Why don't you start putting together an ideabook on houzz, save all the pictures you like and annotate what in particular you like about each one as it will help you (and others) in terms of decor and then you can make a design that you work towards over time. If you're getting rid of the fire then I would probably hang the tv on the chimney breast to save space. There are lots of ways to make sure it doesn't become the focal point. As a short term solution though will the tv fit on the wooden stand in the alcove? Will the velvet sofa also fit in room 1? If so, what way does the room face in terms of paint colour? Longer term maybe you could build out the cupboard and chimney slightly so as to recess the tv and cover the pipes? For room 2 personally I'd use this for dining. Can you have a banquette seat and pedestal table on the wall where the buggy is? Is there room for your daughters big toys to go elsewhere or not? I'm just wondering if you could use this as combined dining and play? (You also get a comfier seat with the banquette as presumably she's not old enough to play on her own). Rugs, lamps, textures, plants etc will all make it feel more homely. Maybe if you give an initial budget for stage 1 people can give ideas?

A much more functional layout can be achieved in the existing room by flipping the existing hob and fridge freezer. It looks like you are currently losing a good 30cm or so of potential counter and cabinetry space next to the doorway, and it would give you a longer counter run between sink and hob. I would also add a long bank of shallow low cabinetry alongside the wall between the 2 doorways, which would give you quite a lot of additional storage space without interfering with the walkway or sight lines. Plus the narrow ledge there could help keep clutter off your work surfaces. In terms of dining space, you could lose your unloved peninsula and then add a small table and chairs. You would have to squeeze in the 60cm oven into the main work area, but 30cm would be gained by the fridge move, and another 20cm could be gained by swapping to a 60cm sink cabinet. (I assume it’s 80cm right now.).

Thank you Sarah! I'll attach the floorplan - the house is kind of odd in that the RHS (as facing it) is raised up 30cm higher than the LHS, with steps up to accommodate for this. I'd love a utility room, and a family-friendly kitchen-diner (soft seating overlooking the garden would be a bonus!). A snug with a fireplace and TV to have family movie nights would be fab - happy for this to be sectioned off of the kitchen in a broken-plan kind of style. At some point we will also need a designated study for home-working. The large windows are lovely and let in lots of light as well as having great views, but the current layout doesn't maximise the view on to the gorgeous garden - although the back faces NE so isn't the best light. The conservatory was built in the 60s and needs to be removed so this space isn't useable, which is a shame - not sure if the footings are reusable. An ensuite upstairs would be a long-term goal, but one I hope to realise!!

My suggestion woukd be to knock through your kitchen and dining room. Turn your existing study into a utility/bootroom/pantry. Put a door with a keypad lock on it (similarly the side gate) which will really encourage you/the kids to use it raher than the front door. Put your kitchen cabinets floor to ceiling along the stairs wall and continue to the back of the house with the last door being a ’secret’ door into the boot room. At the bottom end of the stairs ne of this run of cabinets' , build a lower level cabinet to house the guinea pigs (following the kitchen cabinet line but not tall so the stairs don’t feel narrow). Don’t worry about your comfy chair but definitely Use the money you save on not building an extension to tidy up your patio and get some comfy chairs out there. Maybe even a glass veranda cover if money allows. Similarly, buy comfy bar stools for your island and you’ll sit there all day. Make sure you have a socket in your island somewhere to plug in a laptop. The kids can do their homeweork there while you potter. The rest of the dining room become a dining/sitting room and your living room becomes a snug/study. These two activities rarely happen at the same time but it means that working from home is not confined to a cupboard. Your front door is then a non-muddy entrance for grown ups and guests. One last thing, if you have a dog, put a hot/cold mixer tap outsude the bootroom to rinse the dog outside before bringin him in. Good luck with it all.