Thanks for the responses... bit more info.. What we currently have is in the first picture - if you compare that to the second/third picture you should be able to see the difference - the old house is in the lower right corner of the new plans. At the moment the downstairs of the house consists of 2 rooms, a front door leading outside and a door leading to the back garden, and that's pretty much it! There are no real limitations - the plan is to make it as big as the new plan drawings - as a guideline, I think that's 10ft out to the rear, and an additional 13ft to the left side. In terms of room layout - the extension can be one room (left side and rear) or potentially split up as much as required. Its a semi-detached house, so building on the right hand side is not possible - an extension on the front is not viable either. At the moment, its just me here, but the plans are for the Girlfriend to move in, and we also have a baby on the way (due in August!) :) Here is Wales, UK! Give me 5 mins and i'll add some more pictures to help you understand whats going on - i'll include some google maps views aswell.

Hi, Lucas Tx. That looks like a nice space you have to work with. My own kitchen needs are pretty much like yours. If it were mine my top priority, as always, would be simply to create a very good main place to work, a place I liked to be, with everything else placed to serve that spot efficiently. Your statement that "prep space between the sink and cooktop is small, I end up prepping on the other side of the sink" says something very important to me. Your prep space was never meant to be that little scrap between those two, it's that BIG area between the stove and fridge that you don't mention at all and don't like to work at. No matter what you do to the rest, if you don't move the sink you will always have a dysfunctional kitchen and be carrying stuff back and forth across the sink to where you want to work, as you do now. Therefore, if it were mine :), I'd open up the diagonal wall, decide where I really wanted to do my prep and cooking and then place everything else where it needed to be. Without much musing, I'm imagining the DW next to a widened doorway in (we could stroll right past with the DW door open), and the sink next to it looking out to the back yard; the DW side would be the cleaning side (where mess is gathered for cleanup) and the left the prep side (where freshly rinsed veggies were set for chopping, etc.) The stove would need to be slid somewhat farther left on the wall it's currently on, incidentally adding some more nice work space, but especially to avoid a competing-bottoms problem between the diagonal prep counter and the sink. This would create a pleasant and spacious main prep counter optimally between stove and water. The other cook could prep between stove and refrigerator. The rest is details. I'd do almost all drawers, though. I have them and love them. If I bought another old house, much as I love old kitchens, I'd eat beans and rice until I could afford to upgrade to drawers. Everything is so easy to put away and find, and there's so much more effective storage area (you don't have to leave search room for the questing arm and moving stuff around to get at the rest). Summary--plan on moving the sink. :)

Thanks for addt'l info BJ. My best suggestion based upon your photos is to change the wall color. It's competing and not accentuating the beautiful elements in your space. Make a sample board(or put them in a box) and take with you to flooring and paint stores. Choose flooring and color that best matches/compliments/coordinates with your other fixed elements in the room (counter, backsplash tile, and cabinets). The pros there should be able to give good advice. Keep in mind, lighting will be different in the stores from what it is in your kitchen. Also keep in mind that lighting changes throughout the day and wall color will appear to change as the lighting changes. All this being said, it's best to have someone come to your home to actually see your space and adjoining spaces to take all rooms into consideration and give their best advice. There are just so many guidelines when decorating that it's nearly impossible for us to give the best advice without having seen your home. You may want to consider hiring a decorator in your hometown. Make sure he/she comes with great recommendations and reviews. It's always helpful if you can see samples of their work before hiring them! Wish you the best!

I happen to like when not everything in a home matches. Having tile in bathrooms, kitchens, entries and hardwood elsewhere makes sense. Hardwood is expensive, but it is also vulnerable to water damage. Usually you see entry mats so the floors aren't ruined by the moisture tracked in on our shoes and boots. Tile is durable, easy to clean, but it is hard and cold. You dinnerware will break if it hits the floor. Personally, I like LVT. I specifically chose it over wood or tile or carpet. I wanted easy care and a cushioned base. I was replacing carpet and sheet vinyl that the previous owners had put in 20 years ago - worn out. I am also nearing 60, so if it only lasts 20 years I will either be dead, downsized, or unable to see the defects by the time it needs replaced. If I had hardwood elsewhere and really couldn't tolerate tile in the entry and kitchen, I would choose a tile look LVT rather than spending a lot of money on hardwood that may get damaged due to wet conditions or trying to match the hardwood to a wood look LVT.