Hi Allison, our block (and many others) has the same aspect with the rear facing west. When designing our new house we had the option of building the open plan along the south side of the block with the alfresco facing the north, or along the back of the house with the alfresco facing west. We chose the latter facing west for two reasons, firstly because we're one down from a corner block our north boundary is the rear boundary of two neighbours so facing north meant looking into their backyard, and secondly because our block is at the higher point of sloping land we have nice sunset views over treetops and rooftops. I should mention the backyard neighbour's house is only a few years old so we're not likely to get built out anytime soon, but something you should keep in mind if the house at the back of yours is really old chances are a new one could pop up in the next few years and you don't want to be staring at a two storey house. A few other things to consider... all walls of the extension should be properly insulated, all windows and doors should be double glazed and the deck should definitely be undercover to minimise direct sun into the house (see photo). Below's our open plan and a photo of the alfresco which was taken around 5.30pm where you can see the house only just starting to get direct sun late in the day. Otherwise, I think your best alternate is to extend along the south side of your block with a deck facing north, it's generally the better orientation, just wasn't an option for us. Good luck! :)

Looks as if the far corner of the triangle is the utility source. Water, gas?, power? These can be expensive to move. Not clear on climate at the location, Looks like it is somewhere warm :) two fridges one quite old so maybe a chest freezer would be more economical/useful. I recall a friend from Qld who put everything in the fridge :) Cupboards were mostly bare of food unless it was perfectly air and insect proof. The carved wooden pieces could perhaps be moved to another area? they are probably grease and dust traps in the kitchen as they don't seem to be functional storage. That would give you another shelf in the short term. Can't see the stove so it is a bit hard to see the wash, cook, fridge triangle. Agree that a considered rethink is the way to go

Your industrial style lighting is at odds with the glamorous pendant for the dining room, and will detract from this feature. Your kitchen will be dark as it is a long way from a window for natural light. I would actially consider installing a Velux skylight above your island bench to bring some light into the kitchen. I would make any pendants above the kitchen bench as neutral and simple as possible so they are easy to clean and detract from the dining pendant. If you are going to include recessed downlights then do your research on the LED fittings that are sealed at the top to prevent heat loss/gain from the ceiling space if you are a single storey at the rear. Make sure you have suitable dimmers on all the light sin these areas so that you can control the amount of light for different functions. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

you need a large rug underneath your living room furniture to sit ot all on there - not half on / half on. to connect the dining to the kitchen i wouid add a pendant over the kitchen bench with a smaller matching one over the dining table - that will connect the spaces. Definitely a console or buffet with a mirror above it on the wall with whee your dining table is situated. the mirror will reflect the mood lighting of the pendant back into the mirror. Use another rug in a coordinating color - not the same ( as your living) to them tie all the spaces together.