Thanks siriuskey for your suggestions. I don't really know what style my taste/style of house is really. I like the simplicity of mid century furniture and have a mid century Parker sideboard. Other than that, the house is a bit of a blank canvas at the moment. (the kitchen is fairly modern though with almost white glass splash back, white cupboards, and stone bench tops that are in a colour like Caesarstone Osprey (but are essastone). I do like things from the late 1950's/1960's.....and I like Audrey Hepburn. I also like the Parisian type black n white art from that era. (but I also like naive art - big colour artworks of people or animals that look like they have almost been painted by a child). If I had the money I would buy a high ceiling mid-century home like they have in USA (a modern yet mid-century Brady Bunch style home). My house is a 1962 chamfer board on concrete posts and batterns around the bottom and currently just has satin polished mixed hardwood timber floors throughout. Most of the walls are either natural white as in the study or snowy mountain quarter strength (and in smallest bedroom - half strength russian toffee). Because I am always scared that things will date if they follow trends too much, I always seem to do fairly conservative or timeless things in house renovations and rely on the furniture and accessories to add colour and style. (I like the idea of renovations and the ripping out of old stuff to create something new, but I really don't like have to make all the creative decisions etc along the way)......so I do appreciate it when I get advice from others. I have printed your suggestions and will have a look at them. (I guess the barn door look is actually similar in concept to some of the timber veneer sliding doors seen in midcentury homes). Thanks again.

rhyzar perhaps send through a larger floor plan please so this all can be understood/analysed in context? how far along is the project? Good ideas here however it's assuming capacity for changing/taking over passage/access to what appears to be leading down another passage at the top of the page? Or am I missing something? Another way to do this without completely taking over passage space is to flip the powder over to the external wall which would enable natural light into it. I'd also vote for a double basin set-up. Attached sketch of this option/idea if space is restricted - dashed line shows walls of the plan you sent Good luck! PD

I love those benches I have used one as sewing/desk with trestle legs, love it. The following is my idea with timber bench tops and using your cabinets, This would work if you could run the plumbing across to the left,either inside or externally. ,I have moved the sink to allow you to use the 80cm cabinet as your dish rack, the window won;t allow this. Or you could just swap the sink and cooker and use other shelving for the dish rack Back wall R-L 60cm cabinet,cooker,60cm cabinet 800 void for sink,60cm cabinet.fridge. Wall, using the 80cm x 42cm as plate drainer with timber open shelves on both sides, extraction is a simple ceiling extractor fan. I have added a narrow 60cm Island which uses both 40cm at both ends,like the sink there's a void which can have a couple of stools andr rubbish binscan be placed under the sink cheers

I think oklouise plan with bath on the far wall gives you the most space, as well as giving space for towel racks. With a bathroom it's not just about the look. You have to think of the practicalities, especially with kids involved. If you can do the shower with just a sloped floor to the drain, like a wet room, and avoid the glass walls, it makes cleaning so much easier and looks more spacious. Perhaps it is worth considering just having a shower, if the kids are old enough and you are not planning on selling. You could have a really big double shower with a bench. we ditched the bath in our bathroom and haven't missed it at all. We also went for a floating bench vanity with a large mirrored 'medicine cabinet' above for storage, as we didn't need much. If you need the storage a floating cabinet, as suggested, would still increase the feeling of space. And you could also still have the mirrored cabinet above. We found custom and even ready made mirrored cabinets to be very expensive, and eventually found a lovely two door 1930's kitchen wall cabinet at an antique shop for less than $200. We took it apart, cut it down so it was shallower, put it back together, sanded and waxed it then replaced the glass in the doors with mirrors made to size by the local glaziers for about $60 each. It is even more beautiful, copes well with the moist atmosphere, and holds what we need. We love it, and it is a great talking point with guests. And we have a separate toilet too, which we just find so practical.