Hi Filfy, some great ideas from everyone, mine will probably be quite similar. Firstly, depends how much you want to spend and what look you are after, modernise or modern? Anyway, here are some of my ideas. Take out the Yuccas from front area - they really close in the house there and make it look depressing, replant them, maybe along the front side of house. Repaint the brown timber cladding to something like, Dulux Malay grey or similar. Repaint the Fascias in same Dulux colour as well as the triangular piece on the roof. Take out lattice, do not replace - old and tacky now, very popular years ago though : ) Extend deck along front of house and also bring it forward(if you have the cash), stairs to come forwards (straight out) to meet with path. Decks make a big difference to a house and re-sale IMO. New railing in... Timber posts near Yucca's, are these painted or oiled and stained? See if you could sand these back (I hate sanding-takes time) and stain and oil them, possibly teak? You could re-paint them in Malay grey but stain and oil would make the property look more expensive. Or if you want to render, just do the front of the house and say a metre coming around the side of the house from the front. Could use a grey on the render, paint the slats either a light colour (something that goes with the brick and grey, close to white) or a very dark colour like domino….. Hope this helps.. : )) Below is a link to a big renovation I just finished on the Gold Coast. (Signed M) http://www.kwikclicks.com.au/viewproperty.php?id=3045 Michelle..

@kookykaren - we saved for ten years to fully renovate our house, and that included getting rid of a whole (almost) house of tiles! Boy, do I know tiles!! Firstly, if you're stuck with them, check out professional tile (ie, grout) cleaners. Where I live, they are always the professional carpet cleaners. They use some mighty powerful chemicals, but once they've finished, you won't have to use chemicals anymore. It isn't as expensive as you might think, and they come up beautifully. Secondly, you can re-colour your grout. Again, it's not difficult. However, the existing surface must be CLEAN if you wish the process to work. On floor tiles, cleanliness (in terms of oils, etc) may be hard to achieve. BUT not so after you've had them professionally cleaned. Good luck!!

@Aimee, I know this dilemma was never about your layout and only about the "style" but sometimes it's easy for us readers to digress a little but it does help the author, you, to have a good look or a good think about it, leave no stone unturned so to speak!! This kitchen whatever the layout, only needs to suit you as the cook in the home. My kitchen is being designed exactly the same way, for me and not hubby or anyone else in the family as I'm the resident cook too. If for example, I placed the microwave in the usual spot above the oven, now seen in almost all modern kitchens, then only hubby could use it, as I'm terribly height challenged ha-ha.....but I'm having a wall cabinet placed far lower down on the wall, thus suiting both of us!! Again I'm not having any overheads, well a few slimline cupboards but they are like half the height of a standard overhead, so I can still reach the shelf but I'm not having any normal overheads, as they would be useless to me and I'm building for me not for anyone else, so if a future buyer wants overheads, nothing will prevent them from doing so. I see you have no overheads in your pics either, perhaps height challenged like me?? Currently, we're living in a tiny home (7sqrs) whilst building our dream home, my fridge isn't even in the kitchen, I have to take about 5 steps and travel through the lounge and into a back room to access it and I have lived with it for several years now and it's no bother at all but I must admit, it will be nice when it's back in the kitchen where it belongs, it's simply too big for this little home. Good luck with your reno, it sounds very exiting, I wish I was as advanced as you were!!! Finished pics would be lovely. Cheers, Barbara

I suggest not to match the flooring to the cabinets. Try and select a flooring colour that contrasts the cabinets, however still compliments, a dark wood grain for example, and pair back with a few dark coloured accessories in the kitchen.