I have been planing my new butler's pantry for a while and here are some of my favourites. My space is 2.8m x 1.5m (L-shaped). I am having 450mm wide bench with open shelving top and bottom on the long side (maybe one row of open drawers like in first photo), 650mm wide bench at the end with sink and cupboard below. I also have a small alcove on the left which will be used as a broom closet (easy access for spills). In your case I would run the bench and overhead cupboards from the window, along the right hand wall and back around to the door. You could then have a study desk under the window with the natural light. You may also have room to put a fold down ironing board cupboard all alternatively put in a pull out ironing board in the bench that returns near the door. Good luck!

I quite like the idea of concrete sleepers for your retaining wall. They keep the modern mood. Not sold on Ridgi's faux timber look, though. If your drainage profile would allow it, continuing the brick of the pillars would look quite good, too. For me, the biggest landscape issue is the almighty fight happening between the two different sides of the driveway. You have the stick-up-the-rear formality of the camellia hedge fighting the looseness of the grass and shrubs on the other side. You need to decide on a single mood and go with that. Really!! I'd go, actually, with a loose boulder or gabion wall with a planting behind it similar to that on the left (narrower) side of the driveway. Have a think about what you actually use that front lawn for, and if it's only there to keep the dirt from showing, add some trees and shrubs and underplanting. Shout yourself a tame forest! This will take up a lot of water if your climate's a bit wet, and stabilise the slope, too.

HI Sophie. Im a property stylists and the company you are asking about looks very professional from their website. Lovely furniture and the styling looks very professional. I do not know of them but simply giving them a call or email is a great start and ask some questions like the style they think suits best in your area. In regards to prices Melbourne is one of the cheapest states to have furnished with QLD and NSW coming in at the most expensive. As a really rough guide a 2 bed starts at $2400, 3 bed starts at $3000, 4 bed starts at $4000 and so on with each additional living area styled at $800 and out door is usually complimentary. Hopefully this helps you

Hi Belinda, thanks for letting me know about your daylight. That is really interesting - so the pool and garden - and a living and dining area - are to the east and south of the house, due to the orientation of the block no doubt, and the bedrooms are blocking off all the north light! I am guessing this means the house gets a lot of light from these windows in the morning until midday, when the sun swings past the bedrooms/bath/laundry which block afternoon sun unless these doors are open. Further, the kitchen is hemmed in on all 3 sides and really just faces due east - good because this is where the garden and pool are, but with little view to the south dining and living area, which presumably are used as more formal spaces. The good news is I don't think you would get much benefit from relocating the kitchen - I think it is in the best spot, kitchens are much better at being internal 'hubs' and linking to living areas - it is these living areas that we want to connect directly with outside. I do however have something else for you to think about longer term as a masterplan....and I am guessing here because I am not sure of the shape of your garden.....however next time your en-suite is due for a major renovation, you could relocate the main bed, w.i.r and ensuite across to the current south-facing living room and dining (or study). By doing this, you can create a complete open-plan east end to the house, and all living / dining areas would have direct garden and patio access and more importantly much more sunlight. The north-east corner would be part of this open-plan space and would need a new large window on the north wall. You could extend this wall slightly if funds permitted but this wouldn't be essential. There are both smaller and larger masterplan alternatives; for example a smaller option (for the masterplan) not involving any plumbing, is to swap bed 2 and 3 with the south living room/study area (blocking off the hallway area) and open up the north wall of the kitchen to look into this new formal north-facing living room - this could be quite fun and definitely would add more light to the house. However in the meantime good luck with the kitchen renovation, and look for images that show suspended overhead cabinets as a way of dealing with the raking ceiling!