i think it depends upon the decor of the entire room. I like color. These colorful dressers can be used as accent pieces to a more subdued kitchen design/ color palette. Also, the doors could be made to let in the light, like in the photo with the white dressers.

It sounds like wood worktops just aren't for you and in the long run I'd probably suggest replacing them. If it's just not on the cards financially at the moment then here's my method for keeping them in good nick: Clean the worktops with warm soapy water, dry, then apply mineral oil (also known as liquid paraffin which is used to treat dry skin and can be taken as a laxative so entirely food safe) on them every day till the wood stops absorbing it - usually 3-4 days depending how dry it is. Then place a clean empty glass jar in a pan of hot (not boiling) water, melt pure organic bees wax with mineral oil, leave to set then apply to the counters with a soft cloth. Instructions here: http://www.woodworkersguide.com/2010/01/30/a-beautiful-beeswax-finish-for-cheap/ The benefit of this is every time it starts feeling a little dry or you get patches on it from water/food etc you can clean with warm soapy water, dry, then touch up with more of the wax and it blends it in beautifully (plus as mentioned its fully food safe). You'll also notice after going through this process that drops of water will now 'pool' on the surface of the wax rather than soak in. Keeping the worktops topped up with wax every 6 weeks or so really helps keep them looking great. I do also use a combination of glass surface savers and trivets for hot items. The maintinence of wood worktops is always going to be higher than melamine or quartz type surfaces but personally I love the character of wood tops. This method is only suitable if the surface hasn't previously been treated with poly or varnish but given the description of the stains etc on yours it doesn't sound like it has. My understanding is that once water has turned wood black there's not a lot you can do except sand it (depending how deep the stains go this might not be practical). Or as in your case since its just around the sink you could maybe buy a larger under-mounted sink, cut out the blackened part and install so you are less likely to end up with water sitting on the wood for long periods of time. Hope this helps!

If they're separate rooms I think they can differ the same as any other room in the house as long as it's a cohesive look. You could always go for the same cabinets but different complementary colours. You may also want a different flooring for the utility if it's likely to get very dirty and wet. You might also consider a different and cheaper worktop for the utility if you don't need to consider stains or heat resistance for example. i think either or Is fine though :)

Dear all, If you want to add a bathroom, you have to start there and work everything else round it. The reason for this being that you usually have to feed into the existing soil pipe. The soil pipe in this case is on the left hand outside wall. Without knowing if you can put another one on another outside wall ie the rear, which is probably unlikely, you have no option but to place a bathroom as close to the entrance on the left as possible. Obviously you could change the system in the new bathroom to a macerator style toilet, and technology has come a long way with regards those, but they are not for everyone. It may be possible to change the shape of the kitchen, remove the back entrance and push the front wall back, ( maybe not, as i presume it's instrumental in holding up the mezzanine ) If it were possible in theory:- You could - move the kitchen wall back to make more room in the lounge. Add a bathroom with pocket doors ahead of you when you come in and split the lounge down the middle. You could also have a pocket door entrance from the bedroom to the bathroom jack and jill style. That bedroom would also get the balcony.