I think the bench/breakfast bar along the deck - with bi-fold windows is a fabulous idea. The storage space under the stairs makes more sense to me than a faux fire. An extendable table is definitely the way to go, especially if it is just the two of you most of the time. As for the kitchen sink - I can only suggest that you move your wall cabinet further right - extending the bench and then the sink can be placed further to the right. Downlights above kitchen bench - we have downlights about a metre apart and they provide excellent coverage. With regards to the cupboards being different in living/kitchen areas. I personally think that if you are going all white, they could be identical - creating continuity.

Hi new to all this but thought I'd pass on some fan tips; Be very selective of the shape of the fan blades. They all look stylish but in my experience the flatter the blade the less air they move. We have now gone back to the original metal fans with the blades that bend at the edge, http://regencyfan.com/industrial, our fans are more stylish than the one shown (the blade shape is nice and clear in this example). Our weather in no where near as warm as yours I'd hate for you to make the same mistake we made, twice, before we learnt. Look at the fans motor size, some of the expensive and lots of the cheap ones have small motors that don't last long, unfortunately price does not dictate quality in this case so don't get caught out. My husband is a mechanic and this is one of his "things" when every we shop for electrical items (drills, fans, pumps etc.) always make sure the motor is quality and large enough to do the job and last. How may speeds. We have 8 fans in our home, one is in our extension and was purchased at a different time; It's low speed is realllllllly slow the next one is so fast it's like a cyclone and I'm not game to try the third one in case it dismounts from the ceiling. Be careful not to mount fans too close to down lights or you get a flickering effect caused by the blade passing over the light. Try not to mount the fan directly over the dining table as it will cause food to go cold. I'm with mydesignobsession when it comes to style/look I prefer visitors see my wonderful eclectic decoration then my ceiling fans! Good luck

imo the biggest challenge/cost would be removing all those big solid walls, changing doors and windows and repairing ceilings and not the extra plumbing (new bathrooms and kitchen cabinets, fixtures and appliances cost the same regardless of the extra few metres of pipes) and a new location can make the most of the available space but it can sometimes be more cost effective to add an extension rather than attempting to squeeze too much into an existing building but you need an engineer, builder and plumber to give expert advice on site ... better not to assume that one option is better than another but collect a variety of ideas and ask for quotes to compare actual prices but do you have a realistic budget? i would expect to pay at least $50,000 for a modest new kitchen and bathroom in the same locations before removing any walls or adding an extra bathroom and new laundry and the combined ens/wiw is too small and would be better to have a good sized ensuite with biw and there's not enough space for a bigger island without compromising space in the family dining area...there are so many different options but we need more info...are there any good or bad views, what is the length and width of the block, is there a garage, is there car access into the back yard, what is the distance from the house to each boundary, describe your climate, where is north on the plans, how many steps are there from the back and front doors to the ground, does the block slope and in which direction, how much headroom is under the house and in the roof space...is there any potential for an upstairs, downstairs or an extension into the backyard?

Thanks everyone, I'm agreeing with all you have said. The ceiling probably looks gloss but is actually a matt finish. I am thinking of changing at least one of the windows to be doors to the deck, and having oversized curtains from ceiling to floor. I totally agree with the comment re the fireplace, and that weird angled exhaust! not sure what I can do with that - thats another project! I'm thinking if I have a large picture on the far wall, it will draw the room in hopefully, and defining the dining and living spaces separately with floor rugs should break the horizontal line of the floor. I'm also thinking if i paint the window frames a darker colour that will create some vertical lines to give some height?