@asquithoatley, Thanks for your comments. The plan doesn't seem unusual to me but I guess as you say, it works for me. The most important room in this house is the meals, as it will be where we, as farmers, will mostly congregate and the dining area will be used only in the evening after meals. The view in the meals area is also beautiful as the large viewing window looks directly into my garden but also down to our workshed and the road some 500mtrs away, where I can see not only hubby coming home but also any visitors entering our property. The kitchen was also intentionally placed in the middle, so that whether we're in this area or the meals, anyone using the pool can be monitored whilst swimming. As for keeping the kitchen tidy, I'm a bit of a neat nut so keeping the benches clean will be pretty easy, as there won't be any clutter, just the kettle and a tray with coffee and tea etc... Did think of putting the kitchen where the lounge is, as you suggested, the view is certainly nice but it would leave me with my back turned to the front door, and visitors and being a bit of a "scardy cat" I'd like to see people coming to my home ha-ha My double front doors are glass and I will be able to see through the glass into the pool room and also through the front and side window in the pool room. Obviously, I've made it quite clear, that I like to be able to see people coming, it means I don't get a scare being suddenly surprised by an unexpected visitor. I'm sure it will go well as you said, as I spent a very long time looking at many different options for the placement of these rooms and this seemed to be the best for me personally. Living in the country means you can feel a bit isolated, perhaps even helpless at times and that's not particularly comfortable.

Hi Allison, our block (and many others) has the same aspect with the rear facing west. When designing our new house we had the option of building the open plan along the south side of the block with the alfresco facing the north, or along the back of the house with the alfresco facing west. We chose the latter facing west for two reasons, firstly because we're one down from a corner block our north boundary is the rear boundary of two neighbours so facing north meant looking into their backyard, and secondly because our block is at the higher point of sloping land we have nice sunset views over treetops and rooftops. I should mention the backyard neighbour's house is only a few years old so we're not likely to get built out anytime soon, but something you should keep in mind if the house at the back of yours is really old chances are a new one could pop up in the next few years and you don't want to be staring at a two storey house. A few other things to consider... all walls of the extension should be properly insulated, all windows and doors should be double glazed and the deck should definitely be undercover to minimise direct sun into the house (see photo). Below's our open plan and a photo of the alfresco which was taken around 5.30pm where you can see the house only just starting to get direct sun late in the day. Otherwise, I think your best alternate is to extend along the south side of your block with a deck facing north, it's generally the better orientation, just wasn't an option for us. Good luck! :)

Awesome! Such a beautiful kitchen. Would love to get in there and make my favourite meal... tacos!

Shifting the laundry will create a larger laundry and allow for a 'kids bedroom zone' with better access to bathroom for all 3 minor bedrooms. Place the rumpus where dinning is. This can be separated or use the great sliding wall/door idea. It also allows view from kitchen. I agree with moving the fridge and creating a more open WIP. This also allows for a WI Linen - which could be opened up to the mud room, or even a powder room. I found the front living room to be an awkward size and shape so did a slight rearrange in that area. This gives the Living Room access to the north facing patio/outdoor area, tying all the living spaces together while keeping them seperate.