Excuse my duh-ness but i'm having difficulty trying to follow whats going on here. Are these two photos an exact replica of your house and pool ? If not a hasty sketch with dimensions could help a lot. By kitchen wall do you mean the wall behind the bar ? And where is the pool wall ? Are you considering the covered area as being "inside" ? Sorry for all those questions lol Sometimes when you have a design problem you need to turn it inside out or on it's head. If you can't beat it maybe embrace it by making a feature of it : i.e. contrast by having the lightest colored pool surround and a great blue or tile inside and under the overhang, something that will echo the water color ? If you have a great covered area as in photo you'll most likely be spending a lot of time there and it could be soothing to be able to sometimes retire into a darker inside. In my book, 10M isn't small and also contrasting two floor colors doesn't necessarily make a space seem smaller and confined and may in fact even open it up. Could it be that you've thought yourself into a box here ? Sometimes one needs to give it all a good shake up and see how it resettles.

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!

We have had a vinyl lined pool for 15+ years - you are making a good choice. They need no maintenance or resurfacing etc. Ours is an Aqualux liner in Caribbean. http://www.aqualuxpool.com.au/colour-range/ This colour is just the right amount of blue/green to sparkle and shimmer, look cool and inviting, but dark enough to gather and retain the sun's heat. I ran a swim school for many of those 15 years, and needed a pool that could take the knocks of hundreds of children each week, and look like something they wanted to dive into. Any lighter and the pool would look too cold, and darker looked scary! I have friends who chose the darker colours for their heat retention properties but the pools don't look as inviting, and algae builds up quicker but is harder to notice until the levels are quite high, so needing more chemicals to control/eliminate.

Lighting is one of the most crucial areas to get right in the kitchen. It's where you're going to create your best meals and entertain family and friends so it needs to be well lit. Even a really well designed kitchen can fall flat if it is not easy to use at night because of lack of lighting. Kitchen lighting comes in a huge array of styles, designs and features. When designing your new kitchen the types of light to consider are task lighting, ambiance lighting, feature lighting and natural light. Task lighting In your cooking area, task lighting is vital. Whilst rangehood lights are really important for lighting up the cooking zone, LED strip lights underneath overhead cabinets can be used to light the whole working bench space. LED strip lighting is bright and can be used with a dimmer for an ambient glow after you've finished cooking. Using a sensor switch omits the need to touch a switch when hands are dirty. If you don't have overhead cabinets, ceiling downlights are a really great way of making sure there's plenty of light for preparation and cooking. In preparation and task areas, use downlights or spotlights and make sure these are placed in front of where you'll be standing to avoid creating a shadow that will be difficult to work in. Ambiance lighting Mood and ambient lighting are really important in the kitchen. Overhead lights at the kitchen island or breakfast bar can be a feature as well as adding ambiance to your space. Make sure they are dimmable, particularly in an open plan space so they can be turned down when the kitchen is not in use. LED strip lighting behind a splashback or underneath an island bench top are another way to achieve ambiance - especially when the room is also a dining and living space. Feature lighting Add your personality statement to your new kitchen with feature lighting. The opportunities are endless - it can be a feature piece, a textural element or your favourite colour. You can even add a tech aspect to your kitchen lighting with smart lights that are able to be controlled from your phone! Natural light Natural light is one of the most crucial types of light to work into your space – but of course it's often one of the most difficult! Here is an example where the homeowners used skylights to let that light shine down into an area that would have otherwise been quite dark. It's also possible to borrow light from adjoining spaces by removing walls and opening up the living areas. Alternatively, if your ceilings are high adding a clerestory window may help. LEDs The biggest change in recent years in lighting has been Technology. With the introduction of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) the options for lighting up your new kitchen are almost endless. The energy efficient nature of LEDs allows them to produce brighter light than other types of bulbs while using less power. LEDs are ideal for use in the kitchen because they have very little heat emission, there are many colour choices including cool and warm whites, and just about any colour of the rainbow if that's your thing! LEDs are small and discreet and are therefore really easy to fit into cabinetry and underneath overhanging bench tops. Using LEDs means there's no swapping bulbs every couple of months and because they use low wattage, you'll save power too! There are many types of LED lighting including strip lighting, hanging, ceiling downlights and in-cabinet downlights.