Hi I just thought I would leave a comment about the visibility of joins in reconstituted stone such as Caesarstone tops on islands longer than 3 metres. From a patern point of view; by selecting a style that has a fine grain certainly helps with reducing the visibility of a join. As for the join itself, the technology and tooling used to make such joints has come a long way in the last 10 years; therefore if you use a Kitchen Manufacturer who uses up-to-date stone fabrication methods, then such joins can be next to near invisible. Below is a kitchen we made with an Island that is over 4.3 metres long and has a join through the centre; where the join actually has to be pointed out to be seen. We have seen Kitchen Manufactures use the two height method but you really don't have to do this to achieve a long island. If you would like a long island, then you should not be put off by having to have a join; careful selection of your material, manufacturer and planning can achieve great results. Hope this helps anyone reading this article and the comments above.

I'd pick the cupboard white first. Pick what you love. Then get the wall colour tinted to match the cupboards. Nothing worse than mismatched whites. Either match them or go a contrast on the wall.

Your view may be the wow factor- You may be better to put your wow into the splash back as ultimately it is less expensive to change. A total rebuild has many areas for cost over runs so with a large area, I would look at your overall budget and how much you are allocating for bench tops - This will help determine what you can afford and ultimately your choices. Depending on the surface dark benches can be harder to keep looking clean. I suggest you borrow some samples and bring them home - wet them and wipe them etc

I just googled & found this site, which quotes cost of R2.5 75mm. there are other suppliers as well. What was quoted to you for cost of roof installation, and was it itemised so you can see exactly what thickness the foil-backed insulation builder will use? I'm guessing the thinner (lower R factor). So, the new quote should reflect a credit for the cost of previous insulation, since it won't be used, then cost of thicker insulation added. Does that make sense? If you are unsure, best to speak with the builder. https://www.pricewiseinsulation.com.au/product/heavy-duty-fletcher-permastop/