@jtennr, I am some way off with a kitchen as we're still building but I decided to put my sink into my bench because it worked there for me. I can see into my lounge, even watch tv and also look outside my lounge window into my back yard. If I'm working on my island, I can look out my dining window into my front yard. My kitchen is in the centre of my open plan, so I don't actually have a window right at my bench. You need to draw up your proposed kitchen just basically on paper, make sure everything that is going to cross over into this new area has a spot or home, like an appliance cupboard for example, for the chip maker, or toaster, coffee machine if you like such a thing. Remember storage for all things great and small including the plastic stuff with lids and the bulky casserole dishes, right down to that draw every kitchen has for a screwdriver, or masking tape, a few biro's or extra notepads etc...etc... Work out what you might be looking at when you wash up for example, will it be a nice view??? I expect you will have a dishwasher so the wash up tends to be more, washing hands, or rinsing the lettuce etc... whilst preparing and where do you feel you want to be doing that as compared to the rest of your open plan??? Your prep area should be close to the sink and fridge, as most things come from the fridge and you don't want to be walking a long way with a hanfull of food. I drew up a plan and placed every single item into a location and made sure I had room for everything and almost forgot the microwave, such a big item too!!! Best advice is to search for a kitchen in the style and colours you think you want on Houzz, there are literally thousands, but you can narrow it down by selecting style, colour, shape, even floors and you might get down to a few hundred. You can save the favourites on your own profile page or even print pictures off to perhaps compare them and decide that you like this bench with that colour etc...etc... It's fantastic to see something you like and incorporate some inovative designs into your new build at the same time, so don't forget to search for the newest kitchen gadgets like a slide out knife block or a place for garbage bins or draw organizers, all these things can be viewed on Houzz. Best of luck. Cheers, Barbara

I think getting general suggestions is great, since it might open up ideas about things you may not have considered. Just an observation, but this kitchen seems like a small but efficient kitchen that perhaps does not have to meet the needs of preparing large family meals, rather, it has the essentials and mod cons that meets your needs. I suggest installing a pull out drawer with both a USB and power outlet inside that (or beneath) and a tuck away stool, to use as a hot point to charge and use your tablets, phones etc. Quite a few modern kitchens allow for these hot points to pay bills, order groceries online and only need a drawer for pens, papers, chargers etc, ultimately they end up in a junk drawer or worse on your bench top cluttering up your precious little bench space. Being clever, you can look for a stool that is perhaps a foldout step ladder, to get to overhead cabinets, and make use of any vertical storage you have also. So I'd go with a hot point, aka workstation.

I love my Asko dishwasher, great brand, it has many options, like water temp, top draw only if it's not full, fast wash, heavy wash, etc it actually uses less water for the normal wash than the full bowl on my sink. Our house is on all rain water so no need for the finish product to get rid of the calcium in the town supply that leaves the streaks. As someone with a spine problem, standing in one position doing the dishes is a real pain! We are building what should be our last house at present and I have designed our kitchen to have the dishwasher up off the floor with a draw under it, that way when packing and unpacking there is less of that half bend for my back. Just in passing I have a 'black belt' in dishwasher packing everything goes in and the kitchen is clean in jiffy! When I was working full time it was my sanity, I think a clean kitchen makes every home look like a clean home.

I am not sure of the source but it is a good idea to have a dual bin with rubbish in one and recycling in the other. Make them as big as you can otherwise you will be forever emptying the bin and tempted to put things in the rubbish instead. at least 34 litres. And go with a pull out bin rather than an opening cupboard.