Well after a very (very very very) long time my Living Room is all but complete. There is some work to do behind the new steps and some trim to be put on the bookshelves. A light is to be put between the couches (that the electrical cable hanging down) and the wall lights are going to be removed. So just a quick rundown on what has been achieved; Two sky windows - Velux - roofing guy Sheeted under the beams - plasterer New carpet – Bunnings – carpet layer Closed off the old bar and put in a door – builder and plasterer Installed ceiling fans – Hunter, remote control, reversible – electrician Installed downlights - electrician Painted the endwalls – Solver Paint but Dulux Chine White colour - me Painted the ceiling – 2 x coats Solver Ceiling White over 2 x coats plaster board sealer - me New blinds (venetians) and curtains - from Spotlight - me Installed a gas bayonet heater (until I can afford a gas ‘wood’ fire for the fireplace – cripes they are expensive) – secondhand from Garage Sale - me Installed bookshelves – 2 x 202mm high + 2 x 106mm high Billy Bookshelf and 2 x Brimnes Cabinet - me Built and installed new steps and bench top on bookshelf – laminated Beech bench top, cut to size and routed, stained and oiled - me Sofas – Ikea Ektorp - me So some things I would have done differently. The downlights would be warm white not welding mask white. In fact I would re-think the whole light thing and possibly use lights with reflectors that were dark so that light was only reflected down. They would ‘lower’ the ceiling and make the room cosier I think. I kinda like the ceiling fans but had seen some which were awesome but really expensive. Then I saw ones very similar to the awesome ones but much cheaper but by then it was too late. I should have put bi-fold doors where the old bar was instead of a swinging door. I suspect that it will be unlikely now that I can use the room for its intended purpose. In fact with hindsight I coulda shoulda done the job myself rather than getting a builder in. It’s not as good as it should be and that has disappointed me. The bookshelves have come a up a treat – need to finish them off though with some trim. All from ‘Ikea’ except for the timber bench top. The bench top was a light bulb moment and breaks up the all-white appearance of the shelves. Also the white of the shelves and the white of the cabinet were slightly different and the bench has helped disguise that. The bench top and the steps were laminated beech panels from ‘Bunnings’ that I had cut to size. I stained them, put a router over the edge to round it off and then coated with Tung Oil. The bookshelves look bigger in real life than they do in the photos too. So now to sit and enjoy my handy work.

Grass does poorly under gum trees, so get rid of the grass in the immediate vicinity of the trees and turn it into a garden with lots of mulch to keep the weeds down. There seems to be quite a slope between the kerbside and the front lawn, so think about whether you want a retaining wall (you will need it if you have mulch), and whether you want a walkway directly to the front door, or whether you are happy to keep accessing the front door from the driveway. I always think a walkway to the front door from the kerb looks nice, but this is your place, not mine ! If you decide on a retaining wall, what should it be made of - think about your capabilities and the style of your house - a relaxed / coastal style place might be better with treated pine logs; a more formal place will be better suited to e.g. sandstone-type blocks / bricks . Look through Houzz photos for ideas. Bear in mind what your budget is. Do you want to keep the garden at the front of the house, or will you dig up the concrete and turn it into lawn / garden ? If you want a walkway, will it be paved / gravel / concrete / something else! How will you keep the mulch from the path - and will you have steps, if so, out of what? Will you be doing the work yourself, or will you be looking at getting in some help? Plants for the garden/s - I'm with jmm1837, pig face is great in coastal areas, and is very colourful and hardy, and spreads nicely, and can cope with sloping ground. Banksias are tough, with great seed pods. Westringia is great, but can take over the garden unless you keep it trimmed. I also agree with Sally, take a walk around the neighbourhood and see what does well in north-facing gardens, and talk to your local nursery people about your needs. Above all, have fun ! Experiment with the plants, and if something doesn't work, try something else!

I've been looking for some MCM design inspiration for our home and love what you have done here. The colours are so light and I'd be interested to know the name of the wall colour in the living room. I'm looking through Houzz as I'm after some ideas to resdesign/revamp our entrance and would be interested also to know what the original was for this home. If you check out my discussion you can see my photos. https://www.houzz.co.nz/discussions/5772353/mid-century-modern-entranceway#n=0

This looks so much more vibrant! I love this!