It would have been nice to put a door across it as part of the kitchen cabinetry and use it for storage (internal shelves or for broom/vacuum cleaner etc). Another idea would be to create a full height garden/herb screen flush with the cupboards (or slightly back say 10cm) that is hinged on one side (like a door) so you can store a few things behind it...if it's not too heavy to open/close. Nice way to bring in some greenery into the space as well as being great for using herbs in cooking.

It is really difficult to make a constructive comment with so little detail and lack of dimensions - a scaled existing floorplan would help. Generally speaking try drawing in some furniture and the new kitchen layout to scale to see how the spaces relate, how the circulation flow works and if there is unused space. Consider natural light, and supervision (or separation) of kids play area depending on how old they are. If you are thinking about removing internal walls then you should seek professional advice to ascertain if they are load bearing, or if there are other building issues with their removal. Occasionally people start to remove internal walls and then realize that the walls are concealing the plumbing for an upstairs bathroom, and suddenly their "simple" job becomes a lot more complicated and expensive. It looks to me like you are taking a much larger room and making it smaller by using some of the space for storage and a generous hallway (which can't be used for much else). Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

A couple of things I'd do -- I'd do a teak mantlepiece , to tie it all in . Either the same thickness as the shelves ( looks 25-30mm ? ) or double that . Also , I think the TV is wall mounted , but I'd go higher -- my opinion is that there should be a 30cm gap between the mantlepiece and the TV , or go 'halfway' so theres approx the same distance from the TV up to the ceiling as there is down to the mantlepiece . Again , just a personal preference , but it's best to be looking up a bit , and have the TV angled slightly , OR have a low TV cabinet and sit the TV on it .

Afternoon Houzzers…..we are revisiting our thoughts on our extension after this summer. We now realise we want the new space to be our primary bedroom with ensuite and clothes storage. We will convert our existing downstairs room into a Bunk room/kids playroom. Downstairs will comfortably house 2 families. Upstairs..we still want 3-4 metres added to the existing living…for more seating, activities, board games WFH space etc….the rest of the space will be our bedroom and bathroom. ..(we can not extend to the East) The room will be west facing and looking into our garden . The garden views are beautiful and I would like to capture them from the bedroom and through the living room (aspect and window requirements are drawn in Pink) The blue pen outlines the proposed extension…I feel it may need to be a bit bigger. I have a dilemma in that I want all that BUT I do not want to see my bed from the living room..when the door is open to catch the view….. Playing with the plan,doing cut and paste and I can’t get it right. I would love some fresh creative eyes to help me work this out please. We are on the Mornington Peninsula. We are in a flood zone, and have height restrictions, so we will not be able to build underneath the upstairs room..we hope to use it as a carport/outdoor room . I really appreciate any further input you may have. ……just trying to send updated plan..standby