Hey Nik Star, I've had a PowerPoint play with oklouise's edits. This is what I meant about garage entry to the pantry and a laundry in the garage. The red arrows are to stipulate to the builder that level access is required. I added extra garage depth to allow for the garage, that would definitely impact your facade elevation. If you remove the wall between the butler's pantry and mudroom you would have a SUPER PANTRY! But a true butler's pantry in that it was supposed to be where you would land with the veg from the garden so you would kick your shoes off inside the door, so I've noted a little bench seat there, then head in and wash it before heading over to the actual cooking area. Then if you get rid of the sliders and reduce the storage to shallow shelving on the middle wall you would have plenty of space to manoeuvre with mobility devices. For the washing labour machines - washer, dryer, dishy - try getting those mounted on plinths so the load on your poor back is reduced. I have dodgy joints so I am researching all the ergonomic ways to design work spaces to help me when I get to the awesome stage you guys are at with getting to build!

Lovely story attached to this house MB Design cheers This 1960s house in suburban Melbourne has been overhauled by Branch Studio Architects to create a contemporary home for the original owners' granddaughter (+ slideshow). The local firm was tasked with revamping the dream home of a pair of Jewish refugees – one a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp – who had arrived in Australia with little more than the clothes on their backs. The couple had built the house as soon as they could afford to, and lived in it for the rest of their lives. After they both died, it was passed down to their granddaughter Danielle and her husband Adam, who works as a writer – hence the project name, Writer's House. The brief given to Branch Studio co-founder Brad Wray was to restore the house to its former glory without turning it into a "mid-century mausoleum". "It was our joint intention that whatever new works we did to the house would not impact on the original integrity of the original house and it memories," explained Wray. "There is often a very fine line between creating a nostalgic 'museum' of something that was and removing all notion of the existing all together," he said. Built in 1968, the two-storey house was designed by emerging designer Michael RE Feldhagen, a protégé of modernist architect Ernest Fooks. It was one of a number of International Style properties built in the Caulfield area at that time, although many have since been demolished. Respecting this, Wray's team chose to leave the building's facade largely unaltered. The only real change was the addition of steel-framed windows, to replace the original wooden ones, and a more minimal white colour scheme. A much bigger change was made at the back of the house, where a new "party deck" has been created. Flanked by perforated aluminium privacy screens, the deck extends the building further into the garden. Related story Pump House by Branch Studio Architects is a metal-clad lakeside retreat "[It] not only solved a practical issue of overlooking, but more importantly was used to extend the internal areas to create a much more flexible internal/external cohesion of space," said Wray. Inside, the house is still filled with the bespoke joinery created by Jacob Rudowsky – a popular local craftsman – shortly after the house was completed. One of the biggest challenges was designing a contemporary interior without making these restored traditional elements feel out of place. Wray took a risk by choosing to pair them with plywood surfaces and concrete floors. "The hope was that the marriage of raw and refined would be seamless and elegant," said Adam. "To this end, every room in the double-storey building was totally reimagined, but each space retained hints of the original, Easter eggs pointing to what came before," he added. Behind the deck, an assortment of living and dining spaces are organised around a generous plywood-lined foyer, which functions as a gallery for the clients to display their art collection. The kitchen features contemporary cabinets fronted by lime-washed plywood, while the living space is furnished with old sofas reupholstered in vibrant green fabric. Three bedrooms are located at the opposite end of the house, along with two bathrooms, including one that features a concrete tub and decorative grey tiling. The ground floor contains a wine and whiskey cellar, a garage and a writing studio for Adam. The building is the latest in a series of 1960s renovations, as more new owners start to appreciate the modernist style of architecture. Other recent examples include a refurbished London terrace house and a renovated Ivory Coast villa. Photography is by Peter Clarke/Latitude Group. Project credits: Architect: Branch Studio Architects Project team: 
Brad Wray, Rowena Henry, Simon Dinh Landscape architect: Plume Studio Structural engineer: Perrett Simpson Stantin Original architect: Michael RE Feldhagen Original furniture: Jakob Rudowski New dining and coffee tables: Brad Wray Workshop Rudowski sideboard restorations: Orchard Design Concrete bath and vanities: Hungry Wolf Studio

Jason: Thanks for the sketches and the the suggestions of storage cabinetry that I can put next to the fridge. Sirius: We do have a large piece of land, and our designer with lots of experience has said this would be a design that's appropriate but we have asked about the size of the house. We have put everything on 2 stories, and have not dug a basement like many places these days. So we are mindful of the space and effective use of it. I do appreciate your markup on island bench cabinet orientation and helped me understand cabinet orientation. 10anp: I do like a big bench which can be used for practical purposes (cleaning up ), but can also seat a number of people on 2 sides when entertaining, and allow deeper undercabinet storage as you said: 600mm both with still 300 overhang. I may even offset the living room side cabinet so that can have 300mm overhang for potential sitting space as well ( guess I lose the convenience of have a cabinet door facing that way that is easier to store things with the overhang). I like Sirius challenging of putting the cooktop on the island: but that is such a radical change for me: I'll think about it! Thanks all for the help - Im happy the changes have come so far! MB

Thanks Margot. I think I've more or less got it sorted. The only challenge remaining, I think, is finding a way to give it a visual lift. It currently has floor to ceiling tiles in a standard size, square, and a very uninteresting colour with no texture - but in very good order. Very dull! I hate grout in showers so I'm thinking maybe some Mr Wetwall panelling or something similar over the tiles in the shower and on the new wall formed by moving the linen cpd, plus on a part wall along the long side of the shower to replace the glass screens that I insist must go (I'm a lazy cleaner and I hate cleaning glass!) Hopefully that would be enough to relieve the dullness of the existing tiles. Then some feature shelving over the new bath tub perhaps. Not yet decided whether to install a freestanding back-to-wall bath or a drop-in, but the latter might provide scope for some more feature tiling or panelling around it. I want to open the room directly to the outdoors but the current window opening is only 1200mm wide and the wall is 8 inches of solid concrete - not easy to cut to enlarge the opening - so I'm looking at either a hinged door with window inset into it or a standard size glass swing door with a narrow window beside for ventilation. My other challenge is doors for the relocated linen cpd, as the existing mirror doors have got to go! I loathe them. As the cpd will be visible from the living area, it needs stylish doors.