Samantha B I just completed my kitchen Reno in Perth. My pantry was also bricked up like yours. Literally doubled the space by getting rid of it but we found out after that the pantry was structural & we had to put an extra support beam in the roof instead ($800) so be careful of that! We completely moved the plumbing, gas & electrics & it only cost a few hundred! So don't be afraid to do that as long as u know decent priced tradies! We ended up doing nearly everything ourselves & went with a masters flat packed kitchen & sourced our own stone benchtops dirt cheap ($2500 installed for a 2m bench & a 1.5m island each with one waterfall edge.). Heres before & after pics.

just viewed your imagined dilemma - the jade colour of doors - are they a laminate - if they aren't - yes if you desperately need a change - have white laminate (like the whole neighbourhood). but if the jade cupboards are definitely laminated I would not replace - for the jade is stunning. Furthermore, you would make a good move to extend the black high-gloss laminate to those floor-level cupboard doors which currently have a wood strip (which the previous owner did (I presume)I would suggest you have a single black strip definitely 2inches high inserted as a line in that area. (this job must be done by an experienced laminator - to perfection (this will eliminate the eye-sore strips of wood.( but it must be applied as a continuous band (from a to b) - not bits - Furthermore, the high-gloss black floor-boards will look good so close - meeting each other. I NOTE YOU WOULD DO WELL WITH A LARGISH SLEEK KITCHEN SINK ( YOU SEE BY DOING THESE SMALL CHANGES YOU ARE GETTING A WHOW KITCHEN. Am I imagining the green which seems to extend to the ceiling line is not cupboards up there if that is so do not take the green up to the cornice - the cupboards are the feature not the walls - the cornice in that room should be taken out - having the plastered wall reaching the ceiling without cornice. Your kitchen cupboards are the feature.(it would be good to paint upper walls and ceiling. Just "off white" I am reluctant to tell you the kitchen window should be wider as the kitchen has a message but the window is like a poor relative. If you carry-out these changes - the kitchen should be free of everything else - no utensils on the stove, nothing on benches or on top of other areas - the colour and impact - that is all that is needed (plus it has become modernised) - despite your belief that white is in - maybe in hospitals. Good Luck

Hi Adriana, You can have whatever you want and works with your style. If you go with tiles then invest the extra money in epoxy grout that will make cleaning a great deal easier - regardless of what colour/style you go for. Dark grout with white tiles is quite modern and makes cleaning grout a little easier - personally, I don't favour it but that's just personal taste. I would check the ease of cleaning on any matt tile. To bring in warmth to your kitchen (as black and white can be a bit stark sometimes) look at bringing some colour in - even metallics in silver, bronze or copper or even opalescent tiles can be gorgeous and can also help bounce light in a subtle way back into your room while giving you a luxury look with depth and interest. Go to your tile supplier and ask for samples so that you can take them home and put them in the space and get a sense of how they'll work - sometimes the way they look away from the tile shop is completely different to how they look in the shop. Good luck!

Hi Lesley. I work for a kitchen/cabinetry manufacturer and getting all my joinery done through them. They have offered to give me upgrades at cost price (no margin) so non-direct is not an issue for me :) Thankyou for the suggestion though - I'll look into it.