Hi Rozzi Klomp, I would not only increase the size of your kitchen, but I'd look at swapping your living and dining areas. The current layout looks to provide a very long and narrow living area (3 x 6m?). A great way to check how each 'space' works is to consider the furniture layout for the living and dining areas. This will highlight how each zone works individually, as well as how each responds/interacts with your views, the kitchen, and related circulation. Understanding how each space works individually, and together, will inform the shape and layout of your kitchen design. Considering this our suggestions are: Locate bench and cupboards along the wall backing onto garage (relocate laundry to garage 'store' area). This will provide you with additional storage and/bench space. It could accommodate the stove, wall oven, fridge etc. Increase the size of the island bench. This bench could be orientated to the view, or the dining area. This would depend on your preference for facing view or using the bench as 'gathering' space (cooking whilst preparing food and /or breakfast bar). Depending on the orientation of the central bench would it be better as an island or peninsular bench? Make sure you have adequate circulation within the kitchen (between benches/ joinery) and around the kitchen to ensure good circulation and function.

Hi Kristin, Unfortunately there's not a simple answer for this one way or the other. Generally 2 storey will cost more, but the cost of a simple two storey design compared to a complex/high quality single storey of similar floor area could be less. It really depends upon the design and level of finish/detail. Cost/m2 rationalising really only works for volume industry where there is relatively quantifiable correlation in this regard. As soon as you get into custom territory things change and can vary dramatically. Good luck! PD www.pauldistefanodesign.com

Thanks for the comments everyone. They are all good advice. Who is the best person to engage with respect to what can and cannot be built on my property and where the building can and cannot be built on the block. I am in Brisbane city council, but my block is classed as Low Density. It is on 607square metres. People around the corner from me live in a duplex on 540sqm block. I have both a 200mm stormwater pipe running across my property and also at the back, a sewer pit. Therefore, there will be some restrictions, but not unsurmountable ones. I have been told by the people in the duplex who has also just build a duplex, that I would be able to build dual living on my block, My nephew has also said that he would be keen to rent the second duplex from me, if I were to live in one. I don't intend to sell the property ever if I can help it and so I would probably remaining living in one of the accommodation. The place has nice view at the back which is South. Has North aspect at the front. New neighbours are currently building a huge house on the East side which has 6 metres of it being built on the boundary fence and their house will have a 4.5 metre setback. The suburb is a changing one and is 5km from the city. I don't intend to progress this project for another 5 years, but would like to do all of the research, cost estimations, now to determine whether it is even worthwhile doing. I wouldn't be surprised if by then, the zoning had changed even if, for now, the site is only low Res A building. I can interpret most of the BCC codes etc, but I would prefer to engage a professional for this early stage to get a big picture idea of what is possible. I have seen a lot of companies that have dual living house plans, but they are all lowset and because I have a highset postwar house on one side and a huge modern brick and rendered double storey box going on the East side, then I don't want a lowset that loses all the nice breezes that I get now. I may lose them anyway when the new house is built, but I have had a little house before in between two double storeys and a lot of breeze and privacy is lost.

Like most of the others , I'd go for white shutters , but there's a few other things too . It looks like someone has 'filled in' the base with similar bricks , not exactly the same and different mortar . Even if it matched , it adds height , but now it just grates . And then the steps are nothing , and the stainless rails and wires are way different style , and then it looks like concrete garden walls around the front that are getting a bit black . And then it looks like a white gate to the left , but its 100mm too long ? Where the 2 brick styles meet , I'd do a plastered 150mm wide 'border' along the length , including the front wall -- protruding maybe 30mm , and then probably plaster/render the lower part too -- make it smooth ! The 'border' I'd paint in crisp white , the lower section could be a beige , maybe a mid-charcoal ? I'd probably do the steps ( or the sides ? ) in the same beige or mid-charcoal or whatever you decide . The white shutters will lift the main parts , the 2 toning of the base with take away some of the bulk .