Hi iggs85 as it is an older kitchen I would not spend a huge amount of money on a revamp. It is definitely possible to paint laminate but good preparation is vital to ensure the paint 'sticks'. However a quality painter is going to charge you about the same as your resurfacing quote. Using either a painter or a resurfacing company does let you choose any colour though. The biggest disadvantage of the current benchtop is the bullnose which is very dated. From your photo, the colour and pattern look OK but you could get a stone 'overlay' put on it. They square off the bullnose so it looks more contemporary. An acrylic feature panel on the return is another alternative to vinyl planks. It looks like glass, comes in a good range of colours and is relatively inexpensive compared to glass. See http://zenolite.com/range as an example. You can buy acrylic sheets from Bunnings. You could also use pressed metal panels as a feature eg. http://www.wunderlite.com.au/catalogue/details/1/79/pressed-metal-crystal?start=25 Add some new handles on doors and drawers too.

I think that ceaserstone or marble would compete too much with your tiles and could look odd because of that. In the examples you provide, the one lot of marble stairs are with a very plain tile and the other looks like it matches the floor exactly. Your tiles have a bit of a swirly pattern so unless you chose a very plain stone/marble it would clash IMO. Also, ceasarstone can chip and I don't think it would be a very practical option for stairs. Timber would add a bit of warmth to your whole sleek look while still looking modern, and be something to tie your front door in with so it isn't the only warm looking thing in your whole light coloured area.

Passive solar principles are important when designing a home for comfort, that will be light, & warm in winter. Particularly in a cold climate like Tasmania. So I commend you for taking orientation into account, the living room will be a beautiful sunny spot in winter. So I'd stick with the original plan of locating the dining area to the north, not the kitchen as was suggested in one post. As the dining area is more likely to have a large window to introduce more light & winter heat. I'd also suggest you don't have a north facing verandah. At 1.7m it will shade your northern windows in winter, dramatically reducing any beneficial winter heat gain. Average sized eaves are much more appropriate for a northern aspect. It's unfortunate that downstairs will struggle to access northern light, so gaining some from the staircase is a good idea. I'd zone your living areas from other areas, particularly the staircase, so you can choose to heat your living areas more effectively.

Hi why don't you install the spotted gum floor on the staircase? you can just order a plain staircase from the stair company, and the flooring installer is able to lay spotted gum floor on the staircase. The stair nosing can be customized by using the same spotted gum floorboards. That way you will have a flush finish through the house space.