Congratulations. It's a very stylish kitchen, you have. You could stick with the black and white look and use white tiles, such as small white round mosaics, for a clean look. Search for penny round tiles for ideas. Or if you'd like to add colour, reddish tones would work well. Blue-greens and teals are very popular at the moment but I think they will date. Red is a more classic choice with black and white. We used a dark purple-red glass splashback for this kitchen with Caesarstone Calacatta benches and dark brown and off white laminate. Good luck, and post pictures when you've completed the splashback. Regards Jane McDougall alsoCAN architects 1/52 Burnley Street Richmond V3121 Ph: 9421 3433 Fx: 9421 3433 Mb: 0413 332 874 www.alsocan.com.au

My $0.02 - in NSW designers are NOT registered or accredited, beware. All architects are nationally accredited. I suggest that there are a lot of things you can do yourself before you start - get a proper survey of your block, ensure that you get them to provide angles for anything that isn't square....understand if there are utilities like sewer pipes which will affect your setbacks or useable space...... Go online and workout the sun angles for your longitude and latitude helpful for solar and overall layouts. West facing picture windows are not the best. Some of the solar firms have online calculators which help to do this. Read the local council rules and understand them, apply them to your survey and your design ideas....including if you are a corner block and if you want to go two storey...... If it is still a 'go' Get all of the heritage, flood, fire etc checks done by council - around $150 depending on council........ Eliminate or at least understand all the big constraints before you go any further........ Look again at the survey- any contour lines may cost you money, assume a cost of at least $2000 per sqm to start and do some layouts of your ideas on paper, add up all of the spaces, can you actually put them on your block? How much is the total?.......yes garages are slightly cheaper to build but still take up precious footprint space.... Is access likely to cause issues for trades, equipment and deliveries?......... Keep refining and updating the ideas and plans thinking about how you want to use the spaces and move around inside and out.....where are you putting the wheelie bins, clothes dryer etc..... Try the free to use BASIX site forms if you are in NSW, understand how the size, shading and orientation of windows affects your sustainability and adjust, this will also apply many of the local council rules as well..... Do you want a brick house, with render? A pole home, a kit build? A fast build insulated panel build? What type of roof?...... The more you have worked out for yourself the better, look at the kit home options, there are lots and some are very good... Everything is delivered and you just construct with the trades and some may have builders in your area.....The new InsulLiving Code Mark BCA approved options are also worth a look..... Anyway do all of that before you line up for the fleecing floor lol

do you know exactly what you plan to do and have scaled a plan of the space including a wish list of new work? do you know the specific costs that were included in the builders' quote that you could use as a check list for what you need to do and where you could economise? would the builder let you use his tradespeople if you do the diy? it's often better to use trades that are used to working together or can recommend someone they know.... assuming you have no asbestos to be removed i suggest you start with an inspection by a plumber, electrician, waterproofer and tiler to confirm precise location of new work, identify any potential problems and discuss lead times for disconnections and expected reconnections of power and water and ask for quotes NB..do not demolish anything until you have confirmed everything that needs to be done, who will do it and when and all supplies are on site ready to start (in the correct sizes, models and quantities in original packages with precise installation instructions)...you need to plan the work to minimise time without a functioning laundry and minimise time that trades will need to charge for their time, can you economise by recycling any old taps, tubs, floor wastes, old skirting boards and architraves and what about flat pac cabinets instead of custom made? research and source all new appliances, tub, taps, tiles, cabinetry, window coverings and light fittings before you demolish the old laundry...the question about tiles and skirting boards depends on what you want but a standard tiled floor could have a tiled skirting board all round or the tiler can help confirm the most suitable arrangement for your job ...it's not the cost of the few metres of tiles that's the problem it's the extra cost for the waterproofing and tilers time that adds up and it's usually best to paint after the tiling is finished, then add the cabinetry, install tubs and taps and the washer comes last but demolishing never happens first...best of luck , it becomes easier with practice!

I have a relatively small but very well designed house of 160M2 on a block of 1000M2. We get lots of northern light in all the right places. Garden views and connection from every room and plenty of borrowed views. Outdoors we have space for produce gardens, fruit trees, outdoor patio and BBQ area, a fire pit, play space and a native garden. We also have a large, private courtyard off the master bedroom and a small one off the en-suite bathroom. And utility spaces to the south (washing line, hot water, outdoor compressors for air con, garden sheds etc). Internally we have 3 bedrooms, a study and open plan kitchen/dining/kitchen plus small activity area for the kids. None of the rooms, other than the activity area are poky. Because it is well designed there is no wasted space, and it flows really well, accomodating two adults and 2 teens while providing a good balance between connection and privacy. Ample ceiling heights, 2.4m high windows and sight lines that connect with the outdoors means it feels spacious despite its relatively compact size. It’s such a joy to live in this house. It feels like the goldilocks house. Not too big, not too small. Just right.