Bigger doors are perfect as a statement but also to move large furniture in; Pivot doors look fantastic but watch out for kids arms getting caught in the gap; once they start closing hard to stop at the short end!

Wow what a great space to work with - the options are endless and it really depends on your budget. Some ideas:- - paint all the fences to give the area a lift - could also consider putting horizontal timber boards (a bit like decking not sure what you call them) along the fence under the pergola as a feature with a couple of pot plants in front of it or a vertical garden - remove the Hills Hoist and put a large fold down clothesline along one of the fences to open up the area - consider replacing concrete with some pavers if you have the budget and then remove some of the concrete so that you can open up the space with more lawn - plant screening trees along the fence lines to add some more green and keep the space nice and open - in the covered area, the above suggestion is ideal - if you need more light you could consider some transparent sheeting in the roof of the pergola Just some ideas but of course it all comes down to your budget and taste.

PS - as for your study area, we are incorporating a study nook into our house plan but doing it near the kitchen/living/dining space so as the kids grow up, I can watch them do homework whilst cooking etc or if I need to do editing for clients or home business work, again I’m close to the kitchen. I’d try to find a way to fit in a study nook so as your girls grow, the current activity/retreat room might evolve into a teenagers retreat space where they can watch tv/entertain their mates?

Hi Amie, have you had a look at the Caesarstone website? They have a visualiser where you can select different bench tops, splash backs, cabinetry, floors and wall colour - it's fabulous for getting a better idea of how your kitchen will look :) I had a play with it for about an hour the other day lol ;) I found it amazing that the small sample colours, look totally different when applied on a large scale like a bench top.... definitely worth navigating around the Visualiser page of their website to see what you think will work best for you :)