Running with your second floor plan (and ignore the glass sliding doors in this image) but would you consider changing your 3m narrow splash to a full sized fixed window on half the side and the remaining side create as the cooking area with cupboards, oven etc.? You mentioned you have stacker doors in the direction of the lounge, but in terms of space, from these doors, it's living area no windows at a room length of around 7m, followed by 4m kitchen room length including a 3m narrow glass splash to provide natural light for the kitchen area (cupboards noted above)? From your drawings there seems to be no windows on the opposite wall, is that right? I feel you will need to bring additional natural light into the kitchen area possibly bigger than the 3m glass panels if only 0.6m tall (or similar) especially with cupboards on top. If you're not keen on swapping out the narrow splash here's another example with your second floor plan (and also ignore glass sliding doors in this image) but possibly a tall window or fixed glass panel before your kitchen bench starts - even if <1m wide. Or greater than 1m if you're OK to encroach on your 3m glass splash and make it shorter. If the island bench is not a "must" you could create similar to this image and have a L-shape bench so it encloses the kitchen a bit more. This will help create the next room of your house ie. Kitchen - and you'll gain a few more cupboards if you're really wanting additional. Then have the big fixed window adjoining the L-shape next to the seating bench. You could still have your narrow glass splash with cupboards above, possibly just shorter (only referencing the L-shape and large door in this image - imagine fixed glass full-size wall panel in lieu of door next to the seats. Ignore the remainder of the kitchen). Is this an existing dwelling or new home build? For either of your options, are you impacting your roof-line as your first floor plan suggests you're widening the kitchen by 1m? The first plan I'm guessing will cost more; light wells and extra bricks vs straight wall. As mentioned by the other posts, there's plenty of storage options. You still have a decent amount of room for cupboards including a full-sized pantry next to your fridge space. I also agree with jbantick's of balancing space indoors and out (not knowing surroundings).

I'd suggest that the first thing on the agenda would be to come up with an actual design. If there are going to be big changes, you might want to think about a kitchen design specialist. Once you have your design, decide on a budget. That will tell you roughly whether you're looking at granite countertops, caeserstone, corian or laminate. Same with cabinetry: everything is a function of price. By all means, have a good look around kitchen places to see what sorts of surfaces are available, and what appeals to you. And don't forget appliances. Ultimately, though, most of us are constrained by budget.

Hi I have a large bathroom with a closet for washer and dryer. I love it. Off my bedroom. But also have you thought about making study into bedroom with an en-suite and the laundry tucked in there behind doors. If your selling a bedroom downstairs for an older person its very attractive and nice to be separate from the others. Then the two bedrooms upstairs have there own bathroom. Also you are having toilet tucked under staircase for visitors. If you had heaps of space then yes have a separate laundry but it’s a waste of space when you haven’t. I have my laundry essentials in a cupboard under my bathroom vanity which is 1800 cm long and still have two 1m drawers next to cupboard.

Here you go, siriuskey. This plan is not quite accurate. It seems changes were made in the initial build - mainly removing the raked ceiling (disappointing! I would have liked it!) and changing the 09.18 window in the garage to a sliding door located closer to the store room and laundry (thankfully, as there's no direct exit from the laundry). Some sliding doors have also been changed to hinged doors (the one from laundry to garage, from master bedroom to ensuite, and into Bed 2. What is marked 'patio' is actually a gorgeous covered veranda with feature timber ceiling and lovely planter boxes all along the edge instead of a railing. The carport has been transformed to a beautiful outdoor living area with a spa just behind it and a feature timber ceiling, though the floor is still exposed aggregate which will have to be sealed over so it's smooth for mopping. Overall, we love the house, except for the kitchen and the laundry and bathroom décor. I'm also disappointed there is no bath tub and hoping we can install one in the main bathroom and I'd like a small wash basin in the main WC, but drainage is an issue in houses built on concrete slabs when you want to rearrange things. I wanted to put a sink in the store room also, when converting to a butler's pantry, but again drainage is a question. Have no idea yet how to improve the bathroom décor. Currently there are very plain mocha coloured tiles floor to ceiling. The vanities will have doors two-pac coated, be topped with stone and have new basins and taps fitted. The walls have me perplexed. I'd like to add some features, and I hate tiles in showers. We plan to put a wall-mounted clothes line outside the store room and enclose with slatted aluminium screening (as that is the front entrance - but I don't like the thought of having to walk the full length of the house and further to get to the clothes line!) As we have only one car, we plan to divide the garage, partition in front of half the door and convert half the garage to a music room for my hubby. I hoped to put sliding shoji screens or similar across in front of the laundry cabinets so it looks more like a passageway into his music room. The biggest issue is the kitchen, and it will be costly, but I'm prepared for that. The rest of the work will be done in stages as budget permits. I see such great ideas in comments on Houzz, so I'm eager to see what suggestions others have for creating my dream home!