Tania, you initially asked about whether to use carpet or vinyl in your entryway. That's a good question. It probably isnt practical to extend carpet to entry. It does seem to be more practical (as far as wet, dirty or muddy shoes/feet) to have an easy-to-clean and damage resistant floor there, such as vinyl. If I was in your shoes, I would use the same flooring as kitchen (in this case vinyl) and extend it out along the line with where old wall was and finishing at the corner where the opposite walls meet (see your 2nd photo where there's a picture or something leaning up against the wall). I can't tell what is beyond that wall; is there another hallway? By extending the kitchen flooring out to include your entry, it seems more practical to me. It also creates an invisible boundary between the entryway and the living room. I hope this makes sense. Please keep us updated of your plans. Best wishes!

Hi Doug, looks great! regarding the floor my only suggestion would be to avoid the grout line down the centre as you have it. it is the first thing that draws your eye, and if you are going to the detail and expense you are then looking down is not what is going to show it off. From that I mean make it complementary to other things not competing.... eg a simple 1/3rd 2/3rd off set to break up the line and allow your ceiling feature to draw the eye. cheers

Thank you siriuskey. Yes that's what I was referring to, but I think I wasn't giving credit to the island sink, which would also serve for food prep. I was thinking about efficiency from my perspective. Euro bins next to sink in island, would be beneficial for ease of handling waste. Another consideration is: when using cooktop and extraction fan, will noise from fan interfere with person in study? Also, will steam from say, boiling water steam bother anyone using the study desk? I am not trying to throw cold water on the plan by my questions, I'm merely trying to imagine diff scenarios so as much as can be taken into consideration is. I have a glass splashback behind induction cooktop and a very effective extraction fan; however, when a large pot of water is at full boil, the glass steams up something chronic and I have to constantly wipe it and the underside of exhaust fan or else water drips down onto the cooktop (and any food I'm cooking).

Hi Renai - its great to see you so excited about starting your house plans! It is an exciting time for clients, and a designer will be able to follow your instructions and draw this for you, however I would encourage you to pause at this point, as the plan has a slightly internal feel, and the following suggestions should help; 1. The lounge does face north however on the narrow dimension, and underneath a 2m deep balcony, with diagonal views to the reserve blocked by both the garage and the study.... rework this so the north light and views aren't blocked and open up a little through the rest of the house.... 2. The dining area is very internal - I would encourage you to relocate this, always try to avoid internal spaces. The living room window is south-facing near the boundary and light to it's west-facing doors is blocked by an alfresco (the kitchen windows are also covered by a patio). South-facing rooms drain energy bills - although not as hot in summer, they feel cold in winter and never get the 'joy' that a little direct sunshine brings into your home during the day. 3. The 'indoor-outdoor' connections could be improved 4. Consider your plan as a good starting point for the 'zones' that you have created - a master-suite zone +study, a formal lounge zone, an informal kitchen/living/dining zone and a bedroom 2 & 3 zone. Take these to your designer and brainstorm together. An L-Shape or even 2-storey design could work, and check out some of the volume or pre-fab house-builder plans for ideas which will improve solar orientation in an affordable way. Some links; http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/orientation https://www.rawsonhomes.com.au/homes/Brookfield/floorplans -(this one very close to your original plan - just a few teaks needed for the study) https://www.pinterest.com.au/explore/l-shaped-house-plans/?lp=true -(just for some ideas to better connect to the garden..) metricon for floor plan ideas (although many have internal rooms and deep alfescos that block the light!) https://modscape.com.au/blog/creating-sustainable-home-passive-design/  Good Luck with your project Renai.