Happy with our choice. I can't comment on how it compares with similar products though as have only lived with timber or laminate bench tops in past. It has withstood several clumsy knocks from pulling pots out of dishwasher (we didn't go with an under mounting sink so can't comment on that). I've noticed one tiny (pin head) sized chip to surface on island but this part of bench gets a lot of use (not sure what caused it). No staining from my messy little artists either.

We're looking into this but haven't decided if we will use these plans or use an architect with experience in passive solar design. I've started preliminary discussions with a builder who has experience with passive solar houses, although he predominantly does small scale volume building. Hoping he can bring his purchasing power and systems to this project but allow us the flexibility to create what we want. He's enthusiastic about passive solar design so that's a start. We haven't discussed these plans yet, but at a rough estimate he's suggested in the low to mid $300,000s for a 200m2 house including garage, polished concrete floors, reverse brick veneer, increased insulation, quality kitchen appliances, with BAL up to 19, static fire tank. Not including PV panels, driveways, landscaping. Does include hydronic heating. Of course it does depend on the finish you want, type of builder you go with etc. Could easily be much more than what we were quoted. A discussion with a different builder, for similar sized house, to increase insulation as required, $2-3,000, add double glazing, $14,000, polished concrete floors, similar to fairly standard tiles or carpet. These are very rough estimates. things that would also increase the cost, lots of glazing on north elevation, higher ceilings than standard project home. Large eves to the north, the room sizes are generous, internal masonry wall, draft proofing. Life time running cost would be much lower than conventional house. I live in a cold climate so thermal comfort is important.

I've been playing around with a pantry location. Originally, I was going to move the pantry into the laundry with some custom shelving and cut the laundry space in half. Now, Im thinking of cutting into the study area and building a wall there, and converting the new space into a long and narrow walk in pantry. Either that or build half a wall and put built in shelving in the study. Building the extra wall will reduce the need to cover in the door way that is currently in place and instead utilising it. Thoughts? p.s. this isnt too scale.

Hi @alba Hastings, It's been six months, so I hope you've had some success in finding the right solution for your bathroom. While reviewing previous answers, I came across a particularly helpful suggestion from @Maya A. I think that having a bath and shower beside each other can work if there is ample space for showering. However, if you want to maximize space and minimize cleaning requirements, you may want to consider a walk-in shower design. In case you don't want a drop-in bath, the back to wall bath is another solution as it is perfectly designed to be installed flush against a wall; with no gaps, this bath is also easier to clean with less exposed areas for dust to collect. And if you want to make your wet areas even safer and easier to maintain, consider installing a Shower Grate. It keeps your wet area dry and prevents slips, while also minimizing drain blockages caused by hair and other debris. Once your project is complete, it would be great to see some photos to see how it turned out. Best of luck with your bathroom design! A bathroom renovation photo shared by Fontaine Industries' customer: @abbiecag