Hi everyone, sorry for the delay in replying! So many thoughtful suggestions, thank you. I haven't yet got around to taping out the kitchen, boundsgreener, but I hope too soon. Even just pacing it out has made me realise you're all right, there's no way a G shape will work. The space at the sink surrounded by the benches would be less than one metre. So that's good to realise now! I can't do banquet seating as there's a window behind the table. The wall behind the buffet unit is structural so we can't remove it (and I'd imagine it might get expensive too!) So what I'm thinking now is more a revamp/update with the current layout, but still moving the fridge across and creating a pantry, plus an appliances garage (love that term!) in the corner. Oven, sink and dishwasher in the same spots. This will still give more room for dining as the fridge won't be taking up space on that side of the kitchen. I'm now worried about losing the bench space that the buffet unit gives us, though. It was going to be offset by the extra G shape, but as that's gone and there won't be any room for the buffet (though I'd love to keep it as an island on wheels, hazzaran!) there will be less bench space than before. I like the idea about a wooden benchtop to save money, Pazz, but is it practical? Won't it get lots of bacteria in it? I'd still love some natural stone in there somewhere, and was thinking of those beautiful hexagon marble tiles they have on the Block. That might be cheaper than a caesarstone benchtop! I am not a big fan of laminate, though, for some reason it always really looks really plasticy to me. Thanks again for all your great advice and for helping avert a layout disaster! I really appreciate all the advice.

Yarnos I agree with Natasha. Your existing architect will have (well, should have after working on your existing design) an intimate understanding of your site, soil conditions and implications of levels on your design. He/She are in the best position (given his/her understanding of your brief and constraints) to illustrate to you how a design solution such as this can work. No one on this forum is currently in a better position than your architect to explain this to you and outline the affordability of it as an option, based on your site, your brief and your budget. You can visualise this concept by letting your architect demonstrate it for you. If they are not demonstrating it, then you have the wrong architect I'm afraid. And if you are not empowering them to use their expertise and provide design solutions for you, then you either need to get another architect, or be a better client. Architects and designers - the good ones - are creative problem solvers. They are design detectives in the art of living well. They spend their entire professional and personal lives and time studying how people live, and how to create environments (and homes) for them to support them living better - more functionally, flexibly, beautifully. The talent of a good architect/designer is invaluable in elevating your lifestyle ... of taking the 30 year mortgage you're about to wage on this bet of building a home, of taking this massive investment, and turning it into a physical building that is your heaven and haven, your place of sanctuary and inspiration. They expand your vision, interpreting both what you say, and what you don't, into a result that is beyond your imagining. That's why you hire them - because you can't do what they can, and you need them to bring your dreams into life in a way that's better than you could have ever anticipated or created yourself. As a client, you have a responsibility to brief them well, trust them to do their job, be open to their ideas, and be guided by their expertise. The not so good architects and designers are simply drawers and documenters. They 'convert' your brief, your expressed wishes and shopping list into a floor plan that fits, and can be built, but that's simply it. It's a house, not a home. It functionally will do the job, but it never reaches its full potential. And so your life in it never reaches its full potential. You unwittingly compromise, never truly aware of how different, how much better, things could have been. The catch is, you've made a massive investment, and created something that will outlast you and become someone else's home too. So the impact is generational. Your responsibility as a client to these architects and designers is to understand the difference, and ideally not work with them - not unless you can show design leadership yourself. Work out which one your architect is and make a decision. Trust them to do the job properly for you (and give them the ability to do it), or walk away and find someone else. Regards Amelia Lee Undercover Architect www.undercoverarchitect.com amelia@undercoverarchitect.com

I've seen a few sliders painted with blackboard paint - they're so fun and mobile, if there's a hall door somewhere it might be an option as they muffle sound rather than seal it out. KRAKEN WHALE FIGHT! If it's childlike dreams you want to be added to the house, maybe do a kiddy-height connecting door between the kids' rooms or a little message chute they can send back and forth, pigeon holes to send letters to each other or some crazy options like your hidden door in a more public area like the front entertaining space. There are so many ways to add whimsy that can be fixed up and removed later on if yall need. If the kids are smol: Kids only door or Door in a door There's an amazing episode of Grand Designs with a couple of superfun ideas Scooby Doo House that made me realise hidden doors and revolving shelves are better for playrooms than bedrooms.

Hi Anna, By now you have likely conquered your space and are happily on to other aspects of your fantastic home. I only came across your post last night and started thinking what would I do if this were my apartment? I would lean into the what is. If it's a dark corner, use the darkness. You know 'use the force Luke'. The contrast with the light-coloured neutral sofa a medium to dark colour for the wall from the entrance will make the space sharper. The sofa will make it look 'light' even though it's not. I wouldn't go with matching pillows to the wall, but I love the cactus at the beginning of the runner which when you are seated on the couch would be a visual break from the entry and bathroom door but no width to touch you as you walk past. I would remove one of the mirrors along that wall and hang the other horizontally about 20 cm above the back of the couch starting from the corner. This way, when seated in the armchair, you are not looking at yourself. I would hang the second mirror on the back of the front door so you can check yourself one last time before leaving, or when coming out of the bathroom. In this example, they have not used a rug to define the living space, but a runner to define the 'corridor' past it, which in your room would be past the bedroom. I would have the armchair just off the runner deeper than the kitchen bench. I would also not put anything in the 'corner nearest the sink as that would be the doorway to the living area and also when you are seated give you a clear sight line to the balcony. For the wall with the aircon, I would put a dramatic piece of art that has the same total volume as the mirror but is square or a fatter rectangle hung vertically so that it sits in the middle of the space between your knees when seated on the couch and your knees if seated on the armchair. That is in the 'coffee table' area whether you have any tables. I started the search with my favourite colour for the wall and then searched graphics for the artwork. But really you should have the art to best match the colour on the wall to one of the lesser dark shades in the art. You can get art made from any print relatively cheaply at Officeworks and use an IKEA frame. Or choose from art printing sites that print to stretched canvas, like this one with postage would be around $300. Hang the art so that the middle of the picture is 150cm above the floor. If you did want a rug to define the space, instead of the corridor past it like in my example, I would choose a single colour that was noticeably darker than the sofa in a shade from the floor and possibly even slightly darker than the floor. Darker than the floors would make the floor look lighter (if that is preferable). You can have any rug cut and edged to any size, including having a rug made from a new length of carpet at all carpet shops. And if this was my place and that was my desk, I would set up in the kitchen facing the balcony to the right of the sliding door. After years of working from home that sense of being on top of the world appeals to me. Thank you for the opportunity to fantasise about living in your space. I hope you are super happy there.