No, I'm sorry, but it doesn't work for me at all. That unrelieved expanse of shiny white is quite disorienting. You don't quite know where the light is coming from. But the colour isn't the main problem here. Although it isn't pretty, the "before" kitchen actually has a lot going for it. The new kitchen has the benches all at the same height, which is a problem because different kitchen tasks are most comfortable at different heights. The surface that houses your sink needs to be relatively high so that when you're using the sink you don't have to bend your back. That's uncomfortable! Conversely, a cutting surface is better if it's relatively low, because that way you can control the knife better. It's a safety thing. The new kitchen has the cooktop and the sink under wall-mounted cupboards. You're absolutely sure the extractor fan whisks all the steam and particulates out of there? Most don't, you know. And with the cupboards at that height, if you're standing close enough to cook or wash up can you see to the back of the bench? No, it's not you, it's the design. Look at the old kitchen. It has surfaces at a variety of heights, and although the sink is under a cupboard you can stir the sauce on the stove without bumping your head, I think. I could be totally wrong about this. The featured kitchen might be a joy to work in. I do think, though, that this does not look like a kitchen designed by a cook.

The choices probably really need to be made by your daughter, guided by your house rules. I would start with those things that can't be changed and anything that would be unacceptable to you such as changing the carpet, painting walls black etc. Has your daughter collected images of the sort of room she is imagining? Houzz has a great collection as does Pinterest. Once you have those ideas you can talk about budget and what is realistic. I would suggest Kmart or similar for on-trend, affordable furniture and accessories as what she chooses now is likely to be different to what she wants at 17/18. A space to personalise with photos, quote cards and mementos is important to a teenage girl, a makeup station and full length mirror are other essentials. We bought a couple of timber crates which we painted to suit, for storage of school books/folders. Kikki K make a gorgeous mood board which will contain all the photos, weekly plan etc. Your local Facebook Buy Swap Sell or Gumtree could be a great source of affordable buys. As a mother of 4 daughters, my advice would be not to invest too much as their tastes change, sometimes rather dramatically. You just have to balance the cost with your environmental ethics. And Kate is absolutely correct about the rug in front of the mirror - fake tan does not come out of carpet!

How about Shale Grey? Too light? Too dark? You need to pick a starting point and then go darker or lighter.

Personally , I wouldn't try to sell the couch and buy something else -- the existing tenants have white , but why either spend money , or get something inferior ? Even adding white cushions ( maybe 2 standard size , 2 oversized , one shaggy ) would help . Problem there though -- who wants a white rug , cause thats what you'd need IMO if you went down that route . The kitchen is pleasant , but imagine it with lime appliances ( not the fridge haha ) , or orange or candy apple red . . . . . . . . .