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

~$400 including expedited shipping. My GC just had his regular countertop guy do them, which wasn't great.... he had trouble making clean cuts. If I were going to do it again I would have pressed for someone with expertise to cut them. You can see in the image that the facing is not made of the stone peak, because too much was broken during the cutting to make the mitered edge. I'm a little bummed, but mostly pleased with the surface (which is the important part) thus far.

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.

This is where the kitchen is going to be. Where my husband is will be counter top at that height. with a big wide counter top to sit under. on the back wall double door fridge a metre gap. 2 wall ovens then a sliding door where the ladder is. A scullery. Behind my husband to the side of him a sink the cooker then space. Where the big flat plank is on the ground (ish) will be the movable island. you can see a taster of the stone wall which will be on both sides of the entrance hallway, the flooring will look very similar to this http://carpetdiscounters.co.nz/product.aspx?product_id=441 . You may note the steel next to my husband on that side. it also needs to be treated. Thank you very much