I think the colour used on these cabinets is great. This is a colour which is unlikely to unsettle anyone who sees it and is teamed with very neutral walls and furnishings. This room looks modern, with a little retro or Scandinavian twist.I believe that if you really love a particular colour, why not use it as a colour block on cabinets. Just keep the main elements in the room neutral and the accent colours to a minimum, like the orange accent used here.

Lighting is so much about personal preference. There is a huge resurgence in the market for antique style light bulbs, and done right, they are cool. Why these vintage style lamps were made in LED is beyond comprehension. Other exposed bulb types in hip and traditional clear fixtures can bring a nice sparkle to a room as as decorative accent, NOT for work lighting or reading (even menus)! My rule of thumb is "a light bulb should never hit you in the eye". I cannot stress enough the importance of the right light bulb in the right fixture by design. I have neighbors with those clear pillar lights for lighting outdoors. The big box stores are full of them. When I drive past this house on the way home, it nearly blinds me. It creates disharmony. It is not beautiful, it is offensive to my eye and my psyche. I would close my eyes going by if it weren't unsafe. Well designed, proper lighting creates an experience, subliminal or otherwise. If you are not glaringly aware of lighting in a room after you appreciate the ambiance, a good designer was at work.

It will probably be a material which will become dated. Given the number of programmes on TV dealing with renovations on limited budgets (not the rubbish ones where it is a game show in a different format) it is becoming a 'fad' material so in the future a plywood interior will be dated to the early 21st century. The material just like colours will go out of favour and back again in cycles.

The one that makes me want to attack the sound system with sharp implements is Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas" - to me this is the dreariest and most miserable Christmas song of all. I love listening to the Carols from King's College Cambridge, which is usually on Aunty ABC at some time on Christmas Day. And I'm such a sentimental softie, I just adore "The Little Drummer Boy"!