimney breast is attached to a wall between your home and another building you’ll need to serve a Party Wall Notice on your neighbour before work can commence. Any gas, plumbing or electrical appliances and services need to be isolated and changed/removed before you begin. Use an experienced and licenced professional to do this work. ------------------------------------------ Keeping it may be as costly as taking it out Weigh up the cost of retaining a fireplace/chimney in any new scheme. The cost of installing a new fire or stove and lining the chimney with a flue may well equal or even outweigh the cost of removing the lot. Once a chimney breast has been removed, you will need to make good the floor where the chimney breast once was. If you are removing it completely, the roof will also need to be patched up. If the chimney stack is to be left in place and only part of the chimney breast below is to be removed, the brickwork above must be supported with a steel beam. What will be required will depend upon the size of masonry above and the adjoining walls, which will need to bear the load. Your structural engineer will work out the appropriate size for the steel required. Building Regulations for Removing a Chimney Breast When removing a chimney, you’ll need to make sure the structural works comply with Part A of UK Building Regulations. You can tackle this issue either by notifying your local authority and being assigned a building control officer or by hiring an approved inspector. If speed is of the essence, going for an approved inspector is usually the fastest way to get your paperwork in order. Once your project has been completed, no matter which route you took, you’ll be issued a certificate to prove all legal requirements have been me. The fee is around £200-220 plus VAT. --------------------------------------- Some online feedback, from related sites The idea that removing a chimney breast without involving a structural engineer is terrifying. The weight of chimneys goes into the ground. The weight must then be held by beams and deflected into the ground. It is not something a DIYer can do and, for a big job, a builder shouldn’t tackle it on their own. You don’t need pp. you need building regs approval I think. ---------------------- The lintel or beam must be large enough to deflect the weight of the remaining chimney above into the ground. Usually this should be calculated accurately and a beam installed appropriately as you would if you took a wall down. It’s no different. -------------------- DH has also advised on houses where more and more chimney stacks have been added over the decades and actually weigh too much for the supporting structure. Chimneys are a world of their own and do need expert advice if they, or part of them, are removed or altered. ---------------------------- It is less of a problem if it is upstairs and is not carrying a lot of weight above it. Has the chimney gone?