Thanks everyone for all your feedback and tips. Below is the plan I have come up with. Not sure how clearly it will show up. Have wrestled with the position of the ovens and sink - thought about swapping them and about having them centred but then think there would be too far between fridge and cooktop/ovens. Cooktop is 600m gas, then two below bench 600mm electric ovens, 900mm rangehood. Sink is double drain, double sink (1550mm in all). I know this seems excessive and against trend but I could not live without my double drain as always defrosting meat, bottles of milk etc and like to have one clean side and one dirty side of the sink. I love the idea of a bi-fold door appliance cupboard for toaster, kettle, microwave but not sure how practical it really is. Will the doors when open be painful and stick out near the fridge???? Do like the idea of having all that stuff tucked away though. What do you think of dishwasher position? Think I will make that gap between island and bench with dishwasher 1300mm as suggested. The only drawers I'm planning on having are a bank of 3 x 3 800mm in the island. I know that are more economical space wise but trying to keep costs down. Should add that behind the L-shaped benches will be windows as much as possible. Looking forward to your feedback. Thanks greatly.

Yep I agree with this structure, think it'd be great. Louvres might work, but I'd love to be able to pull most of the shade right back if possible and they wouldn't let me do that. It IS a reasonable sized area so it's complicated. Need it over the decking mostly, but it'd be a bonus if it could shade some of the pool. Considered a fixed arm awning on a similar structure....

" .....there has to be a better design " - that's why I'd love some input here! The 800mm gap under the box gutter will hold storage, the toilet, the 'european laundry' and the wardrobe for Bedroom 3, so certainly not wasted space. It will address all the storage needs, and will enable the garden-facing side to be quite open. No - pergola timbers are not preexisting - extending new ones from the new roof will be the primary shading device, and can have anything added to them to shade them. The box gutter enables the extension roof to be pitched upwards towards the west, creating a higher ceiling, enabling some kind of opening above the bifolds, to enable hot air to be expelled. Not that my own finances are the business of this discussion, but if I can get to lockup stage with my own cash, I can apply for a bank loan for the fitout. I'm not sure of your own experience OKL, but preliminary quotes for lockup stage were around the ballpark I'd mentioned earlier. I'll upload an updated floorplan soon :-)

Hi Ginger , I'm in New Zealand , and the suggestions I would make if your house was here in NZ or Australia would be that there's nothing wrong with the house itself , I like the colour and style . What I would focus on is 'the rest' . The garden looks a bit new and a bit plain -- personally , I'd do a big colourful glazed pot , at least 60cm tall and wide ( 2 ft ) in your favoured blue or red or burgundy or green or similar , and have it 'in' the garden near the footpath ( you might need to move 1 plant ) . Maybe something unusual -- a bamboo or cactus or 3 or 4 small plants ? In the main garden , add some variety too -- a brown flax , a shrub with red leaves , 3 or 4 low yellow grasses ? The pergola over the door I like -- white rails and uprights , maybe a slightly sloping clear plastic roof -- it would tie in with the door , the windows and the look and era . The fences I would stain charcoal -- that would fade and weather well , and although 'black' ( charcoal ) , yellow and white is pretty cliche'd , it would work , and hopefully be different enough to make your place stand out from all the copying neighbours haha .