I don't really know why but classic attracts me cos it is often rather practical and can still be stylish. Love a hidden shelf in a coffee table too.

if you want to be able to open the doors, load the boot and walk around i think you need at least 9m x 7m but if you to also want useable work benches and storage spaces (eg for the lawn mower etc) add at least 1 m to width and length

I'm sure there's plenty of confusion about the why's and wherefore's of house orientation. The reality, as I have recently discovered, is that if want to live in an area that is older, developed, close to facilities, you take whatever orientation the block actually happens to be and do the best you can with it. Unless you're out in the country, or buying something in a new estate, you may not get a choice of orientation: we certainly didn't. And yes, our garage does have the best aspect - because there was nowhere else to put it - it had to face the street - but we live walking distance to shops (think of the petrol saved on not having to get into the car), we've got clerestory windows on the west side so no afternoon sun issues, and we're assembling a collection of sails for the south side, where the deck is, to provide shade from the late afternoon sun. Oh, and skylights for the kitchen. No, not ideal. But the location is, and the designers have worked around the constraints of orientation. And that's reality for a lot of us.

yazrav wanted the ens next to the central courtyard with outdoor shower for access to the hot tub for communal use, swopping the kitchen and pantry was to create more space for the bigger island for family crowds, add some privacy to the courtyard and reduce the south western glass...the dining table in my plan is 3m long and the extra small room off the master suite makes an ideal nursery with space for biw, large cot, nursing chair and change table and in the big study i've added a wall to wall 75m deep desk and overhead wall to wall shelves with space under the desk for drawers, storing bean bags and there's office chairs and full height wall to wall bookshelves at the other end