A dark quartz countertop could give you great contrast if you plan on keeping the lower cabinets. Quartz is one of the most durable, can take a hot pot, doesn't scar and requires minimal care. (All other stone types have limitations and require extra work.) Daytime photos would give a better idea of what you have in the way of upper cabinets and light fixtures, how much light you get. Also, need some comment on your decorating style -- modern/cottage/traditional, etc. -- and color preferences. What rooms does this kitchen connect to? In the meantime, look into replacing the cabinet doors. These look somewhat 70s, and you may enjoy a wood or a color. There are a lot of companies that specialize in refacing cabinets. Some glass doors might be interesting. Search houzz for kitchens you like; that will help you focus on what changes you want to make and will help us make suggestions.

Hi everyone, so... 3 years later and after many back and forth we have decided to knock down the house and rebuild. The cost of renovating was just too prohibitive and not to mention the unexpected surprises that surely would come with it. We should start the building of the new home in a month or less. Just wanted to thank everyone who helped in this thread, your opinions were very important and helped us decide. We are not doing a custom build, instead we chose one of those pre-designed homes (Dennis Family) but we are very happy and excited. Cant wait for it to be done. Will post photos when ready.

we also like the look of the back to wall shower grate and have not been able to find cheaper and longer sizes are much more expensive but we have one shower with the grate against the wall and another shower with a shorter shower grate across a doorway and despite preferring the look of the grate along the wall the smaller one at the outside of the shower is more efficient, cheaper and much easier to clean

I am coming in very late to this discussion. But is there enough room in your space to move the furniture like this? I have moved your wooden coffee table where the couch is, and moved the cabinet so it is not the first thing you see as you enter. Moving the grey side tables to form one “modular” table creates a uniform look that doesn’t sacrifice functionality. The marble side table would then be used next to the other couch (as the cabinet is where it used to be) I would also take up the whole space between the aircon and the floor to hang your ‘family’ picture frames. The gorgeous plant is then placed on top of the coffee table to become the hero in the space. I noticed you used a grey soft looking throw blanket on the couch to the right. Is it possible to get matching versions of this to cover the sofa against the wall for the dogs? The texture and colour of the sheets you are currently using is what disconnects your lovely couch from the rest of the space. Regardless of what artworks you choose to use for above the couch, having a darker frame will help to ground them in the space. The white frames are getting lost against the white brick wall at the moment. You have great taste in furniture, it seems to be editing the layout of the space that is not quite working in your zone. Hope this helps!