I'm not a professional landscaper but as a parent I actually disagree... Gardens for kids need to be somewhere to stimulate the imagination and dream and play. Don't kids always have a ball exploring their grandparents gardens? I would go for large leaf plants that create secret hidey cubby spots under the foliage, fragrant herbs that can be brushed up against. Ornamental grasses with big seedy stalks, Bright cheerful flowers that can be picked for all sorts of potions. I would recommend NOT making your backyard like a playground, because that takes the joy away from trips to the park. All the different levels are great for adventures and imagination. Don't make it too safe... those rocks are EXACTLY where your kids will want to walk along and perfect their motor skills and balancing and risk assessment skills. They won't get into too much danger in your backyard. You could terrace the slope and plant into it with herbs and some kid friendly plants like herbs, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, strawberries. Then down the track have more grownup choices. Also plants that will attract birds, lizards and other wildlife for the kids to enjoy. Large bushes like grevillea and bottle brushes -you can get groundcover rambling ones on these also- they will attract beautiful birds like rosellas which the kids can enjoy. I would go for a garden that can be discovered and explored and let kids imagination take over. You want a garden that can be a castle, a pirate ship, a rocket, the moon, a fairy forest, whatever! As far as actual play things, Use logs or stepping stones through the garden beds to protect the plants from being trampled. Don't make paths through, but space them randomly so the kids can go any direction. A few areas with river pebbles... nice round smooth ones in different colours, that can be stacked and played with will be endlessly entertaining. Don't underestimate the fun and joy of sticks and stones! Logs in alternating heights through the garden bed will create a great rambling obstacle course to balance on. If you want to go there, maybe add a slide down the slope of the hill next to the step. Or a secret pipe for sending cars or messages down. There is a great toy called sticklets that can be used to connect larger sticks and branches to make forts and cubbies. But its not really necessary. A lot of those play equipment sorts of things are just too rigid in the way the kids can use them. Kids need a little space, and lots and lots of wild and green! This website has some awesome ideas! http://www.letthechildrenplay.net

Agree with covering one of the sinks with a chopping board or something. You get more bench space when you need it, but still have a double sink when you need it. I'd put a trolley at the end of the bench top. Then think what appliances you really, really need. Also sort through how many pans, dishes you have etc. maybe you can put some in storage until you have it down to your essentials? One more thing, lovely space and furnishings, but it feels a little cramped. Small thing, but spread the stools out a bit more. A slightly larger table so the chairs don't feel so shoulder to shoulder? Or chairs that are less solid? I think it is a lovely space!

Hi Karina. Haha very funny re your art piece, KitchenAid! Baking is so much fun; I'm a baker from way way back, and you learn by just jumping in and doing it. About the height of your combined dining/bench table, it's pretty important to have a height that's comfortable for you whilst you work. I'm tall and my family is too, so we had the benchtop height built higher so we are not getting backaches from constantly having to bend over to work. It's really more important for the one who does all or most of the cooking & baking to be comfortable as you can spend long periods of time reading and working out recipes, then putting it all together. Likewise, if you are shorter, choose a table that suits you. Best wishes and keep us posted.

Hi Patricia, that sounds like one of those 'rules of thumb' that can't necessarily be relied upon. There are a lot of factors to consider when burying or partially burying a water tank including the hydrostatic pressure (if you have a high water table there is a change the tank could float right out of the hole when empty), soil pressure which could distort your tank etc. I guess the first question I would ask you is 'why a 30,000L tank?'. Are you diverting all of your downpipes? How much roof area to you have? There may be other space saving solutions that don't rely on you partially burying a tank. Happy to help if you want to send me an email or just reply here.