The house looks very livable. I love that you have concentrated on creating one nice bath with separate walk in shower and a windowed tub! Since you have already thought of it, I'm going to assume that the attic is for future expansion and cannot be adapted for use as the current "away room." We are also in the process of designing a small house, and we've designated our study as the "away room." Ours will open off the dining room. If you switched the locations of the Study and Bed 1 on the same side, you could put french doors or an extra wide door with etched or decorative glass from the hallway into the right hand corner of the study. This would give you a really long diagonal view through the lounge and out the french doors, and from the lounge through the study to the window at the far end... The study window should be increased in width to match the neighboring window in Bed 1, and it then becomes ripe for a small window seat, either a clip on bay bumping out, or a "built-in" bay using narrow built ins on either side. Or both: build "in" for now, putting file cabinet drawers under the window seat, and angled corner units in for storage, and add the bump out bay later when you know whether your offspring would prefer a really cute desk, or a window seat, or a bed nook. You would, alas, lose the door from Bed 1 into the bath.... but honestly, there are lot of doors into that bathroom already, and that one has substantial collision potential. It might be best to make the single access point that door from the laundry. Either a glass panel set high in the bath room doors or a transome would make it easy to tell when someone is in the loo. Other ideas would be to split the nook under the stairs, so that half the depth opens to the lounge, and the other half to Bed2... with the wall thickness, you probably get close to 600mm or 2' on each side. Add a deep bookcase or other built in, and you're easily at a depth that makes both spaces very tucked in. Lastly, if funds allow a shallow bay window over the kitchen sink would visually expand the kitchen, particularly if you could arrange it so that the counter runs right into the bay.

If you are seeking a truly open feel to the floor plan you have shared, then using one material in the mail living area is the best approach to making this space feel truly open. Using a variety of materials on flooring chops up the space and decreases the visual footprint. I would suggest using wood, tile, or if you are on a tight budget laminated flooring for the living/dining/kitchen. Then use carpet in the more intimate spaces; bedrooms and possibly hallway. Save the tile for the bathrooms.

Unless buying custom manufactured wood cabinets, you are buying a series of boxes. A 100k euro kitchen installation of an Italian kitchen is one example from my portfolio. Differences are found in the hardware, the door/drawer pulls, weight of doors and exterior finishes. It is about the design, first. In our region, you can knock off 1200-2000 just be sticking with a full depth fridge--but it is design that will make it possible to install full depth and get a counter depth effect. In the Garden Oaks Fine Accommodation residential display suite I needed to prove that a high-end design can be executed for less. Again, it is design that does the trick. The owner of the kitchen above loves the pendants over the breakfast counter. I did not have the heart to reveal the price--$19 each. That owner likes/needs bling so the 14k euro chandeliers (2) in the foyer are a feature. But we get more comments on our pendants--because they are integral to the overall design. Real estate agents have pegged this kitchen at anywhere from 45-75k. It cost under 30k. DYI projects offer the opportunity to take the time that you might not otherwise allow to a designer (hence our need to come equipped with knowledge, contacts and suppliers that augment our services). I recommend drawing from images (Houzz is great for that) to start, then researching suppliers, collecting specs, and developing a document that covers all aspects of the kitchen from lifestyle needs to style to comparisons of product reviews. Whittle it down to an instruction for purchase and installation. Consider challenges such as the dreadful corner cabinet turntable and splurge on solutions that make your design truly functional. You'll appreciate the expense that delivers practical functionality. There are remarkable solutions for the corner cabinet--but my fav is to determine whether that space can become storage (cabinet or drawers) in an adjoining room. When not practical, articulated pull-out stainless shelves are functional--and cool. Undermounted sinks are great for clean-line counters. Well placed recessed lighting (design again) eliminates the need for other fixtures--and allows you free rein to purchase for focal point impact or (my preference) to fit seamlesly into the overall look. Enjoy the journey--have fun!

I'm guessing you are from NZ (kiwi) :) The handy sanders did our floors - http://www.handysanders.co.nz/. They did an AWESOME job and are reasonable priced. I would definitely recommend.