If you could make a pocket door instead of a slider , you could use that entryway space.

Hi Luke, thanks for your reply. Yes, there is existing plumbing but we need to create a gradient somehow on the wood floor. Concrete floors can be ground to create the gradient but need to come up with some other solution with the wood.

Thanks Mel. We'll see what we can do to make the rumpus enclosed - it's probably more of a "man cave" at the moment :) Grandad had a dining table in his current place (which is bigger) and got rid of it because he never used it. He also wants more bench space than he currently has. So, this was a deliberate choice rather than a compromise due to lack of space. You've reminded me now that someone did warn us earlier in the design process about the back and forth between wardrobe and bathroom becoming annoying over time. We don't currently have an en suite so it feels wonderfully convenient for us by comparison. However, that feeling will change if we realise it could have been even better. We did have the en suite off the wardrobe in some designs but have been warned this can lead to dampness in your clothes no matter how well ventilated the bathroom is (especially in Auckland's humidity). Would love to hear people's experiences of this configuration - good and bad. On top of that, there are lovely private bush views to the south so we've tried to make the most of those.

As well as echoing homeprojects advice , a few other things that look a bit 'funny' to me . Firest thing I would say is I'm on a 13" tablet , so everything is small , and I can't read quite a bit , like measurements , but I think I've got a fair idea of the design . TRhe other thing is that it says proposed groundfloor , but there's no stairs I can see , so is there an upstairs , and if so , what is there , and how do you get there ? The garage looks small , if its to scale you won't fit tools or the other 1001 things in there , you'll bash the car doors on each other , no bikes , all problems , nothing much positive . The laundry looks weirdly positioned , on several 'levels' . I'd possibly move/rearrange things so the laundry was about where the pantry is , with an external door . That means though the pantry has to go somewhere , so maybe where the bathroom is , and move the bathroom to where the laundry is ? Another , more logical ( to me anyway ) option would be a long ( or wide -- widthwise behind the kitchen ) pantry , and a long laundry that slots between the 'left' bedroom and the pantry . Basically , split the existing pantry and bathroom down the middles horizontally , whereas now it is vertical . That gets that bathroom closer to the bedrooms ( by moving it to the proposed laundry site ) , but also closer to the hallway for guests . The master with ensuite in the middle is unconventional , not neccessarily bad , but most people would expect the master to be the front bedroom . More an observation than a criticism , but of course , up to you ( and whether you intend to resell ) . And my final observation -- the lounge looks cramped , even the dining is a bit of a compromise . If there is another storey , that may answer that , but its got me confused . Some rooms are quite large and not quite indulgent , but generous -- others are smaller than I'd expect . Just my weird take .