The first thing I require each of my clients to do before even starting the design layout is to choose their appliances. Your kitchen designer will need the manufacturer's specifications to know what size to make the cabinets to accommodate them. Be aware that there is required distances needed around and island, typically 36" up to 48" depending on placements of appliances. This will dictate the size and shape of the island. Clean lines, simplicity, innovative materials like glass countertops, exotic woods or Italian veneer slab doors, flip or lift up doors can add unexpected touches to a modern/ contemporary space. Here are some photos of one of my favorite Euro Modern kitchen I did for one of my clients not long ago.

Thanks for the replies! My wife suggested we talk to a local real estate agent, so i think that is a good idea... just that Im not sure how helpful they are likely to be if we arent selling yet :) As for saving for our dream house, I dont disagree, however if doing this up nicely over the next ~5 years or so while we live here nets us some extra in the eventual sale, then that of course will help us as well. Interesting thing happened today actually. I got a knock on the door and one of the older neighbours asked if he could take some lemons from the tree. I of course said yes. Anyway he was telling me he had lived in the street for 40 years. I asked him if the house had always looked like this, and he said no that ~30 years ago the old old owner did a massive renovation and pulled off the timber and put up the bricks and gutted the inside of the house. Interesting stuff!

With any post war house built in the 50's the connection from in to out is non existent. Depending on where living rooms are located i would take some of the fantastic windows out and replace them with French doors, or bi folding doors and connect the house to the site. The colour scheme from Karen is perfect to lift the kerb appeal and give it a modern twist. With land costing more than houses these days and the fact that you seem to have quite a big block, after looking at paint colours, opening up the living dining kitchen areas to the outside with a roofed area. Even combining a flat roofed carport which will widen the house to the street making it seem a bigger house, can carry the new look with say an enclosed section for garden equipment, to the opposite side to the house, and if you are lucky enough to have that near the living area it can be used as both car cover and outdoor living. I always think a good landscape architect is worth their weight in gold, to give you a landscape plan, to suit the soil type, your skills level and your preference in planting. Divide up the exterior space to provide outdoor rooms under a tree, paths that lead to some special spot for kids, maybe even a veggie patch with a chock run, and make sure that you use the entire yard, front and back by enclosing part of the front yard in fencing which suits the style of the house, while providing some planting to the street. If allowed a gate structure to blend in with the house, a dedicated pathway with planting each side to the front door, fantastic fencing and consider natural materials like a hand laid stone fence with timber or powder-coated aluminium inserts, to give this house an entry, not sure where the front door is now, so that is not a good look. Gardens always enhance a house, they are never a wasted effort, and if you are not gardeners, make sure the landscape architect knows that and he will be able to select low maintenance plants. All the paint in the world will not give the desired effort that the garden will do to that paint work.

Lighting is one of the most crucial areas to get right in the kitchen. It's where you're going to create your best meals and entertain family and friends so it needs to be well lit. Even a really well designed kitchen can fall flat if it is not easy to use at night because of lack of lighting. Kitchen lighting comes in a huge array of styles, designs and features. When designing your new kitchen the types of light to consider are task lighting, ambiance lighting, feature lighting and natural light. Task lighting In your cooking area, task lighting is vital. Whilst rangehood lights are really important for lighting up the cooking zone, LED strip lights underneath overhead cabinets can be used to light the whole working bench space. LED strip lighting is bright and can be used with a dimmer for an ambient glow after you've finished cooking. Using a sensor switch omits the need to touch a switch when hands are dirty. If you don't have overhead cabinets, ceiling downlights are a really great way of making sure there's plenty of light for preparation and cooking. In preparation and task areas, use downlights or spotlights and make sure these are placed in front of where you'll be standing to avoid creating a shadow that will be difficult to work in. Ambiance lighting Mood and ambient lighting are really important in the kitchen. Overhead lights at the kitchen island or breakfast bar can be a feature as well as adding ambiance to your space. Make sure they are dimmable, particularly in an open plan space so they can be turned down when the kitchen is not in use. LED strip lighting behind a splashback or underneath an island bench top are another way to achieve ambiance - especially when the room is also a dining and living space. Feature lighting Add your personality statement to your new kitchen with feature lighting. The opportunities are endless - it can be a feature piece, a textural element or your favourite colour. You can even add a tech aspect to your kitchen lighting with smart lights that are able to be controlled from your phone! Natural light Natural light is one of the most crucial types of light to work into your space – but of course it's often one of the most difficult! Here is an example where the homeowners used skylights to let that light shine down into an area that would have otherwise been quite dark. It's also possible to borrow light from adjoining spaces by removing walls and opening up the living areas. Alternatively, if your ceilings are high adding a clerestory window may help. LEDs The biggest change in recent years in lighting has been Technology. With the introduction of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) the options for lighting up your new kitchen are almost endless. The energy efficient nature of LEDs allows them to produce brighter light than other types of bulbs while using less power. LEDs are ideal for use in the kitchen because they have very little heat emission, there are many colour choices including cool and warm whites, and just about any colour of the rainbow if that's your thing! LEDs are small and discreet and are therefore really easy to fit into cabinetry and underneath overhanging bench tops. Using LEDs means there's no swapping bulbs every couple of months and because they use low wattage, you'll save power too! There are many types of LED lighting including strip lighting, hanging, ceiling downlights and in-cabinet downlights.