A few things to consider indeed, but what a great space to work with... my humble opinion on some of your points and queries... 3) if you haven't already got the cabinet/shelves unit yet see if you can get one with sliding cabinet doors 4) great idea, so avoid any heavy items of furniture (e.g. big armchair) in the centre of the room that will be harder to move/relocate and think more ottomans, bean bags, etc You are absolutely spot on with placing the wall units on the 4m wall and keeping the slightly wider 4.2m wall for seating facing the outdoors a) clearance depends on how much and what kind of traffic going through, e.g. doorways approx 700-800, passage 1000-1200, but to get around a coffee table to access couch or get around behind a chair at least 500-600 and more if you can accommodate... and of course depends on the type of furniture, e.g. if you have cabinet doors that swing open (as opposed to sliding) then you have to allow enough clearance to open the door and access the cabinet comfortably b) I think you can do better than a 2-seater in such a big space... e.g. let's say wall units base cabinets are 600 deep even with swing open doors of 400 you'll need clearance of say 1000-1200 from that wall on the right, which out of the 4.2m wall at the bottom leaves you with 3m... so I would fill up the bottom left corner by having a 3-seater/chaise modular along the remaining 3m with the 'return' chaise on the left along the 1.7m wall c) yes, you'll definitely need one large 'area' rug to define the space... you could even use two different rugs and create two zones... one large rectangular one framed by the couch and wall units and a second smaller round or asymmetrical one closer to the sliding doors paired up with a bean bag or big floor cushions d) I think a tall indoor palm/fern in a nice large pot just in the corner of the units and wall (to your left as you enter the space) would be a welcoming touch and tie in with the outdoors Good luck ;)

We went for a 70 cm induction stove top which works well - bit more space than 60 but doesn't eat up as much bench space. Our space was limited too, and we wanted to maximise both bench tops and storage. I'd go for an under cupboard range hood and us the above space for some more storage - besides it streamlines the look. I personally like a sink and a small one - using the small one for vegetable washing and smaller washing up works well for us. Our space (and the necessity for two corner cupboards) meant that we had to have a small dishwasher - Bosch 45cm wide (several brands make them). It works really well if you have space issues.

Could you do with out a laundry sink? If you make the bathroom sink deep enough and the bench overly wide they could do double duty. So you would have sink and bench next to a cupboard that hold the stacked washer and dryer. If you have a front loaded washer you can put a bench inside the cupboard to make extra work space. If the bathroom vanity cabinetry and bench top are the same as the laundry cupboard it will add symmetry. Fill up your mop bucket in the shower (better for your back anyway) or a funky pull out tap could work. It should reduce the amount of space for your laundry/bathroom and give you more space to rearrange what you need for your pantry. I don’t like some of the styles in the photos but it gives you some ideas about sink and bench sizes. I understand though if you would prefer a seperate sink for the bathroom and laundry.

Hi Erin-hem, It maybe too late for changes if you have seen your kitchen designer but I would like to through you a couple of ideas for consideration. In my opinion, the sink area is always the messiest area of the kitchen. Why don't you put that on your new extended outside wall and even include a window for extra light if possible. Put the dishwasher on the left end of that pop out too so it doesn't create an unusable corner on the right side. Then build a 1200mm long wall, 600mm deep into the dining space so you can have a return unit from beside the dishwasher that connects with the island bench. This changes it from a true island bench but gives you the untidy part of the kitchen hidden but not closed off. The wall doesn't need to be full height but needs to be higher than the bench. It can be a joinery item rather than a builders item to match the joinery finishes. Behind the 1200 long wall/screen can be all your tea, coffee etc and your appliances on the bench so usable all the time but not seen from the dining and living area. It also hides the sink from view from the living area. Below bench level in this 1200 section you could actually have drawers for cutlery and crockery that go two way so you can load them from the dishwasher and take them out from the dining room side to lay the table. No need for a pantry with such a long back bench which could have loads of drawers as suggested by someone else. Keep the fridge nearest the stairs so everyone can access it and not come right into the kitchen. If you are a real foodie and love cooking for friends and family, put the hobb on the now free island side. If not, leave it where it is and the 'island bench' is now just a layout and work area and sit at bench. If you have the space, make the gap between the stairs and the bench ample. Say 1300mm wide at least. Cheers, Christine.