Oh C'mon V Richards...every epoch has its treasures. B4 you make a mad run for it stop a while and consider the period and the reasons for the style...it can be extremely enlightening....unless its not the period you want to escape from but from some of the opinions. I spent many years of my youth outside of Australia living surrounded by old ruins in Europe. I forgot what it was like here. When finally I returned to Australia and found myself living in some of the 60s and 70s places..I found much to admire and wonder about. I may not have fallen in love with much of it but there was a certain mistique and a feel that I can still conjure when talking about certain places. Not saying that it was all romantic and pleasant but it conveyed something of the era and the kind of Aussie from those days.

Hi again. Finally took the plunge and had the kitchen resprayed. So much lighter and a great job by the professionals. Hard to remember the mustard kitchen now, except the photos remind me.

You could consider custom joinery that actually looks freestanding - purposefully creating a gap from the edge of the fireplace surround to the wardrobe & on the wall side also. This would also mean that it really does not matter if the front of the cupboards do not align with the front of the fireplace. Adding a nicely detailed leg, and a feature handle (you can get some really unique Australian made ones these days) to give some visual interest to the otherwise minimal finishes. Keep it simple & classic so it ages with your child's taste and preferences. As an example, The Design Files recent article has an image of a cupboard in a lounge area, that could be adapted to two double door units on either side of the fireplace https://thedesignfiles.net/2019/10/interiors-house-p-cjh-studio/. Seems perfect for a child of any age, or even if you want to convert the room to a more 'grown up purpose' once they leave home ;-)

Kitchens have always been described as the heart of the home. So when you picture your dream kitchen, what sort of images come to mind? Are you loving the Modern Industrial style or maybe a Hamptons style kitchen is your current crush? Whatever you’re in to, we’ve got some amazing inspo for you! With so much inspiration floating around on the net, socials and glossy magazines, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of indecision. And just when you think you’ve nailed down the perfect kitchen, your thrown off track again because some other kitchen design pops up on Instragram. Creating a beautiful moodboard and pinning all your faves is the best way to start. Stalk all your favourite suppliers and designers social pages for up to the minute inspo. So then it’s just a matter of finding a common theme. It could be a cabinetry colour, backsplash tile, kitchen benchtop or even your tapware colour. Build your style from there. Maybe you pinned lots of black cabinetry, concrete benchtops and gunmetal tapware? Sounds like you’re into the Industrial Style. Crushing hard on marble benchtops, shaker style cabinets and polished chrome tapware? You’re definitely leaning towards a Hamptons style kitchen, for sure! If modern is more your style, you’ve probably got loads of neutral, clean finishes on your moodboard. White push-to-open cabinetry, stone benchtops and brushed nickel tapware is probably more your vibe.