I'm amazed that this discussion has carried forward for nearly two years! In that time I have moved to another coastal area (cooler climate and better proximity to children) and this time found most of the discussion still rings true. Finding another home here was an incredibly frustrating journey made all the worse by a mad investor rush in the area just when we arrived to start our home search. That search took the best part of six months and in the end there would only be three or four houses to choose from in any week. Result? A rushed purchase, a desperately inadequate building inspection and failure on my part to notice poor bathroom tiling, shortage of closet and storage pace, just how small the lounge room really was, and etc. I disappointed myself because I had let the pressures beat me and now we are trying to resolve all of these issues in a home designed and built by one of this states most respected project home builders 25 years ago. Having now studied the floor plan with more care I realise it was put together (designed) in modular fashion - most bedrooms have similar dimensions and the living areas are all approximately the same size as if the designer simply juggled three boxes of one size and four of another size and then worked out traffic flow. Then he must have thrown them all in the air to see how they would land and that was design number two! And etc and so on. This house aside, we looked at a great many during the six months because we had to broaden our search above and below budget trying to find something. There were massive termite problems, leaky roofs, asbestos galore, gazzumping at every turn, almost all but the most expensive properties suffered at least one substantial fail for the most basic of needs and to top it off the best home in our price range just happened to be built on flood prone land - approved by council who put the flood signs up less than five years earlier. We live and learn. Then there were the real estate agents, but that would take another two years and I doubt the internet has enough free page space available!!! OK, I hear you, they're not ALL bad...

Wow, where has the time gone? following up to our post 18 months ago, a lot has changed since then... What's New? We relocated our entire factory to 34 Haydock Street Forresdale (30km south of Perth) Installed new Auto load/unload CNC to help with supply Installed new edge bander custom built from Austria We have orders being shipped interstate every 2 - 3 days We have orders sent to N.Z & Christmas Island Launched new showroom for Perth Customers 426 Scarborough Beach Road Osborne Park Prices online have either remained the same or even decreased Online Design software soon to be available online, stay tuned. Products & Service Over 110 cabinets to customize Over 200 different door colours and finishes from only the best brands Flat Packed or Pre-Assembled Custom made laminated benchtops Order Online or In-store Delivery all over Australia We are cabinets makers who have a passion software and website development, our first online ordering platform was launched back in 2006. Our business model is 'community focused' meaning the more people who use our system helps with our buying power and our costs come down, these savings are updated online for everyone to benefit. eKitchens (08) 9456 3108 sales@ekitchens.com.au www.ekitchens.com.au Check out our video

Hi Luke Perhaps we could offer another viewpoint? Paul is right in that the professionals here have both experience and qualifications behind their comments and outlook. That doesn't mean only pro's can offer an opinion, however it does mean that the DIY homeowners aren't always aware of regulatory, structural or spatial reasons behind the way Pro's do things. Most of the DIY'er's here understand this and by and large the interaction between the Pro's and homeowners is respectful and educational to all. There will always be someone who becomes offended or catty about something but then that is just life.... That said, I can see Pauls point made across many posts. Some of the designs offered up by the DIY'ers are amazingly talented whilst others are amateur. Again, this is not life and death, however the issue appears to be the gradual 'us and them' attitude becoming prevalent in this forum. This is only an anonymous forum for the amateur DIY'er. The Pro's have their company names and reputations out there and give of their time and advice freely. As Paul says, it is what the forum needs in order to attract DIY'ers or people looking for advice. It is worth pointing out that there have been some BLATANTLY illegal things offered up here by DIY'ers as ways of going about works. Whilst that is a rarity, the fact remains that the Pro's have an understanding of the regulatory requirements and put more than our opinions on the line when working in this industry. There will always be dodgy tradies, just as there are many homeowners not paying their bills, gaming the system, performing illegal (and dangerous) works etc Paul consistently stands up for his industry and beliefs as a Pro. Some of the DIY'ers here would do well to consider that you don't gain the qualifications without time and hard work out in the real world. Whilst we respect everyone's right to contribute, respect is a two way street. Cheers

My kitchen is primarily 'burnt red' and the red bricks , which are slightly less brown than the burnt red . the ceiling is white , with stainless downlights , the rest is red , charcoal , white , the odd fleck of grey and black . The floor and blind are brown wood . I don't consider it overly decorated . It opens to the dining room , which is also a natural wooden floor , a black glass top table with black legs , black steel framed chairs with red leather seats and backs , an almost black wooden sideboard , a couple of big colourful abstract paintings , and 3 walls are wallpapered in a wheat weave pattern , the 4th is that red brick . There are 2 large wooden venetians too . The lounge is , yep , red leather lounge suite and extra chairs , there's even a red leather footstool that is heart-shaped ! The TV cabinet is custom made and is nearly 4 metres long , all wood with a dark stain . The floor is wheat coloured carpet with a large shaggy red rug , a black glass coffee table , a 65 inch TV and 7 speaker home theatre , a couple of those polished search light spot lights on wooden tripods , and several original paintings ( only 1 is an abstract , the rest are people , although a couple are Picasso-esque ! ) . Not much white , not a great fan . I'll put up some pics in a couple of years when I've tidied hahaha .