I would suggest that if you don't want to make mistakes in your house then you engage a design professional to get it right, especially if you don't know what you are doing. There is an art and science to good kitchen design, and there are plenty of bad kitchens out there which have been "designed" by amateurs. Kitchens are expensive to build, and most cabinetmakers will build with the plans they are given - they usually don't want to try and correct client's mistakes. Just because you can draw it, doesn't mean it will work. I know how to use a keyboard, but I don't know how to write a best-selling novel. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

Sorry, I can't send photos at the moment as we are having our kitchen renovated and all the lounge furniture is stacked and covered. Our house was built in 1960 but everyone thinks it is a seventies house because it looks just like them. We have been progressively renovating and the kitchen is the last thing to do. We actually bought mid century modern style furniture from the Modern Furniture shop in New Farm/ Fortitude Valley in Brisbane, and a parker dining suite from an antique shop. (My partner hates clutter.) The area in our house that is the same as the one where you have your TV actually has had a set of internal stairs cut into it going down, and we have a piano in the remaining space with our buffet up against the balustrade. We did have our dining suite in the same space as you have yours, but it is an 8 seater, so we swapped the dining and lounge furniture and put our 2 seater sofa, 2 armchairs and oval glass coffee table against the wall opposite the kitchen. We use both more now because the dining space is bigger and the lounge space is cosy and inviting. We have a large area downstairs which we have turned into a combination mancave/TV area/ entertainment, casual dining and summer living space as the concrete floor keeps it cool and comfortable. What I love about a big space like this is that you can change it around if you find it's not working for you as it is, or if you just feel like a change. Having to keep to the TV points reduces that flexibility a bit, but maybe you could consider swapping around the dining area? It's just a matter of figuring out what works best for how you like to live, and trying out different configurations might help you do that.

Hi Carol , I hate the artwork but wonder if the colouring is way too little for the space haha ? Everything in your place is grey , beige , off-grey , off-beige , off-blue , and charcoal . So to add some excitement you get some art in grey , beige , off-grey , off-beige , off-blue and charcoal ! Three months ago I bought an original abstract picture about 1.2metres square -- a yacht under sail in heavy seas . Except it was all in brightish colours , the texture is literally knifed on . But straight away , your eyes are drawn to it , and you know exactly what it is . We know sails aren't really orange and yellow and apricot and butter -- but it portrays the fury ! The sails are actually heavy paper , screwed up , flattened , painted and glued to the canvas -- it is 3 dimensional ! I'm actually not a sailing person , but at $800 I grabbed it , and glad I did . It may not be your choice , but imagine just from my description , what something like that would add to your place . A large flower or fruitbowl if you want to be safe , a 'quality' landscape , or something that is a talking point if you are as mad as me . . . . . . . . . . and you can change it in 6 months or 6 years .

I assume the cabinets are laminate though -- it would be difficult to repaint them , PLUS a decent amount of colour will take the focus off them . The walls seem to have a blue tinge to them -- to me ,that adds to the colder , austere look . If I was going to repaint anything , I'd actually opt to do the walls in a warmer English Cream , or even a slight Apricot tinge would be more my taste . And then , the right hand wall in your 'new'pic 1 ( I think it heads to the rest of the house ? Theres a door there ) I would wallpaper in a textured paper , again with apricot tones ,maybe something like relatively simple apricot and cream diagonals 12-15mm wide on a woven textured paper ? ) . And 'double down'with the splashback tiles on the 'front' of the island . So that whole room would be English Cream or maybe a slight apricot tinge , instead of the slight steel blue tinge , with the warmer brown tiles , the pretty neutral floor , the slight coffee cabinets -- and then orange appliances and stools and pendent lights possibly . Obviously , you'd then need to go warmer tones for your dining furniture -- wooden frames , or black gloss and dark glass table , and creams , apricots , orange upholstery ? Mind you , once your present furniture is added , that may be enough ? It looks coldish and too neutral now IMO , but nice furniture will divert most of that attention .