Excellent article that parallels many of the same issues faced by professionals in other trades and related or aligned industries. 1. On the subject of Budget. There seems to be an almost universal reticence on the part of potential clients to withhold information on their budgetary constraints. In my many years of experience in business within my own industry, I have yet to find, or even hear of a story, of a reputable provider who has intentionally 'padded-out' a quotation to meet the limits of a budget disclosed by the client. Obviously, trust is the issue here, and I suppose understandable. However, you can build confidence in your selection of providers by checking carefully their credentials and, preferably customer testimonials/recommendations if they are available to you. With a 'known' budget limit a provider can design a solution that provides the best value for money. The correct trade-offs can be made over elements that make up your eventual quotation in a way that does not compromise the overall quality of the solution you are presented. You may not be able to incorporate all elements of your 'wish list' but you give the provider/supplier the opportunity to work with you in arriving at a quality solution that doesn't skimp on the important, and often required, elements of your solution design. From the supplier/providers point of view the amount of time and effort providing you with a solution quotation that provides optimal value can be vastly minimised. - I don't know how many times I have provided quotations to potential clients who are unable or reticent in disclosing their budget, only for them to fall over, when the quoted price is way beyond the amount they are willing or able to spend. When this happens, it leaves a rather bad taste in the mouths of all parties; with the provider/supplier now perceived as 'over the top' with their pricing, and the provider having to 'rework,' (if lucky enough to be given the opportunity to do so), the quotation in light of the 'now disclosed' budgetary constraints. Of course, often as not the potential client moves on to another provider/supplier, educated and informed by the first provider and is able to direct the second provider with a revised specification (and associated design decisions) courtesy of their interactions with the first provider who will ever be thought off as 'over the top.' I can only emphasise the point, that providing an indication of your budgetary range or limits, is so very important and may well save you from missing out on the benefit of working with a reputable supplier/provider.- Instead, you may be left with a provider that has made an easy sale having being given a shopping list or manifest of the required solution components, with the hard work and expertise required to define the solution, already completed and provided by the client. 2. On the subject of quotation detail, I have always provided a complete quotation breakdown so that the customer can clearly see what is included and what is not. In my business branding is as important as feature lists and component specifications, as the information detailed in the quotation should speak of the calibre, quality and functionality of the solution you have been quoted on. For a supplier/provider. this can sometimes be a two-edged sword, as it provides an easy pick-list for the next supplier/provider, who once again may simply counter-quote the solution and undercut pricing on the same components that make up the first provider's quotation. Alternatively, cheaper, often inferior elements of the solution may be substituted, in order to provide a clear price advantage, which 'sad to say' at least 50% of the population will opt for (imho); with claims of superior quality, reputation and after sales, warranty and service benefits, sacrificed by clients who value price over just about anything else. Of course, in many cases these are not the clients we are targeting with our own business, but that does not prevent a lot of time, effort and expertise being wasted; and in a lot of cases, as already described, expertise that is simply given away to a usually, lower-tier player in our market. 3 On the subject of Project vs Custom. I will not repeat the excellent points made in both the article and some of the comments above. In my own business we only manufacture custom product (Drapery). One point I will make is that reputable suppliers/providers in any market have usually been in business for a considerable time (30+ years in my case). If you produce crap, you do don't tend to survive in business over the long haul. Reputable providers/suppliers have built quality long-term relationships with the providers in their supply-chain, and often as not it is word-of-mouth recommendation that provides much of your custom. Word-of-mouth recommendations are typically the product of an 'impressed' and 'happy' customer. You will pay more, but with the reputation of the provider/supplier on the line each an every day, there is little scope for 'finger pointing' when we the supplier gets it wrong, or if a problems or issues are experienced post sale. - We have far more on the line, and as a result, do very much 'give a damn' as do our delivery partners with whom we work, to ensure that no chinks develop in our collective 'reputational armour' and that you receive the premium value you paid for.

