elzermank Thanks for your help :) Unfortunately we cant change the plumbing which runs through that pass through area (half wall) - so the door pretty much has to stay there .... otherwise we'd love that idea - the more storage the better I say! :) It's definitely a cramped room - funny for how much use it gets ..... Yes the dining room comes off the kitchen - it has the exact same window in it as well so does get some light through - the surrounding gardens do block a bit however. The floor is Stone I quite like it but Hubby wants it to be wooden to flow with the rest of the house - at this stage just the bedrooms will be carpet, the bathroom tiled and everything else Bamboo Floorboards. Thanks so much though :)

It's many years since we've had an eat-in kitchen, but my current renovation incorporates an eating area in the kitchen because, frankly, I'm tired of the extra work to carry things to and from the dining room and the extra cleaning created by always using the dining room even for casual meals for just two of us. We have had bar stools at the kitchen island, and the grandkids use them, but my husband hates them and refuses to eat at bar height or even at a lowered 'ledge'; on the side of the island. So my kitchen reno will include a table on one end of the island, at regular table height and large enough to seat 5 if necessary. There is a large sliding door to the veranda close to where that table will be positioned, so it should be a pleasant place for casual meals and I expect we'll eat most meals there. I'm so confident of that, I'm converting the dining room to more living space and putting our big timber dining table in the alfresco area, which will be semi-enclosed, with open parts security fly-screened. The dining area we use when we have guests will be super-casual, with a BBQ in one corner and swim spa in the other. I just don't see a purpose for formal dining anymore, especially living in a sub-tropical climate.

Thanks for your ideas!! @pottsy99 Hmm good point about the gap up the top! This is a recent purchase, so I bought it this way!! Including it’s very neutral look :-) It does need the space above the oven range (I think?) as it’s not vented out the wall or anything. But never thought about the gap being a waste of space or making lights look odd! The greenery is simply because I have too many plants and too little space 😅 @siriuskey I purchased the propagation hanger from amazon! I agree, I thought a long bar style might be the way to go too..

Also if i can avoid moving air con for now that would be great. The next phase of reno will be to take down the wall between lounges and put aircon on the front wall of the lounge as it's the only other outside wall it can go on. Here might be my plan for now. I'll put the kitchen in place and figure out if i need to add more storage to office area. Will add range hood and a few long open shelves like in the image below (and is also the look i'm going for decor wise)