Have any of to guys looked at the toxic properies of poly shutters . They have to use something as a bonding agent and most times it is formaldahide ! Timber is organic and most companies that bring them in have to make sure that the companies that manufacture have the forestry stewardship cerificate which means that the timber used is renewable . Timber is far lighter and can span wider . Remember one thing , houses are made from timber and rubbish bins are made from poly . To the doubters and not sure shutter buyers make sure that you choose a timber product that is 100% that species of timber , not blended timbers and to the ones that are contemplating using poly shutters beware as i truly beleive that they will be the next asbestos scare . They are not good for your health . Always try and go organic guys , even with your food .

Don't know if you have already read the Warranty Info re CC's various products, but here goes (just requires you plug in the particular store you plan to deal with): https://www.carpetcourt.com.au/useful-information/warranty-information: https://www.carpetcourt.com.au/useful-information/warranty-information

A lot of building materials are regulated as far as safety and flammability. If you purchase products that do not meet Australian Standards you may get caught out with a building inspection and be required to replace the items that don't comply. For instance there is an Australian Standard for the type of glass used in glass doors, and windows adjacent to glass doors. Foreign manufacturers may not comply, or label their complying products incorrectly. Another example is the flammable cladding used on many apartment buildings - often this has been imported to save money, but doesn't comply, and will need to be replaced at huge expense. With possible long lead times on many imported products, lack of local service and support, and lack of Australian warranties you are taking on a lot of potential risk, while you could be supporting local industry. I would do lots of research, and try and work out what happens if something goes wrong after the product has been delivered. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

m_walker5, just from the 2 photos so far it seems to me the main first improvement to that space would be to remove the wall to the kitchen, so you need to find out if this is loadbearing or not. Stick your head up through the ceiling manhole to see how the structure is framed. If it is fully framed (rafters, ceiling joists, struts bearing down on internal walls) chances are that that wall is loadbearing. On the other hand if it is gangnail trusses (triangular frames with W braces held together with metal nail-plates) you are in luck. These typically span between outside walls and internal walls can usually be changed or removed easily. This is your staring point for deciding how far you want to go with this depending on budget, and is the point where you should involve an architect/designer to work out a comprehensive renovation plan. I have just completed a very similar project where the renovation was urgent (kitchen cabinets were falling off the walls!) but the budget was greatly reduced as the owner unexpectedly lost one source of income. We managed to do a full kitchen renovation, remove walls to create larger open-plan spaces, full re-sand and polish of floors, full internal repaint, all for about $80,000.