Hi pcmom, there are two of us but we would like to preserve the two bedrooms as the idea is to make this a rental property at some point. The apartment is in the middle of the city, so while proper kitchen is a must a large dining table isn't (counter seating is fine). Primarily I was wondering if there is a way to get rid of the "dead" hallway space and add some more closet space or open it up in some way to make it feel spacious. Thought about it for a while but couldn't think of anything :) so thought I'd throw it out here just to make sure I am not missing something obvious :)

Lighting - pendants over the servery bench should be another feature that complements your chosen kitchen surfaces. So whilst I love the copper pendants in picture 1.. They could work depending on the rest of your decor and would be a highlight in a neutral white/timber kitchen = Good! If you choose copper you would complement it with a couple of copper bench top items. These are beautiful! (I collect copper because I love it, my kitchen pendants are silver, I renovated to sell in the next 3-5 years) You will see a picture starting to form in your mind and there is nothing wrong with making a statement with your lighting. I found that when I wasn't sure I would get a very strong sense of what was right and what was wrong for a space, then common sense or passion would determine the outcome! Here are another couple that might work, look her on Houzz under lighting, search pendants, then have fun looking!Timber tones with black or white to complement your cabinets... or Statement white pendants for a bit of quirky fun! Your personality can be reflected in your lighting and accessories creating that point of difference from the predictable white on timber look. Plus don't forget the power of greenery to punctuate the theme!

This made me laugh: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/09/seagull-turns-orange-after-falling-into-vat-of-chicken-tikka-masala I couldn't copy the picture, but it's hilarious.

I have just been reading everyones comments about kitchens , butlers kitchens , laundries , bedrooms , bedroom floors , Walk In Robes and the like . I have been thinking , and I think we need to look forward , and really think about how we design our houses and our lives . This is my solution -- -- Bedrooms and dining rooms should have 'pits' built into the floor -- a bedroom 'pit' will be the size of a bed , the dining room will have one the size of your dining table , and either benches or individual stool sizings . Laundries will be sunk around 1 metre into the floor . -- Somewhere in your house will be a switch , or maybe it will be controlled by an app . You hit 'cleanup' mode , a hyraulic pump whirs , and your bed and table ( lounge suite and coffee table will be extra-price options ) drop to floor level . -- You get your broom , and sweep everything on the floor to your laundry . Clothes on the floor -- yes . Rugs -- tick . Sheets and duvets -- yeah . Table cloth -- yep . Last nights dishes -- certainly . Seep them all into the laundry , where there may be a small shute -- into the washer . Another app will turn it on . -- Fire up the app again , and the beds and tables ( swept clean , no lint , no crumbs ) all rise to the correct height . With a bit of practice , 10 minutes every couple of days should be all you need for a super clean house , including clothes and ( plastic ) dishes . Now , any ideas for self-washing pots and roasting dishes , or should we just stick to the microwave ?