A15) @Dara Cooke: If you can't afford a quartz or granite worktop from day one then I would recommend using a laminate worktop as a temporary solution. If you don't put tiles up as a backsplash then replacing the worktops can be relatively easy in a couple of years.

I agree, blinds, they are large windows so that is a lot of material / expense if you go down the curtain route, plus curtains may block out light. We have sliding doors like yours and have chosen to keep them free of any covering, however we are not overlooked. You might also want to consider translucent / sheer roller blinds which offer moderate privacy yet still retain a degree of visibility. We have them on our front windows for privacy as we are in a single storey house / bungalow, people can't see in (during the day) but we can see out. We also have curtains with them in the sitting room as we wanted it to be more cosy / private at night. In the other rooms we have another blind that sits over the sheer blinds, but this wouldn't work for all windows.

Hi.. have a look at the Colortrend colours for kitchen. You can use a darker version of wall colour for kitchen units also. Definitely paint them skirtings! hope this helps.. Tony

All the laminate covering had peeled off, I primed it with the BIN primer and finished it with oilbased satinwood.