Thank you CWD - can you explain what units you see fitting in that layout please?

Thank you Devyra, that's the idea that the EA suggested. Not discarding it but I think it would mean a small bedroom ( can't move the backdoor ) without a good view.

Another option perhaps

Think practically - you say you both love to cook - so do you spend most of your time in the kitchen? Do you like to cook and then take food through to another room to eat or would you rather eat in a dining-kitchen, or at the island? Do you watch TV a lot or use a living room much? Would you prefer to have some comfortable seating in the kitchen so one person can be cooking and someone else can be chatting? Would you use the back/side door to enter the house usually, or the front door - what's the journey through the house with groceries like?

If you want a simple re-jig of the kitchen, I really like katlucy's plan which gives you everything you've asked for, but I also think it could feel a little cramped in practice after a while. Whereas if that space was a new lounge area then it's ok to be a bit more snug as there's less furniture you need in a living room. Having the big front room as kitchen and dining gives you lots of light, easy access from exterior and feels to me that it fits the space better. Also, guests come straight into the heart of the home rather than walking through a living/dining room first - it's not even clear where you'd put a TV in that living room whilst also having the dining table in a place that's not blocking the walkway from front door to kitchen.

Thank you Katlucy, that's very interesting and I like it, I'm going to check some measurements. a silly sticking point is seeing if I could fit a king bed that faces the window and still have room to get to a door into shower room. This process is making me see that the view from all front windows is really important to me.

CWD - thank you for that, lots to think about.

I also like Katlucy's simple plan, I'm going to check some measurements.

If you move the bedroom entrance along to the left and move the shower over a king would fit but not facing the window centrally,im assuming the window is central

I’m confused about the orientation.
Is the kitchen door going to the back and is the door by the stairs the front door?
Is there a garden?
Where does the door by your dining table go?
Why is there no window where the dining table is- is that where the garage is?
Do the lower level bedrooms lead onto a garden and also enjoy the good view?
Are there also upstairs bedrooms?

Jonathan -

Sorry, I should have made it more clear.

The door by the dining table is the front door, the dining room has a coloured glass window on the back wall which is indeed the garage.

Next we have the stairs which lead downstairs to two bedrooms and a bathroom.

The kitchen door leads to the back door of the garage.

The garden is accessed from the downstairs, the kitchen and the front door.

The good view is from upstairs.

There are just two levels.

I really hope that makes sense. Just to add, we are a very keen, semi experienced DIY couple and our budget is a bit limited so planning to do as much as possible ourselves.

Comparison of different views to show you don’t gain anything for having the bed face directly onto the window. In fact it could be argued that being further from the window your view is inferior.

@Jonathan Am sure you are right on all...but... I've this very romantic view of lying in bed with hubby looking outwards. Not logical as per diagram but, it's a thing. Maybe in these early stages of planning, I'm still rose tinted glasses.

In a few weeks, once accurate measurements are available, I hope my space options will be a bit more generous or of course, bubble will probably burst.

Re: too set of always facing the view front on- it’s not always possible - Yes, but I want it to be possible - back to those rose tinted glasses perhaps.

Re Living room and everything else.

A few days ago, I thought that focusing on the important kitchen would then help define all other spaces. Guess I was wrong because right now am more muddled than before.

If someone can't afford a designer, where does one start? Is there a more logical starting point?

I'm not even going to mention the big fireplace that I forgot to add on the floorplan, way to confusing.

I also think you need to consider the holistic view of the house…… which means considering the downstairs bedrooms, how they access the garden , should they actually be bedrooms? Any chance you will ever extend upwards? Any chance the garage will become a room?

Consider posting a pic of the side with all the windows and a lower level floor plan