The next time I decorate by a colour of the year will be the first time. Don't hold your breath. I have nothing against this particular colour but it doesn't work with all the things I've collected over the years, and I am not about to discard carpets bought after hard bargaining with dubious merchants in Istanbul or Islamabad because they don't "go" with a paint colour that someone voted "colour of the year." In its place, I think the colour would be quite nice (better than this years choices, certainly). It's just that my place isn't the right place for it.

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..

annb1997 - Yes, that is part of the reason I'm doing this project. The entire area will be lowered, re-graded and some drains installed (the garden edge is kind of temporarily in place for now, got a great deal on the plants so they had to go in). It's a bigger job than anticipated as it also means the air conditioners (x3) need to be de-commossioned and re-installed at the new levels. John, I like the idea with regard to the tank, but we get allot of bitey critters and I don't really want to give them anymore areas to hide out in.

I agree that it's hard to choose the style without seeing the rest of the house but that a charcoal colour (same as the island cupboards) would tie in best with the colour scheme you have. Depending on the look of the house you have a lot of options to choose from and a lot depends on personal taste or budget. Glass is easy to keep clean and is a modern look if you are not wanting to draw attention to the splashback. Mirror (plain - modern or distressed - character) is lovely if you have something nice reflected in it. If the kitchen is messy though, it doubles the mess. Subway tiles (regular or irregular, tiled in brick format or herringbone) are always a lovely classic choice - but be mindful of grout issues. Arabesque or patterned tiles add more character if you're after tiles with a wow factor. I personally love stone, marble or quartz for an elegant, timeless look and in a charcoal or grey with veins I think would look stunning with the lamps as well as tying in the white and grey cabinetry. You can also do marble tiles that are a little less exxy than a slab although in the end I was surprised that the marble didn't cost much more than the caesarstone. Choices, choices!! Good luck. Your kitchen looks lovely!