Your picture display looks lovely with your sofa and will look better if you bring it down because it's a bit too high above the sofa ( unless you plan to keep adding to the picture collection below from where your pictures are hung now) and in that case just keep in mind that multiple frames look best when arranged in a diamond, rectangular or square shape and spaced relatively tight, like 1-2 inches apart. A looser grouping can work for a more casual display.

Thanks for the replies! My wife suggested we talk to a local real estate agent, so i think that is a good idea... just that Im not sure how helpful they are likely to be if we arent selling yet :) As for saving for our dream house, I dont disagree, however if doing this up nicely over the next ~5 years or so while we live here nets us some extra in the eventual sale, then that of course will help us as well. Interesting thing happened today actually. I got a knock on the door and one of the older neighbours asked if he could take some lemons from the tree. I of course said yes. Anyway he was telling me he had lived in the street for 40 years. I asked him if the house had always looked like this, and he said no that ~30 years ago the old old owner did a massive renovation and pulled off the timber and put up the bricks and gutted the inside of the house. Interesting stuff!

A very simple layout keeping the floor space within the kitchen, the WIP takes up a lot of space with not much gain, The broom cupboard could be moved to the Laundry/entrance, narrow. If the wall has been bumped out to the eaves on the deck side giving an extra 300 depth to the kitchen you could make the island 2700 x 1200 and all drawers. The wall of narrow pantry will hold all pantry needs and more, no deep cupboards to dig into. cheers

I am facing the same thing !! In the same spot Your ideas sound fab. I was going to put a door on mine as I don't have pretty books like you have though. But indent the bifold door 300 in, and make it 600 wide as the hole is 900 then have shelves on one side for some treasures I will start to collect cos I have a place now for them. Do you love the arch or are you going to square it off? Do you love the small one on the left? If not...make it a square niche and modernise them / it, as I'm not a big fan but you may love them. What you propose sounds perfect. The dark colour, nice too..or moody wallpaper on the back wall before putting up the shelves.