Open shelves Dan create visual interest if you use them to store common place everyday objects, ones that will be used enough to avoid collecting dust, or display Like minded items of interest, whether it be all white serving ware, as in country styled kitchens, or a grouping of recipe books. Whichever you choose, make sure the items are not static, and get moved around enough to remain visually interesting and dust free! Open shelves can be vertical shelving units, amongst your tall cabinets to fill awkward left over space, at upper level within easy reach of your, keeping Bench-tops free of clutter. They can merge into an adjoining desk space perfect to pay and store bills, or charge your iPad etc ready for ordering online. Open shelves can be further utilized to introduce colour or texture into a single palette kitchen, for example having timber open shelves or a colour can tie in accessories, appliances or even splash back colours. As a kitchen designer, I often include them into a design, and make sure they are a usable size, and flexible enough that if you tire of them, you could order a door to enclose them at some point. If you like the option of that, the shelves would be need to be recessed 20mm back from the adjoining door fronts so if one was added, they would all be seamless. This can be design feature by also adding a 20mm shadow line around the unit. To get an idea, take a look at the Formica colour palette brochure with a timber feature open unit, the feature colour here was yellow, and was designed by me. Good luck.

my 2 bobs worth. as someone who works with the elderly-the en-suite for your MIL is still not right. if she ever needs walking assistance,especially with a frame, getting past that door into the en-suite will be a nightmare. swap the vanity position for the shower. ensure there is no step-down into the shower area, and ditch the shower screen for a curtain. will make access much easier. especially if she ever needs assistance showering..it will be virtually impossible, and dangerous, with your current design. thinking long term..MIL will not always be there with you, so presumably you and your hubby will at some point end up in the master bedroom? consider the long terms implications of this-no good building something that suits her now, but would need major modification to suit your needs later. I would actually do away with the WIR at this time. Plan to add it later, if you would want it for yourself, but i would just use free standing furniture for her-no doubt she probably has her own, so it would be nice to have some of her own furnishings when she moves in with you - to make it feel more like her home. it will free up some floor space, and make access to the ensuite easier, without having to turn corners. I would also do away with the extended passage into the master. Take that door back in line with the other bedroom. Currently, it adds nothing, and may well limit your furniture placement for your family room, as the walkway will need to go around it. i have issue with the 2 person shower and double vanity in the same room. s the kids get older, they /you probably wont be comfortable using the room when you are showering, so mornings will be slowed down. Have you considered a 3 way bathroom/toilet/vanity area? We had this in our house, and it was the best decision ever. The shower and bath were in one room, with a separate toilet, and then a double vanity which opened to the passage. Everyone could use everything at the same time, without encroaching on each others privacy. Not sure about your state -but here, the toilet door would have to open out-if someone collapses in the powder room, you would not be able to get in with the door opening in, as they would be blocking the door. I do empathize with your dilemmas. We have spent 7 years planning an extension and remodel, then 2 years (!!!) working on the design with an architect, going backwards and forwards, and then the last 12 months nearly, changing and fine-tuning along the way as things were being built. It is not easy, but worth it. Having said that, you are unlikely to ever get it perfect, as your needs will change, your likes/dislikes will vary, and you will see other peoples homes and go "why didn't we do that". (Now if only i could take that on board myself, LOL)

Some good comments above. My simple suggestion goes like this. Starting at each end, I see they are adjustable, double up the shelves making them stronger, and then you will only have two shelves in each bay. Even them out so yu end up with three equal cubbies. They will look quite cubed, and house foldable fabric baskets which are cheaply available in many colours, try Kmart for packs of 5 for less than 10.00. I would use these end cubes for your practical needs, like onesies, singlets, nappies and creams etc. The central shelves I would display the children's favourite things, on lower shelves, books to access, and some things you want seen as keepsakes, not to play with a they won't reach them easily. The shelves could be configured differently in each space depending on use, but I'd utilize the lower two cubes in one room as desk space, with books above. A cute colourful lamp, and again foldable baskets each side, so that perhaps each child may choose their own side, and have somewhere that's just theirs. In a house ful, it's even more important to have somewhere just for your stuff. These will be great when you make them a little less busy, and providing those inserts will keep them looking tidy, even when they're not. maybe you Could have different colours for each child, to help with the order of things. Good luck with another bub.

There are a number of challenges here that arise frequently, namely: The space is tight, and budget seems an issue. Door options: 1 sliding cavity door into robe- problem: people rarely bother to close them so often a pointless result 2 Hinged doors on the cabinetry-problem the galley you have is only 2000mm wide or even 2200mm. This will make it very tight if you plan to have hinged doors with both sides at 600mm carcass depth leaving either 800mm or 1000mm aisle. This will mean you don't have clearance for you and a door swing, assuming a door width of 500-600mm . You will find it very claustrophobic, and impossible with two people using it. 3 Sliding doors-these will limit your access to the interior and most people dislike them, however probably a workable solution- if you go this way, put the door track at 660mm not 600mm to clear suit jackets. 4 Enclose only one side of the wardrobe with doors and have the other for hanging which tend to be neater than the shelf items.(choose the side that is most visible from the front door. Depending on your ratio requirement of hanging to shelving/drawers, you might fit all hanging on one side then you can have drawers all along the lower section with shelving above with upper doors only. That way, the swing of the doors is easier as you don't need to clear your feet, only your upper body. Then gain bonus space in the area by making the enclosed cabinets only 400mm deep externally. Folded clothing folds to 360-380mm so don't waste the space with 600mm depth. Any additional hanging required on the enclosed wall is positioned distant to the entry and will be mainly out of view. This will save on doors, space and look tidy. It requires a custom build, the cost of this walk in robe in gloss melamine was around $7500.00 including design. Best of luck. The walk in below is 2000mm across, the first section on the left is 400mm deep for his shoes and drawers, the section on the right is 620mm deep. The distant section on the left is 600m providing space for hanging. That way the aisle in the first part is more generous and this tight space feels generouson the left we have his shoes behind doors and drawers below-at 400mm deep this makes the aisle more generous to cope with doors the photo below shows with door near the entry to conceal the"mess"from the walk way(see the appearance from the doorway in top photo), the hanging at the end is not visible at the entry we made the most of the full depth for shoes in our custom drawers