Like the general layout of your kitchen,,,but I feel, as I do when anything resembling an island dominates a kitchen space, that the line of cupboards in your last photo with the wide island top, is intruding into the space and giving a feeling of cluttering...doesn't "flow", its like a baricade...and this feeling is repeated with your lovely modular lounge facing the TV. I feel I'd have the urge to throw myself over the back of the lounge so to sit and watch TV. I'm not really good at arranging already bought furniture in a new place so not the one to tell you what to do instead...but thought I'd give you my first impression on walking into your space. One thing I don't like for kitchens is islands of any kind. If I were confronted by that row of drawers and the solid looking island top...if it were mine...the first thing to be removed would be that...sorry I can't give detailed advise of what I'd have instead as that's a very useful work space, but it would be something more ..."open", maybe even something moveable that could be tucked away under a bench and pulled out when needed. I love your beautiful table and chairs...maybe move the table to that spce or maybe even have a second, lighter coloured, plainer, very stylish and unnusual but more casual table in that space...maybe even a substantial glass-topped table.? I'd have something that was both utilitarian, substantial and even ornamental.....for the feeling of 'lightness and non clutter"? Agree with bigreader......a rug under that lovely table would give it a lift.....maybe a dusty blue? If you like browns and nutty colours then dusty blues are a good "lift" colour. Also, think of blues for window dressings...whether curtains, blinds or even internal shutters. For curtains, See if you can find some of wide vertical striped fabric...preferably different pale blues....keep away from "greeny blues". Turquoise is a popular colour but I find that, for me, it drains the warmth out of a room no matter where it is used...and if you like browns and neutrals its not the shade of blue to put with them. See the blue you have on the side of your..."island"? Well, not as bright as that. Imagine it a couple of shades lighter and paler and dusty...like the blue of Wedgewood china...very sophisticated and is a good "all-rounder" - nothing much it does not complement...AND... Wedgewood is a "warm" blue. Many other shades of blue are naturally cool or cold and make one feel that way....good for beach houses though. In general I do not like blue, you won't find any in my house...(except where I thought it would appeal to buyers when I was going to sell up)... so this is a completely unbiased opinion piece. That's about the limit of my inspiration for your place tcmaim....Your table was my starting point. Not too many like the dark brown furniture...I LOVE it! Wedgewood blue and chocolate brown....YUM! For other colours I see off white or even a patterned creamy hue with dusty Wedgewood blues........and I'd have that colour on the kitchen floor too! Maybe unnusual and not very "en trend" but I think it would really work well in your kitchen.. maybe even as a splashback if you did the floor..and those little "In ceiling" lights would, in my view, look really nice and cosy up th whole area. The tall cupboard near the doorway.....for my liking it needs to be taken to ceiling height...as it is it gives the feeling of a flat pack piece that did not quite fill the gap. LR

No.1 would have to be solar panels to pay for the cost of running all these new toys. Luke, seriously, we all claim to be green these days and are concerned about our planet and the environment but have we really stopped to think how "green" these toys are? We are becoming like kids at Christmas with them. These toys are all predominantly plastic, just like kids toys, they break we throw away except with adult toys their shelf life is as long as it takes for the next bigger and better model to come out. Emphasis these days is all about making our lives easier but all these labour saving devices are not making things easy for our environment. It is almost a joke that a plastic water bottle takes twice as much water to make than the liquid it holds. We are all proud of ourselves when we recycle but how many of us have actually followed what really happens with our recycling - how much energy and water is required in the recycling process, how much of it is actually reused? We are recycling more product than we have use for - what happens to the excess?? The more of these toys that keep coming, the more excess waste we will have. I read this some years ago and with findings now coming to light, it is obvious things are getting worse faster than we can control them. http://www.worldwatch.org/global-plastic-production-rises-recycling-lags-0 Lets keep technology for the important things - medical science or making our world safer ............. not wiping it out with rubbish.

This is a very personal choice as dreamer mentioned. You can order tile samples from tile cloud or TileMall for $15 for 5. Pick some options you like and put up in the kitchen next to the other elements. You will soon know which one you love the most 👍🏻