Like most things in building you get what you pay for. I would ask exactly what the builder has quoted. Yes, I agree $1000 to stick on a strip of cheap IKEA lights is too expensive. However he may be quoting on co-ordinating the cabinetmaker and electrician to recess a better quality, rigid, fitting into the underside of the cabinetwork, concealing the wiring and transformer so it doesn't take up valuable shelf space, or is on display, and wiring it back to your main kitchen light switch, so $1000 for all of this sounds very reasonable for the neatness, convenience and longevity.Have a look at the neat, recessed LED lighting that has been built into the side of this shaving cabinet, and is wired back through the wall to the light switch adjacent to the door. It sure looks a lot nicer than a cheap white plastic Ikea stick-on light that is plugged into a power point with the white transformer being a feature of your kitchen. The Ikea stick on LED strips often comes unstuck when subjected to the steam that builds up under an overhead cupboard in a kitchen from a kettle or a stove. Some builders are poor communicators, so if a quote seems too high ask him exactly what he has allowed for. Best of luck with your kitchen task lighting, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

Hi SonaandDi, In case you haven't come across it, here is the link to my finished kitchen: https://www.houzz.com.au/discussions/5598603/renovation-of-our-1956-red-brick-triple-fronted-home-all-done This layout has the potential for issues, but I tried to factor those in by noting where the fridge doors came to when fully opened. I should have allowed a little more width for the fridge gap, as the theory didn't quite translate in practice: on the plans I allowed the minimum of 20mm either side of fridge, but ended up with only about 13mm (was not fun getting the fridge in!). So my suggestion is to make sure there is 50mm either side of fridge. eg the fridge space is 1000mm wide for french door fridge around the 900mm mark. Even so, my doors do open fully (vegie drawers slide out unobstructed), as the doors themselves sit forward of the nib wall on the right. If your fridge space is wider, you won't need to sit the fridge out the full thickness of the doors, which may look more streamlined. But make sure you allow for 50mm space at the back of fridge. This will decide the depth of your nib wall. I calculated mine as 50mm plus the depth of the fridge to the start of the doors. You might prefer to make it a bit deeper, as the doors have more room to open due to the extra width of the space. It isn't annoying having the door opening over the pantry entry. It isn't often that someone wants to get to the pantry at the exact moment someone else opens the fridge. Even if that happened, you could get past if you couldn't wait: Good luck with your renovation! Because you can't be on site, I would always factor in more wiggle room. Let me know if I can help with any more info - I could talk about this stuff all day long!

I have just moved into a new house where we designed a kitchen/scullery very similar to yours - kitchen for preparation and cooking while being part of the household and the scullery for dirty dishes and storage of crockery and food items that are used occasionally or for sandwiches and snacks (little preparation). There is also a drinks area just outside the scullery (with a very small sink and a tap that has a choice of ready hot or chilled water - it is used constantly). The fridge is placed in the middle between the main preparation kitchen and the scullery where the toaster is also kept. People wanting coffee, toast, snacks can access everything without bothering the person/ people cooking. Our hot plates and wall oven are separated by an L-shaped bench with a single sink, which works very well. However, the sink is much closer to the oven than the hot plates which was bad planning. I underestimated the number of times I move between the sink and the stove top (including rinsing my hands between tasks). The sink needs to be close to the cooktop - and, because you are not stacking dirty or drying dishes there, the amount of bench space between the cooktop and sink does not need to be all that large. One other thing that I am really glad we upgraded to is a synthetic stone bench that is allows you to put pans on directly from the oven (most do not) - brilliant. It also allows you to cut directly in in. I usually don't do this, not because I ma concerned about the bench top but because I dont want to blunt my good knives :)

I've added the room measurements to the post if that helps @oklouise. Appreciate your perspectives. Great to hear the thinner cabinets will work okay. Hi @Maree. Thanks for your comments! I'm using 5D planner for the design work. It's really easy to learn and work with in 2D and 3D. It has limitations in terms of the furniture styles and colours you can pick from, but it's so much easier than other options the trade-off is worth it. I tried to teach myself sketch-up but it was way too hard.