Could you push the new addition & deck forward toward the north by about 1200 - 1500 mm? New kitchen - (in back of new room) Better for tall kitchen units (south side) plus you gain visual connection, better flow with dining/family/decks, island bench or return from east to west. Laundry - continue shower wall right across toward stairs & move laundry entry to stair side, laundry is bigger? The flow to and from is less restricted & could you use under stairs as storage in here? Dining room - benefits from this longer wall to display art piece etc. & less disruptive flow of foot traffic. Change/remove the nib wall at the bottom of the stairs. Consider the path through this room is to your kitchen which has the most traffic plus laundry/bathroom access through to deck & spa. WC/bathroom placed further away from dining room is better. This option could also enable you to leave the bathroom window as is (cost cut). I know you have already had the plans drawn up but I hope without confusing you I have helped you to see that a couple of changes can maybe improve it a little more. When you spend serious money you have to get the best value from this long term investment in your quality of life. What is your existing house & land like?

We went for timber benchtops from ikea for our last kitchen reno. Have had them about 18months now and really love them. Everyone who comes into our kitchen admires the benchtops first of all. They have marked: some scorch marks where i accidentally put down a hot saucepan lid, a couple of very light scuffs from where my husband dumped his tools heavily on the counter. But I like that kind of lived in feel. If you like perfect/pristine look I would suggest something other than timber. Even glulam super varnished counters don't stay pristine. But they really do give a lovely warmth and dare I say elegance to the kitchen, and I'm pretty sure we're going to go for the same option in our next kitchen (moving house soon!).

Hi Nicole, thanks for your message! I do love my kitchen. Our layout is absolutely perfect. I honestly wouldn't change anything. The island is 3m x 1.2m (nice and big) and the distance from cooktop bench to island is 1120mm. Cooktop bench is 2380mm. Sorry, on second thought I would change just one detail! The cupboards under the island on the stool side are push-open and it is actually very irritating as my kids don't sit still so they're constantly kicking them open with their feet/legs! Other than that, I love everything. I like having the sink in the island as I'm washing up more often than cooking so I can keep an eye on the rest of the house. We have a big bin drawer for separated rubbish and recycling next to the sink. Our dishwasher is on the other side. The microwave is under bench too with a drawer underneath and next to this is a smaller cupboard for kids plates, bowls, beakers (easy access for the kids to help themselves) and chopping boards. It all works well. Goodluck!

Second attempt was with Windex and same paper towel, which cleaned the two honed surfaces up pretty well. The lighter Raw Concrete seems to have been easier than the Sleek Concrete. And finally, to get rid of that pot scratch I used a non-scratching Scotch brite pad (what we usually use on dishes) with some diluted Soft Scrub. This one took a little more elbow grease but I'm satisfied with the results. My opinion is that comparing the two surfaces (honed vs. glossy) there is a marked difference. That being said, I currently have tile from 1978 and grout lines that are so deep and narrow I have to scrub them out with a toothbrush. I guess it's all a matter of perspective. We decided to go with the Raw Concrete after all, and like others have said, just expect that it'll take a little more work and show a few more stains. But then again, isn't that the whole point of concrete? That it looks industrial? I hope this has helped someone. If anyone is interested I'll try to post some more photos and real life feedback in a couple of weeks once ours is installed.