I'm about to put a cooktop on the 2.3 x 900 peninsular (island with only one free end ( in my new galley kitchen. I am using an induction top so it can be fitted flush with the benchtop surface, allowing me to use the whole area as benchtop when not in use. I intend to have bar stolls on the living room side for entertaining. My joiner has suggested making a beautiful, thin timbercover to go over the glass induction surface for added protection. I just need to decide on down draft induction hob or a ceiling casette. My main aim is to remove the smelly cooking smells from my unit. The smell from one evening of cooking indian chicken curry currently lasts at least a week! Any advice?

Hello. All ideas practical and an appliance cupboard is a must if you had in your previous house as demonstrated by previous comments. Microwave and mixers all away. A sliding door to pantry easy solution. Even one with timber frame (raw or painted depending on your finishes) and opaque glass is great as well. Not compromising on island bench is good. It is best to have drawers on both sides. Depending on your seating or not you can also re configure drawer at end but also keeping in mind power points are a must with an island bench. If you are of average height wall ovens great but not always suitable for someone who is below average height. I have an island bench without a sink which works really well, drawers each side and 2 stools at one end for my needs. The rubbish/recycle bin is a pull out dedicated drawer which is also practical. Sink and stove at the back. Make sure you get a good cabinet maker as well and decide everything beforehand.

the reason i love my new induction cooktop is the timer!! put a pot on the stove, set the timer then wander away knowing that the timer will save the saucepan from destruction...don't know about the cost of running the induction, only used for minutes every day so no appreciable cost issues..Love the new down draft exhaust fans and would happily pay extra for one in an open plan kitchen area if you expect to use it while cooking and trying to talk at the same time...it can't easily be added later so i suggest you economise elsewhere...good luck with your new home

There is a difference between 'is it safe' and 'is it compliant'. Nothing is 100% safe, things are only ever 'safe enough' to allow reasonable use. Gas appliances such as your fireplace are required to be tested prior to being sold so that the standards of safety that society expects are maintained. In this case the manufacturer would have had a sample unit installed in a laboratory and tested against the relevant safety standards (the fire burns efficiently enough, it doesn't leak smoke and exhaust into the room and it doesn't make touchable surfaces too hot etc). Once it passes the tests, the manufacturer gets a certificate that says this unit is safe to sell to the Australian public. Now that test certificate corresponds to a particular configuration of the unit and its installation - if the configuration is different, they need a separate test to cover that different configuration. So since your unit does not have a trim frame it would not be identical to the model tested and therefore would not comply - unless of course the manufacturer also tested it without the trim. So this is the question you need to get them to confirm. In all likelihood it is probably 'safe enough' without the trim, but if it is 'non-compliant' you risk an insurance claim being rejected (if say the fireplace caused the TV to fall off the wall somehow lets say). At the end of the day if you leave it without the trim frame, try and get a letter from the manufacturer and the installer stating that your particular configuration complies