Triple glazing and acoustic glazing can actually be one in the same thing. Acoustic glazing is a make up of certain panes of glass to stop what ever decibel your trying to stop. You first have to work out the amount of noise you need to stop and then we can come up with an accounting value make up to stop the noise. I have standard make ups for certain areas if you want to contact me I can come up with a viable solution for you !! Regards Anthony

I agree with Hugh re supervision plus by the time the extension is built your son will be nearing an age where he understands a little more. You may also want him in there to cook with you soon. I'm sure the kitchen can be designed from a safety aspect too if that's the only thing holding you back. I think the advantage of using OnePlan is that Karen can look at the whole house spatially etc and you're not tied to a particular kitchen company (I'm not on commission!). Click on her profile for reviews etc. I second Hugh's comments re karndean too! I like the heringbone parquet! If you did want to hire an interior designer (designers tend to be qualified in planning too I think as opposed to an interior decorator although many of those could be qualified by experience) then you could find you save as much as you spend. Some of them will offer you their trade discount which if doing the whole house could add up to an awful lot. They may also make you save from any mistakes and I've made a few of those! I'd go on houzz and search for pros and look at their reviews and previous work. I think you need to meet people yourself though as it's important to have a good working relationship and make sure they understand you

Install bench seating along one of the long walls? I would also think about making that exterior door into a window only, so that the bench seating could be on that side of the room (where it's set back a little bit from the opening from kitchen). Sacrifice that side door and use the one into utility instead. Making those windows larger - or into full patio doors - would also make the space feel bigger even though it wouldn't be. If that doesn't work for you, then yes do a small extension, it'll make a huge difference. I agree that adding lots of space doesn't make sense - you just make the existing rooms darker.

I'm guessing your children are small since you're thinking of a playroom? It's really clever thinking about what you'll do in the future as it helps you spend wisely now. I think Jonathan's plan is the way to go. In the meantime, maybe use the study as the dedicated playroom. Children's needs change quickly, so you probably wouldn't feel the loss of that room when you extend. Then you could take a longer term view on what you need in the front room. Couple of things we've done in different homes that might work for you: - Put a standard double divan in the snug and used it as a sofa. Duvet rolled as a bolster, huge throw over the top to hide it all and loads of cushions over that to make the sofa back. Was convincing enough that some guests asked how the sofa bed pulled out. Cheaper, more comfy and bigger sleeping area than most sofa beds. Plus four of us lounged on it for movie nights. - Used full height sliding doors across one wall and put a desk behind them plus storage. Even number of doors means an opening of almost half the width. If these both worked for you, the front room wall on the right could have the sliding doors (cheaper to go right across than build a side) and the bed/sofa front left.