Thanks folks.. The unit doors are solid pine and the ceiling is red deal..( hope that's the correct spelling!) It's a cosy space but a little dark I think, if not too overbearing with all the wood..

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.

Hi Helen, The fridge position is ideal so I suggest you move the radiator to the other side of the door and turn the door so its opens back against the fridge. This will increase the feeling of space in the whole dining area. You won't regret the length of your breakfast bar so I wouldn't worry about the gap sizes, 1200 is an ideal but 1000 is more than sufficient. Could you turn the door into the utility so that it opens inwards and not into the kitchen area? It would eliminate having to manoeuvre round the door when open and reduce congestion in the kitchen especially with traffic flow past the end of the breakfast bar. Alternatively you could consider a pocket door which slides into the wall if there is enough space. Good luck!

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.