we had a beautiful view from an outdoor living space but tormented by insects we decided to screen the area with the cheapest option for the opening size (5m long and 2.5 high) was black Sarlon cloth attached with timber frames and a single old wooden framed hinged screen door.....a fabulous unexpected additional benefit was that the screens reduced the wind, maintained our view from inside but is not see through from outside, made the area more secure and weatherproof but also reduced temp in summer and maintained some warmth in winter while still allowing the lovely feeling of being outdoors..good luck with yours

A very interesting brief indeed! The back of your house has quite a symmetrical look to it, so I think formal lines and symmetry would definitely work in the garden as an extension. I'm thinking rows of Citrus trees and even some Olives to create a Mediterranean theme. This will also tie in to having raised planters. Using recylced apple crates for the vegetable planters is a great idea and they can sit easily within a crushed granite. A focal urn can sit directly opposite the decking area and you could incorporate an area of large format square pavers around it. These can be either laid together as a pavement or be separate steppers with the crushed granite between them. Here's an example of steppers in crushed gravel with some feature urns. Other good plants to consider are: Lavender, Rosemary, Box hedge, Portuguese Laurel and Echiums. Here are a couple of examples (from google): It sounds like a great project. Best of luck!

Jessica Craig, I thought you might like to know this. When my daughter was a baby and I took her for swimming lessons, I met another wonderful Mum Wendy and her daughter, Sophie. Sophie's father had recently passed away and so Wendy was trying to adjust to the hand that fate had dealt her. They had not long purchased their house too. We have remained very close all these years and I can report that both Soph and Wendy are a force to be reckoned with. Sophie (now 15) is a talented singer, is doing well at school and has oodles of personality. Wendy is studying online and working towards fulfilling her dream of one day writing a children's book. The house has been renovated and is a very warm and welcoming home. It has not always been an easy road as single mum for Wendy, but it continues to get richer as the years move by. I hope that in some of your harder moments, this may bring some small level of comfort to you.

Very exciting to be building a new home! I would include a second sink with your layout. This will stop your guests coming into your pantry to fill up a glass or the kettle etc. particularly as you want to keep the mess hidden. I personally think it can be handy to have two sinks as this is often a pinch point with two cooks and with clean up vs prep for next course or coffee and tea after dinner. I think you are right about the window seat not being as desirable without the northern sun. Bedroom 1 or 5 could be a good option if you could imagine yourself sitting there with a good book. In terms of kitchen planning guides you can google "planning kitchen work zones" or similar. A couple of Houzz articles that are worth reading are: Kitchen Planning: Zoning Beyond the Basics https:/https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/kitchen-planning-zoning-beyond-the-basics-stsetivw-vs~54574000 Forget Kitchen Triangles – Work Zones Are Where It's At https:/https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/forget-kitchen-triangles-work-zones-are-where-its-at-stsetivw-vs~33838673 Good luck!