Thank you hechan. No your cabinets would not go to the ceiling, but the wall of shallow cabinets would. This is because having high up storage is better than not having any at all, and they are still useful for the odd vase or Xmas serving ware etc, Also it is necessary for this walled look to look right. The other column cupboard would do the same, as I like that it looks like a column or structural element and not joinery. However, laminate sheets are typically 2400mm x 1200 so they can only go to this height before. Join is necessary, this is another reason I have placed an open shelf ut on top, ring in a timber toned material, means the Join is intentional, as hiding them often fails. As for the wall, the cabinetmaker would literally stack your carcasses on top of each other, therefore the join once again is only visible at the end, where I have also placed an open unit. No bulkhead is necessary, a 20mm shadow line is left under the ceiling level, in your case the shadow line would be the minimum distance that tour plaster strapping is. The cabinetmaker would worry about this detail, you would simply ask for floor to ceiling. Retaining any architectural features is always a plus for resale, as the homes facade will generally show definite characteristics of the homes era, and this is what potential buyers are drawn to. As a result, people interested in post war, deco or ore styled homes are always grateful for retained period details, however minimal, and infact, the ceilings are the single most appreciated element of a homes design. Ts is because is generally is what gives you the wow factor, demanding your attention instantly upon entering, and they also do not dictate or influence the interior as far as your furnishings goes. You could decorate sympathetically, or contradictory to them, and either will work. The ceiling, floors and windows are the single most desirable elements of period homes, you have the ceiling and the window, most likely beautiful hardwood floors also. These elements provide all the details you need, and a lovely back drop for a simple and sophisticated fit out. Contemporary by comparison is ever popular as mod cons and innovative materials are as equally requested as period charm. Thank you for your compliments. I pride myself on being a pragmatic designer, often good design comes from the need to work within limited parameters, such as yours. But that's easily resolved wi details at address things like maximum ceiling heights with an understanding of material restrictions, ie the panel sizes in your joinery, or understanding what the joiner needs to consider before designing for them. I have an architectural fit out background, and designed many types of firings from showrooms, magazine sets and many more private houses. I'm glad you like it.

I agree about the idea of putting roller blinds on your door , matching the colours of the others must mention about Annie Sloan paint : it is a chalk paint and you can apply it on any wood surface with at having to use primer, what " seals" the pain is the Annie Sloan wax you apply afterwards. You can Buy Annie Sloan on line , i use Annie Sloan a lot.it is expensive if you want the legs painted black to be smooth, just paint and wax , but one coat of Annie Sloan does not give a good coverage. It you want it " distressed" slightly, then just sand a few it on the edges afterwards, before the waxing With a slight " distressed" leg look, but you would need to give the top of the table a light sanding to " rough it up" on the edges if you want a good solid, coverage, Annie Sloan is not the right choice have a look on eBay, I have just bought some cages light to fit near my table outside ( I was just playing around with them yesterday before the electrician comes toda), they were only like $46 each

answering your questions: change the sliding door to a bench height sliding window and use the salvaged sliding door in the western end of the dining room where the best entry position is for the deck, you MUST have a proper legal drains do not consider anything else...the drain pipe for the garage laundry can be on top of the concrete floor, behind the washing machine and through the sink cabinet and/or under built in storage and only needs a few cms not a whole floor and no stepped up area that you would see or trip over.. the laundry can't be in a separate room as there's not enough space for a separate laundry without compromising the size of the garage...a laundry cupboard 80 cm deep is enough for the washing machine (allowing for the drainage pipe) you could use the old line cupboard to store anything you want but it's not cost effective to change, the entry foyer is already as big as in many modern homes and there's generous flatpac biw space in the small study.... the family bathroom is 2380 x 2370 (ie the old study minus 1m for hall way and wall thickness and, arranged exactly as shown to allow for the wide window there should be space for a bath up to 1800 x 750, vanity about 1200 x 500 and shower space 1200 x 800 and leftover space makes the small linen cupboard with the door deliberately opening towards the shower to use the back of the door for hanging racks for towels and clothes....btw i understood your priority was maximizing separate sleeping rooms and minimising costs...my last plan has five separate sleeping rooms plus the lounge with sofa bed totalling sleeping places for at least 10 people plus the potential for bunks in the garage so you need to decide what is most important and where you're prepared to compromise

I like option 1 too, if you are worried about them not being big enough, can you find something like that, but that is bigger than the 16cm? Also, you could go three, I'm posting our former kitchen reno for you, the bench length is 1600 and our pendants were probably around a similar diameter, possibly slighly bigger, and given how heavy ours were in comparison to what you have chosen I definitely think you could get away with three if you liked the look better.