Painting the splash back behind the cooktop is not recommended as it's flammable and will likely peel, blister at least or ignite or release chemical fumes at worst. I love the chalkboard though, although I would mask up a doorway on your wall between the fridge and island and paint that, like a menu board, handy for shopping lists or recipes, and will look clever without being permanent. For the window area, I think those two narrow windows are smart and have personality. You can make a mdf pelmet for above them, simple as. Measure the width of the window frame, and cut about 150mm for each side. Ou can have the timber yard cut the mdf into a 200mm strip, and you simply cut the lengths, 1 x front measurement, 2 x side measurements (150mm). Say. Screw sides through front board and cover with wadding also know as Dacron from fabric store, about $10.00 worth, secure with staple gun and repeat with a fabric of your choice. This is where it's fun, I think something like a lemon lime print or citrus stripe, and perhaps make the top of those pellets have a mdf top also so you can place mason jars filled with lemons or limes on them like a ledge, it will look like fresh preserves in a kitchen window and the blackboard wall will tie that into a theme. Like the roman blinds too because fabric will add colour and style cheaply. Don't mind you took off the doors because you are neat, and items seem to match but that can become messy quickly. Reconsider the blackboard behind your cooktop for safety, and even could go to a tile supplier, buy a heap of se nods or discontinued tiles in your mustards, yellows and teals, break them up and mosaic a sheet of fibre cement sheet cut to fit. Then you could attach that to the wall directly over the old tiles, and it would be made by you, the right colours and have that bespoke eclectic look in a cooks kitchen. Sometimes it's as simple as grouping things like a timber chopping board leaning up the wall,a bowl of picked lemons with leaves on, and a teal striped washcloth for it to have those zingy pops of colour.

Hi Kim, the post was called 'ideas for a small kitchen' it's still on diseign dilemmas page three. Poster is hechlan. Yes, a white kicker will get as dirty as a stainless steel one. Although maybe hidden a little better. M reason for mentioning this, as stainless kickers are an early 90's thing, and will prematurely date the kitchen. I have designed kitchens for around 10 years now, and while they have a place, as in you want to tie into your stainless appliances then go for it. I would just consider your options first. The positive is that they will coordinate with an kitchen, however with a white kitchen, they may take some attention that the kitchen itself deserves. Try to create something in your kitchen unique to your layout, and that is long lasting enough to enhance your own aesthetic. Kitchens with personality usually have quirks from the owner, and this may well be one of them for you. My only reasoning is that I wouldn't want you to just do it as the cabinetmaker has been doing this for several years now. White get dirty, so does stainless, they both get mopped, and the stainless actually has a scribes surface which I know is harder to get the dirt out of. We used this in showrooms, and know from experience that flat standard laminate is far easier to clean that stainless kicker, regardless of the colour. Ask your joiner for a piece of laminate and stainless kicker, feel them for yourself. They often use HPL, high pressure laminate to make kickers, and not often LPM, low pressure melamine, as the HPL is far more durable. The joiner can explain th difference, or atleast know that you have looked into it.

@mazpt, yes of course. Here are a few more pictures showing how kitchen, living and dining, and outdoor deck and bbq area flow together. Oska kitchen is really neat in detailing; wood grain on the doors for example, are matched across as many doors as long as a 2.4m sheet allow. Floor turned out very nice too. Light natural colour, wide and long boards, laid length way all the way from front door to the back makes the space looks a bit bigger. Although it is still a floating floor, there are minimal floor movement that make squeak sound, most of the floor are feels solid. I hope that floor squeaking noise will settle over time.

This floor plan has a single garage, with bedrooms grouped together at the front of the house, the Music Room has been moved to the rear away from the bedrooms as it would make too much noise for those sleeping. It can now be opened up to the family kitchen dining, courtyard and Alfresco and can be used as a play room(/ guest room) giving children great indoor out door play area in view of parents. There's a study with a similar view. A powder room closer to the rear of the house for easy access, The main bathroom is done Japanese style. The master suite has the WIR between the bed and the ensuite, no noise etc when in use to disturb anyone. I have made the passage way extra wide and more like a room which has a linen cupboard, you could certainly make this narrower and add to the bedrooms if you wished, This comes to 204.5 sq m. cheers