But have you got the basics right first? The one thing that will determine how comfortable your home is, is its orientation. For most blocks this is simple to achieve, & free! Get this right & your home will be bright, warm in winter, cool in summer, with much lower energy bills.

This is called passive solar design.
http://yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/orientation

In Australia, a home's living areas (& a large proportion of the windows) should have north. Northern windows should have appropriate length eaves, not too large, not too small. These will shade summer sun, but allow winter sunshine the home, warming it.

Western sunshine is very difficult to shade, & occurs at the hottest time of the day. It's a very good idea to minimise (or even eliminate) western windows. West facing bedrooms are particularly bad.

So I'd ask, which way is north on your plan? What is your location (climate)?

Have you got the orientation right? Can this be changed easily by flipping your floorplan, or changing eave lengths?

The first things that I notice are the ACU outside your kitchen. Depending on what system you are installing, these full reverse cycle ducted systems are not quiet. I would look at another installation point. Ask your aircon company for the actual dimensions of the system that will be sitting outside your kitchen. You may have to rethink its position.

The butlers pantry seems too big. If you love entertaining and have a young family, I would not be stuck in there chopping veges. May be this can be reduced to make more sense of your awkward laundry. I have attached a photo of a butlers pantry, which has no wasted space in the middle. And can be closed off to hide dirty dishes etc.

Just a quick sketch of my initial thoughts. The linen can be shelving and a folding bench. With or without a door. This is reducing the butlers pantry and adding a toilet. Using the alcove in hallway.

As 10anp mentioned. Turn your island to face the living. You could then have overhead and underbench cupboards along entire wall, blending to the outside entertaining. Reducing the butlers to allow for larger laundry. (As per my previous post)

as already suggested there would be more space and a friendlier room for entertaining a crowd if the kitchen were rotated and also consider rearranging the guest room with separate wiw and bathroom for more general storage and flexible bathroom use with or without the extra powder room off the laundry

Hi harmony, Sorry this is so very feint: I hope you can see something! Down stairs: I suggest garage entry into laundry. move chute along and run the cleaning side of works to back garage. Extend roof to protect garage and l'dry doors 'cause you can. Waltz fridge and item next with pantry, niche in hall and store for cleaning stuff behind outside door, it can work so there are NO DEAD corners. In laundry you will have a separate area of bench for airing, folding and sorting. Essentially two runs of bench either into laundry or pantry.

The guest bathroom could have door to outside. Make little niche off entry with bedroom and bathroom doors this creates a nib wall behind which we "hide" loo and shower: ie NOT on view from entry. Vanity opposite is more attractive and door provides pool access or nice pwd room from home too.

Up stairs: I have rejigged the main bathroom and linen so as the loo and shower & bath rooms for more convenient usage. One person in shower or bath, loo is still free to use and so is vanity = three person bathroom and each has own window essential for light, vent and niceness! It doesn't matter for linen store so it is along the passage. Ensuite to the corner. Enter past wall of store: maybe share drawers and like tall boy put down area which would look good from bedroom then two equal lengths of robe and window so you can find slippers and cardigan with out having to find light. Vanity double to left, bath straight ahead: shower and separate loo room each with windows: need it for vent, light and now it is more private further away from bedroom.

Although I am not able to read dimensions clearly I believe these configurations will work and be more functional, practical for your busy life style.

I am more than happy to talk to you about these changes, draw them clearly with the dimensions or any other contact you might wish to make with me.

Cheers, Margot

I have been unable to read the dimensions so have used Sketchup to resize

I have run the 3m island across the room to line up with the outdoor kitchen BBQ. The pantry runs off the kitchen and then into the laundry with access to outdoors for rubbish bins?

The garage opens into a Mudroom with a bench seat with hanging and shelves above for the kids school bags, the linen room is behind this seat.

I have not added a WC to this space as I think the Powder room is in an excellent position, the WC and shower have been moved to the eternal wall which is always better where possible.

The media could be better with a large opening to the living spaces, indoor and outdoor.

A zoom in of measurements.

Well done Siriusky, a much better plan of the utility area.

Thank you so much for the zoomed view Dreamer, when I do that it just gets blurred!!!. With having a young family a mudroom drop zone makes for good sense

Thank you all so much for your ideas! So many excellent ideas to improve, amazing! I don’t seem to be able to @mention or reply on specific comments but I might come back with some questions.

