Thanks for the explanation. Try a wall that is drawers up to waist high, cupboards above that. YOu can add pull-out cutting boards at waist height so that you can put things there when unpacking groceries and putting things away in the cabinets and drawers: Drawers will help but they will not increase storage space by a factor of two. You could also add drawers where the microwave is now and continue to keep the microwave on top. Here is another wall of wood cabinets: Although it will not solve your storage problem, I recommend that you pull everything out of the cabinets and drawers, one drawer or shelf at a time. Be flexible about storing things elsewhere while the children are very small. Or discarding "aspirational cooking" implements (egg slicers, orange zesters, martini shakers. lobster-shaped gelatin molds) that just haven't been used in years. Families with children tend to accumulate an enormous amount of plastic stuff. In six months or a year, they will need different plastic stuff!

I'm pretty sure they will have been put in to provide a non-combustable zone behind and around the stove. We are about to install a wood burning stove and the installation instructions specify an area that needs to be heat resistant. Removing or even painting them behind the stove would be difficult and potentially dangerous. I would either paint the rest of the chimney breast a dark green to reduce the impact of the tiles, or add a fire surround (checking with the manufacturer or a reputable installer about clearance) and some painted tongue and groove cladding over the chimney breast depending on your preferred style.

Lovely, much better than the 3D plan. V glad you kept your patterned floor tiles, I really like them. It's all come together very attractively. The only thing I'd change and this is just because I'm a colour freak is the pendants - I'd probably have made those red and orange or something. But congrats really, it looks great.

By the way, if anyone is interested, you can do this thing I’m doing. So basically, you design a house using as much pictures, mood boards, plans and info as possible. I am doing it as a sort of contest with my friend, Ayla. It is so fun!! Also, for floor plans, do you use any apps? I use Planner 5D. If definitely recommend it to you. Please tell other people about me if you like me because nobody seems to know anyways! Bye