Can I suggest looking into having a quantity surveyor assess your property (and you can claim the cost of having this done). They will provide a depreciation schedule for you which will tell you how much each item will depreciate in value over the maximum number of years you can claim. If an item is at the end of its depreciable life, they will tell you what you are able to replace. Even if you only have tenants for a short while, you are able to claim depreciation for a pro-rata period that your asset is income producing. What all this means for you in terms of design - there may be ways to improve the look of your property in line with what you will want it to look like when you eventually move in, which could gain you a tax benefit. Of course, you have to have the $$ to spend on it in the first place. Oh - and in terms of furniture - do you know about Casey Auctions in Hallam? they are close by and you may pick up some really good bargains. I know we did!

Thanks for all those comments. It would be nice to replace everything but it was done in stages and some bits cost a bit. Taking shape piecemeal with out a whole perspective resulted in the dilemma now. I would hate to lose the stone bench top and the tiles laid recently to match it. The rest is negotiable so I really aim to tie it together. No one is tending to sit in the kitchen they rather sit in the living room. And yes I need better shelf space and spot for microwave and I did hope to get the fridge next to the door beside the wall return but I would need a thinner fridge. I had hoped to remove that door altogether and use the bi fold doors in the living room as an exit but they may not be ideal for that. So my main aim was to tie together the bench top and floor with colour and maybe some modifications to the upper cabinets?? The back door is actually and off white.

Hello again, thank you for the input. I've taken it all on board. Regarding the island, we will be sticking with Knights Grey but if we choose a very dark floorboard, we will then switch to Timeless Grey (which happened to be one of the swatches I'd picked up anyway!) to avoid that sinking effect. Thanks for the tip. I won't be able to get back out this week to check the Dulux Raku colour, did I mention that I'm getting around with a 1 month old and 2 year old? They are totally dictating my schedule! Ann I'm not sure exactly how they get half strength. I just have the understanding that paint looks darker on a wall than it does on the sample card so to always opt for a lighter shade to counter that effect. So to avoid the Snowy Mountains colour looking too dark, I will go for a half strength. Worst case, I figure, is that it will just be a touch lighter than what I'd expected. There wasn't consistency between the three separate Snowy Mountains cards that I ended up with so I guess it's to be expected anyway. Thanks for sharing your experience Antonia, it's good to know it works. Today I went out to Beaumont Tiles to try and find a tile like the one I attached to my original post. This was surprisingly difficult to match and I've borrowed a sample of the closest match from the store to mull it over. The colour seems to work quite well against all my samples but I'm worried about the wavy edge and how it will appear on the wall when grouted. On the one hand I'm worried it will look too busy or untidy, on the other hand I think it could be a winner because it could add some depth or interest to an otherwise boring subway tile splash back. I've attached the tile against my samples and also Tranquil Retreat (half strength) wall with Vivid White trim. Please tell me what you think :)

If you don’t like the fence then remove it. It doesn’t really fit in with the era of the house. Returning a window to that blank wall would improve the look of the house. It currently looks odd and unfriendly. Windows improve your street presence. Choose windows in keeping with the rest of the house. Also think about orientation. If the front is facing west you’ll get harsh western light in summer heating up that room unless you have vertical shading. It might be why they bricked it up in the first place. Which brings me to the awning to the right of the house. It is what makes that window look odd. It would greatly improve the look of the house if it was removed, but if your house faces west you might regret it. Really think hard before rendering. Bricks are virtually maintenance free. Render will require ongoing maintenance. And there is the potential to look like you’re trying to turn the house into something it’s not rather than embracing it. As trends go, brick is back and render is on the way out. Not that you should always follow trends. Your money might be better spent on landscaping and other things that will improve the amenity. Congratulations on the new house. It’s very exciting.