Thanks i just feel so uninspired im actually finding it hard to think straight! http://www.ashleyfurniture.com/Showroom/Showroom.aspx?PageId=Showroom&CategoryID=0&ItemNo=5820117&SetDomTab=4&SeriesNo=58201&CollectionId=&style=&IsClicked=1&CatPageNumber=1&bFromSearch=Y&Keyword=Chaise Thats the link if you want to view the couch Thank you so much :)

Your layout for you kitchen looks really good and would fit well with the mixture of black and white cabinetry. With the lament bench top, we would suggest melamine (entry level cabinetry) or acrylic bench top, which can come in high gloss feature or matt. The matt surface would go lovely with your choice of bench top, and acrylic is also a affordable cabinetry material. Below are some examples of how Reno4u has incorporated both black and white cabinetry together, without making it to dominantly dark. We feel as if these examples would be perfect for your layout, and depending on if you want more black cabinetry or white you can go either way. This design above is an example with more black than white, can be made matt or gloss with different handles/splash back and wallpaper. With a u shaped kitchen similar to yours, however from the pictures you provided your style may include different design below the island bench. Another kitchen designed by us which shows more white than black, with a bar built in which may suit your design better. We hope this helps you, please feel free to call us on 03 423 9067 and we can provide a free quote for materials and kitchen design, and help you finalise your design further. :)

I think a high wall would work out great. I've heard that soundproofing can be done through insulation so hopefully that deadens the noise.

Hi V Lyon. I'm a novice at this myself so I don't have any real comments except that what you're looking at doing seems nice. But I did want to ask is what program you used to do your proposed makeover? Was it just Photoshop? Or something else? I'm keen to try this on our 1970s house to get a feel for how it might look...