It must depend what you cook. I don't do fried, spitty type dishes and the grout around the largish tiles in my now 10 year old kitchen is as good as new. I rubbed car wax into the freshly laid grout lines, same as I did in the bathroom. It also depends on how much light bounces around your kitchen, glass being so reflective shows up smears with light on it. Just above the kettle in the first photo is a good example. Each to their own, I'm a non-glass girl whenever I can get away with it.

Hi there, Having a table custom-made around your stone top is a great idea - and it sounds like it will be a beautifully unique finish, as it is not common to see blue stone tops. Where would you thinking of applying it in your bathroom? You can certainly use it as your vanity top, although you would, of course, have to remove your existing vanity top and replace it with the Stone. Achieving this will be dependant on your splash back (tiles?) and being able to remove one and insert the other without damage as a result. Contacting a qualified Cabinetmaker to discuss your options would be very beneficial before going down this path. If you have more than one bathroom, consider using the stone in each to ensure continuity throughout your home. Good luck.

The tile floor will always be the elephant in the room so consider if it is realistic to change. If you must keep the tiles here are some other fixes that will improve the space. 1. Look through Houzz and make a scrapbook of what you like - You need to determine the style of the kitchen -if you are to keep the doors you could head towards a hamptons style. Consider how the adjoining spaces are decorated as any changes may need adjustments elsewhere. I would cost out each element of the job and decide if you can do it all - possibly over time, as when you do one thing it makes others look shabby and the decisions you make for one aspect would have been different with an overall plan. 1. Remove the pelmet in the kitchen. 2. Paint the cupboards - possible going to a darker colour on the bottom and a lighter on the top. A dark charcoal could work and a grey toned white for the top cupboards. There are some nice Caesarstone options that could pick up these tones with a marble look. 3. The handles need to be heavier as they are trying to be contemporary when the cupboard profile is more traditional 4. You need to replace the bench top- this is your biggest problem as it is totally dated. 5. Your pantry doors ? are different and need to have the same handles. 6. Could go with white glass subways with a soft grey toned grout. If you change the cupboard profile - a squared off shaker style would work- remember that many of the gloss white kitchen s being built these days will soon be dated - so depending on the age of the house - stay traditional. good luck.

Thanks for the measurements, there were a few missing that would have made it easier to be more precise, But I'am making suggestions on what I think might fit within the existing floor plan which you are trying to do. the only small extension is to fit the laundry into a shared family bathroom. As there is already a shower and toilet in the current laundry I think it would be wrong to move them as they are close to your new alfresco area for the family to have easy access when you have your get togethers. To try and keep the girls bedrooms a good size and together with the other two bedrooms I suggest working with the fireplace and making the current Bathroom and ensuite but with the ability to share the toilet with the girls during the night. I have added my beloved barn doors to close off the kitchen from the bedrooms and also to be able to leave open during the day for extra light., the planned deck with roof over will make the dining/study/kitchen darker so you might need to consider a sky light. Anyway just a few different ideas trying to work with and around special features cheers