We are in a warmer area however put in undertile (inscreed) heating in the bathrooms. It is great. As it is not in the slab it does not take long to heat up and we have it on a thermostat which works well. It cost about $1000 for two bathrooms. A larger area would be cheaper as much of the cost was in the timer, thermostat and controls. We then did not bother with a tastic thing on the ceiling which is inefficient and just have a nice light fitting and a plain exhaust fan. I would see it as a must have. You might only have options for underfloor heating under a tiled floor with an existing slab. Have a think about slow combustion. They are dirty and dusty. The wood is a lot of work and can be expensive depending on your area. They may also take up a lot of space in your house and you need to have them close to a door to bring the wood in. They work for us at the moment as I am at home with young children. When I was at work it was an insufferable chore to get the fire going of an evening when I got home from work and there was washing to be brought in. I would see it as a "nice to have if you have the space, time and wood" Think about your lifestyle are you at home a lot or just after work? This will impact on what you need. I would go gas if I had access to it. Just make sure whatever system you have has zones and a programmable timer to reduce cost. Reinsulating your roof goes without saying and will make a big difference.

This is beauty of good design. Dramatic changes can make an incredible impact. As I originally mentioned an extension was added to the back of the original kitchen and extended out past the original envelope of the building. The kitchen then was moved 180 degrees to opposite wall. There also are no bells and whistles in this kitchen and no soft close drawers, just the basics.

I love what you have done here - so much brighter and more connected. Your kitchen layout actually looks very similar to ours, which is currently a U-shaped enclosed kitchen we are thinking of opening up as you did. Can I just ask you - where do you store your food? My concern has been the lack of a full height pantry area if we make the wall opposite the sink a breakfast bar as you have. Love your work!

What a stunning transformation! You've done a fantastic job of creating more space, and modernising the kitchen without altering the shape drastically. Just one question - to complete the modern look have you considered updating the sliding screen door? Some ideas below: Bifold sliding door example Bifold sliding door example Sliding door example Once again, congratulations on a fabulous conversion! Stunning!