Well done, what an improvement!

You are so right white is never out of fashion. I would set your budget and then look at your options. If you plan to stay in the house for many years then spend to the top of your budget (if that is going to give you a life time of pleasure), if you plan on being at the home for only a short time / few years then I would go mid range so it looks lovely, will have good resale value but you can invest your well earned money to go towards something else as well. Obviously Marble / Granite is the top of the range but there are so many cheaper and very attractive options these days that look just as good.

I love the look of Tand G as the real thing or the 'James Hardie' NZ groove panels..........but also want my ensuite to look opulent. I am not having tiling anywhere in this room, which would be the easiest solution. Hence my dilemma..... I already have chosen the white 'tile look' acrylic walls with a feature 'marble' (narrow) panel in the shower alcove enclosure from the 'Atlantis' range. The alcove covers the complete width of the bathroom so is a feature in itself. I wanted to bring the 'marble 'feature' into the room if I could to enhance the opulence. The marbling is minimal veining on a white background so not too dramatic a feature. The obvious area is to use a matching 'marble' vanity top and/or a splash back (especially if have a china vanity top, which is the more likely due to cost). Where should the splashback end at the sides? I thought about taking the 'marble' splashback above the mirror to the ceiling thus creating a similar panel feature to that in the shower albeit wider but don't know how much wider it should be than the vanity. Also What then to do on the rest of the wall(s)? Just painted gib? If I used T& G or groove panelling I would want it to reach the ceiling. So do I put T&G on on all walls? The vanity wall has approx 1000mm 'strips' of full wall either side and the strips below the vanity and above mirror if only a splashback is incorporated. The opposite wall is almost taken up by window, radiator below, btw toilet and towel rail, leaving little wall to 'feature' and then the remaining wall is narrow (only 1100 left after door). These remaining walls could just be left as painted gib of course as really cannot afford to take the 'marble' panelling anywhere else in the room nor think where else it would feature best. 'Marble' Flooring is a possibility but it would need to be vinyl not porcelain tiles. Having written all this down I think I have talked myself out of T&G on any of the walls as the narrow room would become too busy and bitty but am still interested in what others think.

Before jumping into the design of your new kitchen, there are a few important points that you should carefully consider and get expert advice on. Viran has compiled a list of 5 things to avoid when designing your new kitchen and has lots of ideas to help you out of any tricky design situations. 1. FOCUSING ON THE LOOK OF YOUR NEW KITCHEN BEFORE YOU CONSIDER ITS FUNCTION We see a lot of people focus on having the right style of bench top, thinking about what splash back to have or even having their minds fixed on a handle-less look without first getting the functional design and layout of their kitchen confirmed. I understand why people do this as this is the most exciting part of the kitchen renovation process and it's what can set your kitchen apart from others. But this can ultimately cost you more in the long term if energy and thought isn't put towards a good functional design for the way you and your family use the kitchen. You can't change the design of the kitchen once it's installed, but you can change the bench top, splash back or even handles in the future at a fraction of the cost of redoing a whole new kitchen. This is where your design consultant is invaluable as they work with you to gain an understanding of your current pain points and then they work to achieve the best possible design within your allocated budget. 2. INCORPORATING A LARGER PANTRY AT THE EXPENSE OF THE OVERALL KITCHEN DESIGN Just because you may have a large corner pantry or built in internal pantry currently doesn't mean you need to, or should incorporate another one in your new kitchen. There are now smarter storage solutions on the market such as the Blum Space Tower or base drawer units which allows you to maximise storage but achieve more benchtop space or incorporate larger appliances into your new design. 3. PURCHASING YOUR APPLIANCES BEFORE YOU HAVE MET WITH YOUR DESIGN CONSULTANT By doing this, you could be limiting the design possibilities of getting a much more functional kitchen based on your current pain points and how you and your family like to use the kitchen. It is always best to have an idea of what size appliances you would like to incorporate and discuss this with your designer but I suggest you wait to buy any appliances until you have seen and discussed a potential design concept. Kitchen Mania works closely with Harvey Norman Commercial division for appliances and in many cases can achieve a great result for their clients when it comes to cost savings on appliances. 4. NOT ALLOWING ENOUGH WALK-ABLE/WORKABLE SPACE By not allowing enough circulation space, you can make your kitchen feel cramped and not workable. You need to allow enough space for 2 people to work comfortably in the kitchen and for appliances such as the fridge and dishwasher to open without any obstruction. To allow enough circulation space it is recommended that you have between 1200-1300mm minimum of space between benchtops, in smaller kitchens I wouldn't go less than 1000mm of space between benchtops. 5. HAVING A KITCHEN ISLAND WHEN THERE JUST ISN'T ROOM A kitchen island is a great feature and very functional, but if your space is too small it is best to forget about this option rather than try and squeeze an island in and realise that it affects the flow of your kitchen and its functionality. In most cases it is best to incorporate a kitchen island when your room allows for at least 1000mm of space on either side of your island for traffic flow.