Woah this is amazing Natalie, you were great!

Hi We had the same decisions but in a new build We went with a floating hearth and mantlepiece between the 2, as I think they add to the fireplace feel, even if it is gas. I wanted non symmetrical so an art work or ceramic will go on the other side (not shown in pics) it doesn’t have the cupboard The hearth is the same tiles as the outside paving The other way for ours would be to have made the plaster to resemble an old fashioned chimney great & painted that. They issue we have is the fireplace has been supplied without a part so not yet complete Best wishes for your decisions

HU-624382943's comment about speaker placement is important. As far as quality listening goes (whether you like listening to music seriously or want to enjoy fantastic sound when watching movies, you want the speakers on the narrow wall (pointing towards the set of paned windows), not on a long wall. The challenge, of course, will be to get them sufficiently spaced, since you have the bookcase on the right and the cupboard (with or without doors) on the left, as well as the door to the room itself. (That door looks uncomfortably close to the cupboard doors, incidentally.) Unless you choose to suspend your directional speakers from the ceiling – which could be an option – you'll probably be limited to the width of that central section of wall, i.e. immediately to each side of the TV.

I love your inspiration picture, but I have say that if you are considering that door between the formal dining/kids play area and the kitchen I wouldn't position a wall oven there, terribly dangerous when oven is being used, hot and open, a child playing and running through the door would be badly injured. I have had another idea, so as to not take up any of the dining room space plus saving costs of doing this, would be to open up this wall with full height square set pocket doors, when open expands the kitchen and when closed directs the traffic from the dining through the kitchen between the island and doors, keeping them out of the kitchen proper. The fridge is placed so as the family has easy access, you could even add a small sink into the 900 x 3000 island with the cooktop, which gives you heaps of bench top work space My CAD program was produced in 1997 and as you can see that what goes around comes around with the old but new slatted island The first foorplans show the cooktop opposite the doors but I think it works much better to have it at the other end