Hi! Are you talking about the panel underneath the breakfast bar? I'd need a little more info on the style of the house and your planned staging to be sure, but I'd suggest something like painted pressed metal or a wallpaper (something robust that can withstand being kicked occasionally!). You could repeat this theme in your splash back (in the case of the pressed metal, not the wallpaper!) or back wall, or even on the door (if that's actually a door and not just an archway), depending on which you went with. Here are some pressed metal pics for inspiration: http://www.pinterest.com/roomtomoveint/pressed-metal/ ...and here are some fun wall paper suggestions that might work... http://revivalwallpaper.com.au/WallpaperPebbleLeaf http://revivalwallpaper.com.au/Wallpaper/WallpaperDenver http://revivalwallpaper.com.au/Wallpaper/WallpaperClassicStem Is the wood ridged paneling or just flat? If it's ridged (as in boards), once painted that will be quite a nice effect in and of itself, especially once you add some stools in front of it. As an aside you've also got a nice opportunity to improve the ambience of that room quite cheaply by swapping out the overhead light fitting. Something like this could work nicely: http://www.beaconlighting.com.au/lighting/pendant-lights/modern-pendant-lights/florida-580mm-wicker-pendant-in-natural.html ...especially if you splashed out a little (perhaps next year when you move in) and added some complimentary, low-hung pendants over the breakfast bar and some sconce-style task-lighting over your benches. Let me know if I can offer any more help, and have fun with your reno this weekend. I'd love to see what you end up with :)

Hi Lucinda .. we are considering acrylic for our kitchen too, as we heard 2 PAC chips easily. Just wanted to check, are the glue lines getting more visible with age? We are also after a white kitchen...

Hi Kitchens by Matric, I did actually contact you. You came out to measure etc. However, after that it was very difficult to get a hold of you to actually get my quote. You rang once or twice and I tried several times after that. So I never actually received my quote. The frustrations!

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.