Hi there nicndrew -- wondering if you ever solved your venting issues if you went ahead and put your range into the fireplace. We have a similar issue - 140 year old victorian and the only realistic plan we can come up with for a new kitchen design is to put our range into an existing fireplace. Our floorplan is constrained by a stairwell as well as a couple of weight bearing walls so we need to work with what we have...I am hoping we can vent up and out the side of the house -- four flues in this chimney but the kitchen flue is closest to the exterior wall. The contractor is coming to take a look on Saturday but would love to gather some suggestions before then.

HI --- Why is the yard paved , it looks so barren ? The color "Willow " by Benjamin Moore Paints would work with what you have . I am not a fan of the roof color ... if you change that , you could go with a textured dark brown or go to a textured charcoal or a grey . Maybe make the front door stand out more with a color ... maybe a rich dark green or a Navy like "Polo". But this house would look wonderful with a veranda /deck/porch from the front door to the opening just in front of the last window on the right ,in the color like the windows and trim . For the landscaping .. if your keeping the paving I would say get some big planter boxes . I would remove some of that paving because the house could use some trees etc. If so then I would plant a cut leaf weeping birch just left front of the window but mature tree spread away -about 20 feet. Also see if that down spout can be moved to come off the side ,instead of on the front . And add some exterior lighting to accent the house .

The front door is around the other side by the way! The windows are aluminium so cannot be changed. It is all rather ugly at the moment.

i changed my setting to OZ as i was told there are not a lot of kiwis here on the forum to give advice:) hopefully some wonderful aussies can help me:)