Dreamer would you share what you do to zoom in to get readable dimensions, Paint just blurs them, thanks

Good morning Siriusky, I look at houzz and comment etc, on my ipad. Therefore when looking at a plan, I can just enlarge it by zooming in, on the screen. Then I have taken a screen shot and posted. I find it easier to work on my iPad with the houzz app, to comment and add photos, however, if I wish to edit a post, then I have to go onto my computer and do that. Have a great day.

Thanks for that Dreamer, I don't have an iPad just my old laptop so I will have a look to see if I can get it to work cheers

Hi Harmony, How are you going with your proposed plans? We haven't heard for awhile? Anything new to report or more dilemmas to be solved? Cheers Margot

Hi Margot - you guys gave me the best ideas, so grateful! I’ve drawn up the new layouts on the kitchen/laundry, guest bathroom, upstairs kids 3 way bathroom (exclusively thanks to you!) and the master ensuite I have 2 options on the go.. still to decide? See attached. Really grateful for the feedback, let me know if you think I’ve missed anything in these plans, or what you like better for ensuite.

Ensuite option 2

Hi harmony osborne, I like the plan of the kitchen laundry area. This is a great improvement on your original plan. Ensuite: I would suggest you have the robe first, then the bathroom. If one person is wanting clothing, shoes, jewellery etc, they will have to walk through the bathroom, and interrupt the privacy of someone else either in the shower, on toilet etc. look back at kitchen and home sketch's plan. Think of all scenarios, my husband would not like my daughters walking in, on him on the toilet or in shower, to get something from my wardrobe. You also have the room to put a door on the toilet, why don't you want one?

This design may work. You have a very big master bedroom, so you could incorporate some of that into your WIR. This also adds a small entry into bedroom.

with the separate powder room off the laundry it seems a shame to scimp on the guest bathroom for a second separate downstairs toilet..combining the spaces allows for a more generous bathroom that will be useful for downstairs bathing for small children as well as being a more comfortable size for adult use

and your last kitchen has lost too much counter and kitchen storage and an extra dishwasher, sink and fridge in the pantry needs at least 1500 width so i've added extra bench and storage for kitchne dining area, tall deep storage for vacuum etc off the hallway and extra storage in the laundry

and the compartmented family bathroom is much better but the vanity area needs to be wider for growing kids to be able to brush their teeth and move around easily but, rotating the same basic plan, allows for a generous linen cabinet as well as extra storage or more space for the master suite

and with the extra space you may like to consider reversing the master suite to create a much more generous ensuite and his and her wiws

Hi Harmony,

Yes it is getting there!

Laundry/kitchen: If I can read the dims my plan will work very well. See if you can follow me here.. left to right dims… l'd 600 bench, 1 m walk, 600 broom & shelf in pantry, 700 depth for 'frige and panty is then 1300, 1200 between benches & 1200 wide island = 2400 along outside wall for DW & sss. This should leave 3600 for meals which is great.

Keep chute: get it in the right place! washing then arrives in l'dry. So bench backing garage is where u want bench (sorting) sink (rinse & soak) WM then TD if you need one with bench above. and overhead cupboards to keep the nasties out of kiddies reach. This is the flow of washing from dirty to washed to go outside.

The other side backing kitchen is ideal to have some rails to finish off drying or airing, for brought in clean clothes, when ready: fold, stack for kids to take back up stairs. With broom cupboard next to outside door, there are no dead corners! Yippee!

Someone put a powder room in here but not needed with the guest bedroom just across the hall. I was trying to make the shower and loo not visible from hall but still accessible from outside. I am sure guests staying of visiting can use this bathroom.

Upstairs: I like my layout for ensuite: robe first putting distance between bathroom and bed. Window in robe I mentioned, so you can find sox without light, also lovely to open up for fresh air blast every now then. Looking along vanity to bath and to window. I do like the separate room for loo please with a window. Again not sure of dims but sure it will fit.

Bathroom is tope with three people able to use it at once and each area with light and air. Doesn't matter with linen store. to have light and air.

This looks to me like a lot of house to clean but a forever home to enjoy entertaining as kiddies grow and family expands. I hope you let us know the final plans and built pix would be lovely to see too. May I ask a favour of you: to write a short testimonial on my page here on Houzz so as others can find me and my design skills too. Thank you

Cheers and good luck.

Margot