my 2 bobs worth. as someone who works with the elderly-the en-suite for your MIL is still not right. if she ever needs walking assistance,especially with a frame, getting past that door into the en-suite will be a nightmare. swap the vanity position for the shower. ensure there is no step-down into the shower area, and ditch the shower screen for a curtain. will make access much easier. especially if she ever needs assistance showering..it will be virtually impossible, and dangerous, with your current design. thinking long term..MIL will not always be there with you, so presumably you and your hubby will at some point end up in the master bedroom? consider the long terms implications of this-no good building something that suits her now, but would need major modification to suit your needs later. I would actually do away with the WIR at this time. Plan to add it later, if you would want it for yourself, but i would just use free standing furniture for her-no doubt she probably has her own, so it would be nice to have some of her own furnishings when she moves in with you - to make it feel more like her home. it will free up some floor space, and make access to the ensuite easier, without having to turn corners. I would also do away with the extended passage into the master. Take that door back in line with the other bedroom. Currently, it adds nothing, and may well limit your furniture placement for your family room, as the walkway will need to go around it. i have issue with the 2 person shower and double vanity in the same room. s the kids get older, they /you probably wont be comfortable using the room when you are showering, so mornings will be slowed down. Have you considered a 3 way bathroom/toilet/vanity area? We had this in our house, and it was the best decision ever. The shower and bath were in one room, with a separate toilet, and then a double vanity which opened to the passage. Everyone could use everything at the same time, without encroaching on each others privacy. Not sure about your state -but here, the toilet door would have to open out-if someone collapses in the powder room, you would not be able to get in with the door opening in, as they would be blocking the door. I do empathize with your dilemmas. We have spent 7 years planning an extension and remodel, then 2 years (!!!) working on the design with an architect, going backwards and forwards, and then the last 12 months nearly, changing and fine-tuning along the way as things were being built. It is not easy, but worth it. Having said that, you are unlikely to ever get it perfect, as your needs will change, your likes/dislikes will vary, and you will see other peoples homes and go "why didn't we do that". (Now if only i could take that on board myself, LOL)

I agree with Lucy, floor OR bench, not both. Tough one for you. I know parquet is on trend now, but I think it's got a timeless character about it that only gets better with age. We've oiled our floors recently- love, love, love! Your floor guy doesn't like it because it's more work for him!...and he will never be called to do a full refinish again! It needs to be sanded down to a 100-120 grit....so 3 sands maybe, then 2-3 buffed in oils. I love how it feels like timber under my feet, not slippery plastic coated wood, I also love the fact I can buy oil to buff out scratches myself.

If it's your forever home go for what best suits you eg cork is best for feet knees and anti microbial and there are beautiful cork planks wch look like timber (see ready cork). It's also warmer than timber. But apart from cork timber look planks I'd only go real timber floorboards not anything else. Wormy chestnut is harder than tassie oak but much same price Carpet for stairs reduces noise of footsteps. I got Godfrey hirst one made from sugar cane beautiful and great for pets Hope this helps

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. I assumed my layout would be similar to that of other Californian Bungalows of the same period. It is helpful to learn my layout is reasonably uncommon and I am probably looking for inspiration in the wrong places. It sounds like Dr Retro House Calls and JRED are correct in steering me towards an interior designer. I hadn’t considered that option as I thought I would need a large budget for furniture and décor if going down that path. I’ll give Bigreader’s suggestion a go first and use scaled cut-outs of furniture to play around with furniture placement. If I still need guidance after that, I will look into interior design services. I initially shared your thoughts – Melt in ACT - and was thinking about turning the laundry space into a large bathroom and then moving the laundry to the small bathroom. Ultimately it was going to be too expensive… and seeing as I have young boys who get every item of clothing they wear dirty within 5 minutes of putting it on, it will be a bit of a luxury to have a big laundry. It's an idea I might revisit in the future though. Oklouise, I love all your ideas and suggestions and am really grateful for the time you’ve taken to respond. The floorplan you’ve put together is super helpful. I was bummed about the lack of space for an entry set down area and would have never thought about moving the bedroom door. I will definitely look into that. Good memory siriuskey- I did previously post about this house and I received a couple of good suggestions (including advice from you) around maximising kitchen bench space with a kitchen island and adding a storage wall near the small living spaces. I felt the advice sought in this post is sufficiently different to justify asking a new question about whether there are resources I may not be aware of and if people have ideas about the floor plan as a whole, including spaces I had not previously asked about. I’ve got lots of new ideas and really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their advice. This is a great forum/ community!