Hello, Sorry in advance to bring up an old thread/subject, However looking for any additional advice/direction i can get on comment from midesign0401 below... mldesign0401 In Victoria a range hood is a requirement in new kitchens. No longer is it acceptable for a simple exhaust unit, rather it must now be ducted to external air. So your range hood must be flued either through your roof space or via a horizontal duct to an external wall. It must be installed and signed off, and your house insurance will require your sign off document if your house insurance is to cover damage due to fire, or you will find yourself in a predicament. The provision for installing a range hood above a gas cooktop is a minimum placement of 650mm above your cooktop, and 605 for an electric hob. Including induction. Hope this helps. Our new home got handed over to us by builder just before Christmas (21/12/2018), We are still waiting for under mount rangehood to be installed into our kitchen, The house was delivered with no rangehood as the hole they provided was to close to accommodate rangehood selection, After a couple of visits we have been told that cupboards are to be removed and replaced, Which we are still waiting for as the 'cabinetmaker is very busy', My inquiry is to see whether there is a building code reference/link I can forward on to them to hurry the process up, Also concerned that insurance would not cover our new house if there happened to be a fire Thanks in advance, We look forward o nay help, Regards, Ken and Nadia Buxton

Suzineedsahouse, what is the era or character of the house you have moved into, because perhaps that will influence design style regardless of size? Also, if you have been knocking out walls is it likely to be more open plan?? I moved from a small 1960's era granny flat into an as-small Art Deco 1940's apartment and found I went with more classic furniture with the second place because it just suited the aesthetic of high ceilings, floorboards, wide skirting boards, fireplace, ceiling roses etc. Having said that, I live in a block of 6 apartments, and I have seen the other apartments decked out completely differently (all of similar layout), from really modern, to mid-century, also one with a real retro art vibe, and they all looked great and seemed to suit the space fine. So maybe go with your taste in the end??

Hi Michelle, There are many independent designers (both kitchen & interior) that would be happy to put together a colour schedule to suit the kitchen design that your cabinet maker has prepared, so a few phone calls in your local area should have this sorted for you. Alternatively, we offer a cost effective 3D rendering service at The Interior Difference (check out the examples on our Houzz profile) customised to your colour selections to assist you in ensuring that you have made the right selection before you commit to the colours. We find this is really helpful for client's who have a good idea of what they think they want but just need a visual to give them the confidence to proceed. Feel free to send us a message if you have any queries. Good luck with your project!! Rebecca - The Interior Difference

It's not a simple debate between what you want/need more or less....understand that this a regulatory thing.........if you are dealing with a building permit then it's pretty cut & dry - as the BCA reads, a separate trough is technically required to consitute a laundry....happy to be corrected in my interpretation in this regard but we have had to deal with this exact issue on a few occasions....... But if you are doing just an under the radar laundry reno/refit (no permit) then potentially you can get away with none, but you'll of course need to practically connect the washer into the drainage somehow, which still requires an isolated trap set-up, that technically will be illegal. No you can't just connect straight into a sewer waste as if the connection fails and their is no water trap it would be hazardous (not to mention unpleasant) to have exposed sewer gas. If it's in a kitchen an can connect a washer to a sink waste (similar) to the dishwasher) then arguably that could be passed. The easiest way is to fit a small trough next to the washer that even if you develop a cover for so you can use the area as bench space. It then keeps flexibility and everything above board/compliant for future resale.....