Hello Marcelle, I am an interior designer . I can tell you a simple inexpensive way to change the look of your kitchen. Looking at the photo you sent the different cabinet heights , and all the objects on the stove wall are very busy . Your modern house is wanting a cleaner , simple look. I would lower the small cabinets so that the top is at the same height as the others in the room. And put doors on , that will hide the clutter. Next I would do a tile backsplash above the stove , up to the same height. The whole kitchen will be pulled together by the continuous top line. There is a small light wood cabinet with baskets in the foreground . I would paint it white , or the same dark accent color of the cabinets you have. I don't think you would need to change the beams then , they would add interest and drama once everything else was subdued. Lisa

We got the IKEA shelves that are pictured in the butlers pantry photo I posted when we were on holiday in Melbourne, Australia. We don't have IKEA here in New Zealand! Hubby is going back over in May/June so will get him to get more of that sort of thing when there. We would pay about 4x the price for that sort of thing here in NZ. I need to work out what I will do now where the fridge was and there is the angle change (does that make sense?).

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!

Hi, I like using butlers sinks in my designs. (needs to be a traditionally styled house) I find the quality to cost ratio at the Belfast sinks from FL bone the best. Ceramic or granite sinks are usually more robust than colour coated stainless steel sinks. Mostly the colour scratches off relatively easy. I think its an advantage to have no benchtop between you and the sink, its very practical and a nice and clean look. Make sure your benchtop is high enough for your height. Normally top of benchtop 920mm. Drop me an email if you have further questions or need design ideas email info@dlab.co.nz