Yes benches are counters .... thanks for clarifying yoboseiyo! we have no high cabinets for the kitchen at this stage, we plan to do some kind of shelving but are waiting until the new "counters" and range are installed to get the feel for what we go with. Hard to get a photo at present as we are mid reno, the cabinetry is all installed....with no bench top yet.. we have our old cooker in the dining room and the new big range in there too as the area its going into is being tiled. The range will be the dominant feature in the kitchen so once that and the counter tops are in I'll take some pictures Organised Chaos!

I think what you have done is amazing - so fresh and so modern - it is a great example to people like myself who have an old kitchen with good bones but no longer modern. So many people spend far too much money ripping out usable kitchens, that function well but they think they need to get the new and latest, often just to keep up with the "Jones". You have done an amazing job without the huge cost of replacing all your cabinetry. WELL DONE.

I'm finding it a little hard to see the detail. Can you enlarge the top 2 plans?

Hi Davina, either way would look good, so don't stress about it too much. This is a similar set up to our kitchen and I went with A & B both tiled and haven't regretted it. It looks generous and is more practical. Tiles are best around food prep areas as they are easier to clean than a painted wall ... you think that the splash back is what gets the most dirty but the walls around it get their share of splashes as well. In terms of suggestions for tiles - we went with a white textured subway - boring I know, but classic. Using a darker grey grout to match your bench would look good. All the best with your renovation!