practicallity wise with young kids shaggy is going to be a nightmare ..wool is good as warm in Winter..and hypoallergenic.. Harvey Norman have great rug sales sometimes 40% off just keep an eye out for them.. I don't buy wool I just buy what looks nice and is practical.. 2 of my kids have eczema and they find wool rugs rough and itchy..we used to have a wool rug at our old place..so I only buy synthetic now..

Well now after reading all these posts, I have a dilemma. We would like to maximize the practicality of the deep and soft closing drawers. Corner drawers, the under sink u-shaped drawers etc. Thirty five years ago (yep that's right 35 yrs) when our budget did not allow us to buy new, we bought a dismantled u-shaped show-room demonstration timber kitchen. For years it was blonde pine. Solid pine benchtops, re-sanded and stained a couple of times. Then my husband painted all the solid timber doors with antique white USA marine paint which has worn well. New satin knobs (that have not worn as well) Now it's becoming a little 'shabby chic'. We thought of a complete reno. But we have no space to enlarge on the 3x3 metres. and new 'plastic' kitchens somehow seem less durable than our existing old one. Sink, stove and fridge in the recommended triangle floorplan. So what to do? Our pantry is in the corner with shelves that items at the back of are inaccessible. The microwave is the perfect shoulder level. The cabinets allow me to display favourite tins, crockery and vintage scales. Being a split level house I need the broom cupboard and ironing board stored close at hand.

I have a Matt black anti fingerprint kitchen and I love it! It is so easy to clean. And always looks smooth and velvety. I just wipe it with a sponge and it’s clean. I have not looked back!

Formica and Laminex are different brands that are manufactured by Laminex, with little composite difference. There are particular types of Laminex (called Aquapanel) that is manufactured for wet areas, such as shower recesses, but the colour range is limited. Depending on whereabouts in the wet area the material will be used I would start with the Laminex range, and have a good understanding of the amount of exposure to moisture when researching. https://selector.com/products/aquapanel-wet-area-laminate-panelling Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls