Hi Louie, Generally speaking, if I'm designing a kitchen for clients, I ask them to choose the appliances first. That way, one can design the kitchen accordingly so that it's designed specifically for what they want. However, obviously, that is not always possible and one has to work with what's there. I'm not sure what your situation is. As your wall on one side is 700, I'd bring everything forward on the other side, so that it's equal. The fridge handle may protrude a little (you'll probably need some clearance at the back for air circulation) but it shouldn't be too bad. See if you can locate the powerpoint for fridge in the cabinet above the fridge, which will mean you can turn it on/off without having to move it. I'd bring the face of that upper cabinet in line with the 700 wall and oven tower. There would be a gap behind the overhead fridge cabinet for the power to come up and into. The other thing I'd say is that you may not need skirting inside fridge cavity.

Hi kelly. can see you are going for a classic kitchen that transitions between traditional styles such as provincial, hamptons and a slightly more modern take on them. your island will be hero, and it's bespoke finish will make or break the whole room. The layout is quite practical, although the abundance of bench space used as a seated area will undoubtedly clutter up your prep space and designated walkway around it when stools come into play. as for the fluted columns and turned legs, I do like them, however the Georgian blocks (your pyramids) which are referred to as rosettes, regardless of the design, are perhaps not being used to best effect on your rangehood area, and in fact, are better used either side of the adjoining wall cabinets. They are typically used in place of fillers, which go between Walls and cupboards, and symmetrically flank a show cabinet - ie glazed display cabinet, a function cabinet such as a sink or cooktop/oven unit. i have designed many provincial kitchens including the schots showroom in Clifton hill, and have many years experience in applying these ornaments to otherwise simple kitchens to great effect. I am a kitchen designer, and from my stance, the proportion is what is not working for me. the island is going to dominate, but it will feel somewhat domineering to the kitchens detriment if it is not suitably complimented by same scale cabinets around the perimeter. In these style kitchens, the trick is to emphasise and highlight the main function areas, the cooking zone, typically by over scaling the rangehood with a nice mantel, rangehood cabinet or mouldings, the sink, and the storage or prep areas. Your rangehood cabinet needs to be wider, wider than the cooktop, and as important, the glass doors either side need to be narrower, regardless of storage, they will look grander, and have more impact with the fluted column either side of these. Also, varying depth is important, the side glazed cabinets should be standard -330mm and the rangehood deeper, and higher, so it stands out dramatically, make it 450mm deep, and 900mm wide, irrespective of the cooktop width. I encourage making it higher, so the capping mould on top of the glass cabinets abut the rangehood cabinet, and the central rangehood capping then stands out framing the focus, it also makes your ceiling appear larger. if your render is representative of your layout, align the top height of the glazed cabinet with the bulkhead, and then the rangehood unit to the ceiling, then actually run the ceiling cornice around that to provide an illusion of high ceilings! i would also consider lowering the side cabinets with Undermount lighting to illuminate your workspace. Do the same highlighting your sink, by flanking the cupboard with the fluted columns, perhaps even protruding it 100mm, so the stone bench top enjoys a beautiful stone edge on show. It also allows your tapware hob more generous space. The Columns will then make sense, and link into your dramatic and over scaled island. Your designer can easily modify this render in 15 minutes or so, and show you just how proportion alters an image, and will instantly provide insight to a successful aesthetic, or whether you want to rethink the layout. Last tip, when you kitchen has one plain wall with upper cabinets, but others are left without any, I would suggest considering tiling up to a bulkhead on adjacent wall,s perhaps a subway, or marble hexagonal small tile like a penny round, it will provide balance to both style and surfaces. good luck. ML

For storage, I used a mirrored lift up cupboard door above the sink area in my very small ensuite with some success. We put power points inside the cupboard too - it was a very good place to have them as the door lifts up & is out of the way. I also used some of the wall space to allow slightly deeper shelves, without the cupboard jutting so far into the room. The cistern was recessed into the wall cavity, (in our case below the window) & it worked well to save a little space in the room. Photos are not very good, but I hope you can get the idea.. It worked very well. The ensuite was 1mx2m. We use vertical towel rails. They're really good & very compact, but do make sure the electrician installs them up the right way. They work on the heat rising principal & do not work well upside down as ours were installed!Hope this is helpful. Good luck.

I've never thought along these lines before , and I'm a guy , but I just wondered if having a mirror angled up slightly ( 5 degrees or less ) may make putting on makeup and doing eyelids easier , and shaving for us guys ? Plus to do a part in your hair , you can still lean forward . Bathroom mirrors always seem to be flat against a wall or medicine cupboard , but I wonder if one slightly angled upwards would be better ?