Ok, so we don't need engineered stone in our kitchen, as we have it there already, but we just had more of the same stone installed in our new powder room & ensuite to match the kitchen's earthy colour scheme. We do, however, need to choose a natural granite for our alfresco kitchen as engineered stones are not covered by manufactures' warranty in our situation. So, I stick with engineered and natural stones for the long term bench top of choice.

I'd suggest that the first thing on the agenda would be to come up with an actual design. If there are going to be big changes, you might want to think about a kitchen design specialist. Once you have your design, decide on a budget. That will tell you roughly whether you're looking at granite countertops, caeserstone, corian or laminate. Same with cabinetry: everything is a function of price. By all means, have a good look around kitchen places to see what sorts of surfaces are available, and what appeals to you. And don't forget appliances. Ultimately, though, most of us are constrained by budget.

we've used rendered thick foam for one extension which looks great but the rendered painted surface is difficult to remove messages from low flying birds and can't hold standard screws and love the look of Colorbond steel (installed vertically doesn't hold so much dust) but our latest favourite is well insulated painted modern fibro with rounded timber cover strips over the joins and we love it ...has a nostalgic feeling reminiscent of grandma's fibro cottage and is cheap, quick and easy to install

Yep , looks good ! The older white bricks now look even less cared for though , so a blast or a chemical clean . Also , the window with the pointy facade above it , looks a bit average as it is IMO . You have the contour and point of difference there , but painting it the same just means it blends in . The main render colour is charcoal with a blue tone -- I'd do the pointy bit in a lighter silvery blue just to add interest , without being too dramatic or different .