EXAMPLE #1: L-shape, Table & Chairs, Remove Bench for Fridge and More Counter * Your Back Door: where they have large ceiling to floor window. * 1st Counter Along Window Wall: counter top with sink under window, and upper cabinets over counter on either side of the window. * Turn to Right Side and Create 2nd counter: put your full stove where this picture has a cook top. * Removed closed wall so your kitchen is open to the hall. * With this expanded "wider" space that combines with the hall, you can put a round table with four chairs. (Almost where they have their "counter island". * In your diagram, to the left of the door is your bench. If you have a table & chairs in the "wider" space, could you remove the bench? * On the wall where the bench was: a. put a fridge, b. build a counter with cupboards overhead. ********************************************************************************************************************* Example #2: U-shaped Kitchen In this photograph, beginning from the left-side corner: * Back door. * Fridge (theirs is built-in / too expensive for me / just put a fridge with freezer). * 1st Counter: Your sink under window. * Right turn: 2nd Counter: Stove (they have stove-top and built-in own below). * Since a full fridge & freezer is beside the door, you can use a longer counter to the right of the stove. * (Ignore their sink in this picture.) * 3rd Counter with cupboards below and above. * Remove bench. Along the "removed bench" wall: a. buy an "island" on wheels with chairs; b. when you are alone you can use this table-top for large cooking projects; c. use the island and chairs for eating; d. use a chair to change your shoes coming/going into the backyard. ******************************************************************************************************************** EXAMPLE 3: L - SHAPE * Remove lift-top freezer. * Keep sink under window. Have counter on both sides of the sink. * Counter on the right. * On this second counter, put stove (they have a stove-top and built-in oven). * Remove the wall so the kitchen and hallway are combined. * Move the fridge against the Bedroom #1 wall (on the kitchen side). * On the bench wall. Make the bench smaller so it will fit under a kitchen table. Use the table top for food preparation. When you have company, pull the table away from the bench so you can sit on the bench and use the table. With a small bench, you can put a table on this wall. Build the bench in a U-shape. Put baskets or wood boxes underneath to keep your boots and shoes. This table costs $99 at Ikea. When it is folded in, it can be used as a counter-top. So you don't obstruct the back door from opening, you can push this table over the bench. When you have company, you can pull-out the table's sides to make a larger table top. www.ikea.com Table Name: BJURSTA Table Description: Extendable table, birch veneer Size: 19 5/8" wide x 27 1/2" deep (when table is folded) x 35 3/8" height x 35 3/8 " (when table is unfolded). ******************************************************************************************************************** EXAMPLE #4 If you remove: * the lift-top freezer, and * the wall between the kitchen and hallway. * Will you have room to build a counter from where the freezer was into the space that was the hallway? * Move the fridge to the wall against the 1st Bedroom * In this photograph, there are many "fancy extra" to ignore (i.e. built-in ovens). I think your stove would be on the counter where this picture shows just a built-in range top. Hope something from these suggestions is a help to you! - K

I have a shower over bath combo' which its plastic resin something? It's a old bungalow and pitifully small. The amount of times I have nearly slipped over getting out, or lost my balance with soap in my eyes/ or after having a glass of wine. hate hate it. I did see a shower room with a additional hand held device and a over head shower. I thought that good for the odd squirt your feet down. The next owners will probably rip it all out and start again any way when design ideas change.

Thanks for showing the whole plan, this way we can see the relationship to the whole block and some of the adjoining properties, helps to get a better understanding of the whole thing. Some areas that I would look at are: 1. Possibly bringing the front entry closer to the front, possibly making use of the dining area. This would allow you to develop a garden lookout and fence of the neighbors driveway - if its not already fenced. It would also identify your entry more to the front next to the carport. 2. Using the existing entry as an open area as part of Lounge/dining/family, also removing bedroom 3 and making it part of the living area. 3. Turning the sun-room into a good bedroom (bed 3), having the space to improve the bathroom size, maybe combing the existing toilet as part of the bathroom and providing a separate powder room space if need be. As the sun room is pretty long you might also be able to combine a decent walk in robe. 4. The kitchen can then be moved closer to the existing dining area which would become part of the entry. This would give and easy access from the carport to the kitchen and also remove the relationship with the second unit and identify you unit more as a "house" with a front entry. That's is where I would start the first design discovery, then after three or four revisions it might all be a bit clearer and a lot different than the first design ideas. I It generally takes a bit of "sweat blood and tears" and a bit of money to find a solution that is acceptable to most stakeholders - most of the times its worth it in the long run. I do think that your approach is the correct one - its cheaper to change drawings that move walls - getting a good design solution is the key.

I have been the reigning dessert queen in my family since a teenager. My mum always lamented that she didn't get the baking gene - it skipped a generation and went from my Grandma to me: my cakes and scones would rise perfectly each time, whereas hers quite often fell flat. Unfortunately, my mother's beautiful singing voice and artistic talent completely skipped over me. My four boys love it when I bake, although blending working full time and parenting and a house with a lot of work to do, does limit the time to bake. A good quality mixmaster is one of the key baking accessories for a lot of baking...but not for scones!!!