Hi Eva. I am doing a reno and also looking at the same thing! I have found the Cavalier Bremworth at Carpet Court and really like it. It has a texture which picks up the colors around it and it's softer against the wood and tiles than other carpets I've seen. The attached pic is the colour Legato which is a mid range colour, but there are darker browns or greys and a lighter one too I think. The pic doesn't do it justice, but it really is lovely and worth a look. Good luck!

Before deciding on a colour, don't forget to consider your kitchen cabinetry, benchtop, splashback, etc (and dining furniture)... for example, if you have a classic hamptons (farmer style) kitchen (and furniture) then don't discount a warm white for the walls... it won't look clinical as the warmth will come from the kitchen cabinetry, etc and dining furniture, e.g. But if you have a "hamptons inspired" look with a slightly more contemporary kitchen cabinetry (and furniture), then in my opinion (all nice options above but a bit too beige'ish for me) so I would suggest a light shade of a warm grey e.g. Whichever way you decide to go, try to narrow it down to 2-3 colours, get the small pot samples and paint each one on all the applicable walls as they will all look different at different angles depending on how they reflect natural daylight and the lights at night time... then you may be able to make a clearer decision. Good luck! :)

Hello again, thank you for the input. I've taken it all on board. Regarding the island, we will be sticking with Knights Grey but if we choose a very dark floorboard, we will then switch to Timeless Grey (which happened to be one of the swatches I'd picked up anyway!) to avoid that sinking effect. Thanks for the tip. I won't be able to get back out this week to check the Dulux Raku colour, did I mention that I'm getting around with a 1 month old and 2 year old? They are totally dictating my schedule! Ann I'm not sure exactly how they get half strength. I just have the understanding that paint looks darker on a wall than it does on the sample card so to always opt for a lighter shade to counter that effect. So to avoid the Snowy Mountains colour looking too dark, I will go for a half strength. Worst case, I figure, is that it will just be a touch lighter than what I'd expected. There wasn't consistency between the three separate Snowy Mountains cards that I ended up with so I guess it's to be expected anyway. Thanks for sharing your experience Antonia, it's good to know it works. Today I went out to Beaumont Tiles to try and find a tile like the one I attached to my original post. This was surprisingly difficult to match and I've borrowed a sample of the closest match from the store to mull it over. The colour seems to work quite well against all my samples but I'm worried about the wavy edge and how it will appear on the wall when grouted. On the one hand I'm worried it will look too busy or untidy, on the other hand I think it could be a winner because it could add some depth or interest to an otherwise boring subway tile splash back. I've attached the tile against my samples and also Tranquil Retreat (half strength) wall with Vivid White trim. Please tell me what you think :)

I will be the loan naysayer and go: Vinyl Plank timber pattern tiles. I did these in my kitchen and they helped make the room. Used Karndean, but any European brand should be fine (avoid American and assume they are using American or worse if they don't say the country of origin). http://www.karndean.com/en-au/floors/landing-pages/new-looselay-longboard?gclid=CjwKCAjwspHaBRBFEiwA0eM3kQ7eEFPH5FlK2IwV3o7ZsbbmJ19srG0OM_tWK5dhPMNyDdwxGPUr4BoCoYcQAvD_BwE Caveats: Ground must be FLAT. 100% flat, ruler FLAT. If not you will have to level. If flat, you can lay them yourself. Our floor had to be levelled and it was tough. still got a few high patches and gaps because of that. However I have done it on a concrete surface myself since and it's beautiful. Benefits: Nice and soft on the foot. (less ankle pain) single tile replacement. Looks fantastic. No PVC glue fume issues and fairly resilient. Do be wary though of metal chair legs scraping the floor. Waterproof! when installed right with no gaps! (why I would choose them in a kitchen over timber or Eeek carpet!.... Yes previous owner installed shagpile carpet in the kitchen).