Well nasmijati has much to offer. For my mind i would like to get an understanding of who you are before thinking too much ahead friendlykim. If we leave climate change, fire zones, function, ergonomics and sustainability to one side we might consider your childhood experiences, your passions, sufferings, do you like literature/ Japanese poetry? - will you have mist in the winter months? what music do you like? imagination as play in defining space, choreographing shade and light, will you have children to consider, would you consider a more elemental use of water for swimming and other opportunities in place of a lap pool? we could talk about art, what artists you love, insight beyond reason which comes through our relationship that your garden may feed your mind on a daily basis. Have you travelled? Does the north African civilization have anything to teach you for garden application? - what is your latitude? Has contemplation placed it's hand on your shoulder by this stage of your life? I should stop - for me it's not really about design, it's about the life of the mind and arousing latent, hidden aspects of who you are - your life narrative. This is how I would start making a garden for you and preferably over lunch - it is primarily about love in the end!

Hi Lisa I have recently put in a brand new kitchen and also decided not to move the fridge, sink, or cooktop. Our cabinet maker came up with a fantastic small pantry which he calls a 'blind pantry'. In the photo, it is the cupboard to the right of the sink. This corner was previously a low cupboard and totally useless because you couldn't reach into the corner so wasted space really. My new pantry has a reinforced floor and you take a small step up into it, which means that a shorty like me can reach every shelf. It is by far the making of my new kitchen because I not only have one cupboard for food (which I never had before), but also somewhere to store my large appliances, box of red wine, container of plastic bags to be reused etc. In the other corner (under the toaster), the cabinet maker recommended blocking this corner off rather than having another low, corner cupboard which I wouldn't be able to easily access. So along that side we have all drawers, in three difference depths. Now that I have more space that is easily accessed, I find I keep the space very tidy all the time, simply because I can quickly and easily put things away rather than having them sit on the benches. A few months in, the kitchen is as tidy today as it looks when I took these photos - easy, peasy. Although more expensive I am pleased we decided to rip the old kitchen out and begin again. In my opinion, it's been money well spent. I'm not sure where you're based but if in Brisbane, I would highly recommend the company we went with. Good luck with everything!

Hi Evee, How about something like this? It would give you a very roomy bathroom, with everything you'd need. You could, alternatively, put the toilet where the towel rail is, and put the towel rail behind the shower door, which would give you space for a storage unit behind the bathroom door; but stepping out of the shower to face the loo might not be very attractive! Also, anyone walking into the bathroom won't immediately see anyone on the loo, as it's behind the door. I know there could be a fair bit of plumbing reorganisation, but I think that, no matter what you do, that will be the case. I think it would be worth the investment for a really functional and beautiful bathroom, though. Oh, and don't forget to put in a couple of double power outlets at the vanity - there always seems to be too few in most people's bathrooms. I hope this helps.And I agree with OKLouise about shopping around for bargains and second hand or re-purposed units. New things seem to cost the earth these days, but you save heaps this way, and you can use your money for plumbing and electrical. Good luck! Would love to see a picture of the finished product.

Hi Judy, I may be a bit late but the first thing I would ask you is how many people in your family and is storage in general a problem for you. Also do you have a rough budget? Kitchens have come along way, you can redo the kitchen using the existing layout but making it a lot more efficient as well as more visually pleasing. As soon as you start moving walls and plumbing it becomes a lot more costly and involved. Not to mention messy. Would you live in there though that sort of reno. Bare in mind moving the wall will mean new flooring as well. I personally don't a butlers pantry unless they are primarily for the storage of things you don't use often. If it will be your actual pantry then you are making yourself walk a lot further each day to get your pantry items. Thus making meal prep take longer. I think the best place for your everyday pantry is next to the fridge so you can easily pack away after shopping and easily access what you need. If storage is a big issue then yes turn your dining room into a butlers pantry / storage area. It is a great place for a second freezer as well as small appliances and general family storage is set up properly. I don't think most people really need a second sink in the if it is mainly for storage. I would be careful putting in an island as ideally you want 120cm all the way around it for easy flow. Also bare in mind the work triangle, if you want an island they make the bay window a bench seat don't leave the sink there as you will increase the amount of steps you take. If I were you I would download the IKEA kitchen planning software and have a play around. You can input your measurements and put cabinets in and see different layouts and style combinations and it will give you a indication of price. I would put in as many drawers as possible and do all tall cabinets on the wall that currently has the fridge. I would put the fridge, the pantry and a tall a cabinet for your oven and microwave together. The only tricky thing is the angles if you go with standard size cabinets. You may have to have a small voids at your angles. You could probably redo the kitchen using the existing layout with updated more efficient cabinets with stone bench tops and installation for close to $10,000 if you install it yourself then you can save more. I think you need to take a step back think about what you want and what you need. Not just for the kitchen but for your home in general. Once you identify the problems or issues the you can start to fix them. A kitchen or far that matter any space in your home has to be not only beautiful but practical and efficient. At the end of the day it doesn't matter how pretty your kitchen if it is not practical. But a practical kitchen that is not your style can also be a downer, you have to both if you don't want a kitchen that annoys you. It has to be a space you want to be in and work in. Good luck