Thank you everyone for your comments. We live outside Christchurch, and the house was badly damaged in the quakes here. The post-quake rebuild process could safely be described as slightly chaotic, and the house company I am using are located some distance away (like on the North Island), which is why discussion with the architect has been - em - less than optimal. The architect threw something at me to get me out of my comfort zone I think and this is what's freaking me out! I think the windows on the east side are to come (no reason for them not being there), and probably a skylight in the kitchen roof. The section of land is narrow and steep, (this is a historic port town and with access from the south (where the view is); there is no parking other than on the street (south). Patricia - the laundry doesn't sit right with me either! Looks a bit like it's been glued on the side of the hosue. And it is too small as it is to store coats, shoes etc. This is the access to the back garden - thus the door (also means muddy boots can be dumped when we come in!). Entering a house through a living room is very common over here, especially where space is at a premium (small section, small house footprint).

I love all your ideas....bu as we currently have a new + good bin in there already, i don't want to spend another $100+ on another..and this is only a temporary solution...for the nxt few years..as the kitchen won't last much longer. I already have my 'kitchen' cleaning products under my sink..which is unfortunately a separate cupboard to my bin. We couldn't fit the bin under the sink! Prob not much point me taking the cleaning stuff out of my laundry to put in the bin cupboard!! I think i might put some plywood up beside the bin to keep one side of the cupboard separate! That way i have at least 1/2 cupboard of useful space!!

The all black kitchen looks scary as. Maybe because there's no lightness in there at all.

We are planning a new house, and have chosen a soft grey melamine kitchen with perfectly plain cupboards, and darkish handles with coppery hightlights. The bench-top is a new ceramic tile type of material in a slightly darker grey/concrete color, with coppery highlights through it - very nice. We have discussed having the center island a darker color as this is very visible from the dining room, and thought it would be a nice feature. There will be a copper colored Formica under the servery for a highlight, and the cupboards facing the dining room on each end of the unit will be the darker wood or melamine. The only thing we have been offered to use for the cupboards and each end on the unit is charcoal wood grain finish melamine, but now we are getting cold feet. Has anyone seen this used, and would it look a bit cheap...? Would it cost much more to use a proper wood...? raewyng