Hi Ara, great house, just off the top of my head I would think to change the "meals" in to 4th Bedroom/Guest/Study or the current trend for Media room. The Laundry would open from the passage, with easy access for bedroom linen. Number of children and ages.

Kitchen/dining/ living to be re configured to Kitchen family space to include an island bench and Walk in pantry. Keeping existing plumbing in place to save on cost

.You would need to check with your builder re any load bearing walls in this area to be worked around

Current Living room becoming parents bedroom/ retreat/Guest room/Granny flat

What style do you favour, Retro etc. A photo of the exterior would be great.

You can expect one of my not so professional drawings just to back up these ideas, cheers

Hi there, I have a rough drwaing of what I think you could do, you have to have a good imagination to picture what I have suggested but you being in the Imagery business I'am sure you will be OK.

The current Master doesn't have a toilet in the ensuite, now a possibility

The family Bath doesn't have a tub or WC, so I suggest that the current laundry be used to be able to add both of these

I have connected the kitchen WIP and Laundry by using the Meals space which gives access to the rear door, which I can only guess that you might have access to a carport etc from here.

The living room is a great opportunity to use as a new Master/guest suite. granny flat and using the workshop as bathroom and WIR, and still gives you the all important 4th bedroom, you can call that space whatever you want!

With this layout you still have dining/lounge/family.

I'am attaching one of my favourite kitchen/WIP/laundry these spaces are all divided by full height pocket doors.

I thought that you could have second fridge in the WIP, Beer!!, with the other fridge/wall oven in the kitchen backing onto the WIP. cheers

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Oh wow! Thank you all for your input!!!! So thankful!!! It's great that you've come up with the downstairs living space becoming a bedroom - my husband and I had been discussing that! Been trying to decide whether to make it a fourth bed or a rumpus for the kids so all their toys (and them

and their friends) are out of sight! Just to help with the questions asked CP and OKLouise, we've got two primary school kids 6 & 10. The house is west facing (there is a car port and drive at the front of the house where the beds are). So the most light will come in on the right hand side of the house where the longest lounge wall is I think? We also live in Melbourne. We do have interstate and overseas visitors occassionally so it is good to have a space we can put guests! I also work from home so thinking how I could sneak a study nook in somewhere...! Siriuskey I really appreciate your help and it's helped confirm some of the ideas I was thinking - I'm def keen to join the ensuite and toilet and fab you thought the same!! It has really helped clarify my thoughts on that (I'm thinking if I can try and get an extra small wardrobe in main bed somehow too by absorbing the spaces). I LOVE the open plan area how you've done that and put in a pantry. I also like where you've put the kitchen island. It's given me some great ideas to work with and I'm very thankful for your time! What package did you use to play with the floor plan - I should have a play too! One of the downfalls of the house is the garden is at the back (beyond the living room) but it's very small. A ten year plan (if we win lotto) would be to build up a level and try to reclaim some garden. Let me know if you have any other questions...

FYI:Iconic Australian Houses 50/60/70 Karen McCartney & An Australian identity: houses for Sydney 1953-63 Jennifer Taylor, this photo from elsewhere.

Hi Ara, I did think to put a computer desk at the end of the kitchen cabinets(Continue the benchtop and perhaps a small return under the window to the R/H side, with kids your age it would be handy and for yourself to check out what you are cooking for dinner.

At the moment I only have Paint, you copy the plan and save it as jpeg then you can play with it, not perfect but until I have the time to learn sketchup/ floor planner , free programs this has to do.

To draw straight lines in Paint select the pen, width of line, colour, place the pen where you want it and hold down the shift key. Any mistakes hit the undo arrow and then you can also use the duster to change and remove things. Agree a better robe but don't always agree on WIR Cheers

The family bath could be a 3 way setup. What if you make the existing wardrobe hanging behind large plain sliders and work some covered shelving for all other folded clothes, lotto win would help. cheers

following on others' ideas my suggestions includes a new kitchen and study and, as funds permit, the new master bedroom and a rumpus/guest room in the old master bedroom although i've retained the old bathrooms and laundry with only minor variations to include a toilet in the old ensuite

Hi Ara, something more to think about, o/night I thought a way to reduce costs was to keep the original laundry using the same doorway as that would now open into the new Study/Mud room which also gives easy access to unload the car of shopping and kids. You could still have a small computer nook in the dining area if needed.

So new kitchen-study and toilets for ensuite and Family bathroom.

We once owned a lovely single fronted Federation cottage where we built the wardrobe both sides and above the doorway into our bedroom, you could do this with your ensuite entrance, it actually looks good framing in the doorway and makes the entrance more private.

Remember this is your family home first and when you have guests you make arrangements to accommodate them to fit in with family life with as little as possible disruption to all, guests having their own bathroom really helps.

I always liked to keep our kids close when they were young so bedrooms together until they were teenagers, that's approx 5 yrs away for you (both kids), then you can move into the Big bedroom to get away from teenage noises.

When do you move in, look forward to photos. cheers

Hi ara, should have mentioned oklouise idea to move the current master bedroom door across to the wardrobe is a good idea,

as she shows this allows for the wall of the ensuite to be moved out for a toilet to be installed within that space. thus keeping the existing separate toilet.

The current wardrobe can be kept but reduced in length to allow for the door.. The family bathroom can be left until you win lotto or other,

the first photo is like what we did in our little house, the second one is beautiful. cheers