Thank you everyone for your ideas. We are about to paint the walls an off white - double merino, and thought we might paint the doors and pelmets the same and now after reading your comments I think we will leave the timber beams and paint the ceiling between them the same as the walls, and will consider the bar supports too. What do people think about painting ceilings, doors and walls the same colour?

Once you go white (which I think is a great idea) you might find that the existing handles look good. If you want to change them I would suggest handles that are consistent with the period of the house/kitchen. And, I would keep them simple based on the design of the cabinetry. :-)

I was thinking maybe a pergola so that you can still enjoy the sun when necessary but have a small area where you can just relax with your family. What were you thinking?

I have just bought a schweigen with motor on the roof. The best information and help that I got was from the installers. Parex Industries are the NZ importers, but I must say the only help they gave me was the phone number of the installers. I just tried to find it for you but can't. They are brilliant to talk to and get advise from. I spoke to them before I purchased. The one thing that I realized is the installation is one of the major factors. Give Parex a ring and get installers number will be your best bet, all the retail outlets did was provide conflicting information.