I have a book on feng shui for the southern hemisphere... But before I share a few things that you might find helpful from it, a word on superstition. Feng shui is not superstition or a religion, its a science and a method of designing. its a different way of understanding something. It uses a different language to explain what is happening because it is a lot older than the science we know, but it is a science in that it uses tried principles applied with a methodology. If you can look past the difference in language and the 'foreignness' of it all you will see some things that are just common sense. Its about creating good flow between room, avoiding unhealthy living arrangements, having clean fresh air, light and a feeling of balance and peace in the home. It avoids having areas of stale air and stagnation ( ie bad air quality). Its about good design. It is not hard to understand why having a home that is too open to a busy street will not be the best thing. Its good your front door is at an angle and your path turns... but having some plants to buffer the bend in the path and protect your front door will help. You want the energy to meander along the path, not gust in from the street at the bend. Its similar to how water moves... if it meanders gently along a curve it will be slow and gently, create long straight channels and it will speed up. Long hallways are to be avoided because they tunnel wind and air and energy along them... but you can put plants along them to slow the wind and freshen the air. It will create a meandering path down your hallway. I hope that helps! A house with good feng shui just feels right to be in and people enjoy the space without really knowing why.

I was looking at the plan and although your question is about styling I noticed something. It doesn't look like the wc has a washbasin which would make it a proper powder room and it seems to me you could do that by borrowing a corner from one of the walk-in robes. Corners in robes are difficult spaces to utilise efficiently anyway. If you want to avoid arguments over who gets the bigger walk-in robe you could perhaps take the corner out of the other one to create a cupboard in the hallway. I agree with the comments about your home being shared with the people and things that matter to you and reflecting your travels and interests. I'm not sure you can 'buy' instant character, even if your builder was amenable to using recycled materials. I think getting the basic colours right to begin with is the main thing, and as suggested, an Ideabook will help you get ideas and get feedback on them. For street appeal I think landscaping is more important than people sometimes allow. Display homes look impressive but have been lushly planted for instant effect and I have seen some that looked terrible a few years after being sold. On the other hand some new houses don't have enough planting, and that can also look terrible even when the house itself is architecturally impressive. The token row of whichever plant is in fashion in an expanse of pebbles does not necessarily enhance the architecture and certainly does not make the house look like a much-loved home. When browsing Houzz or the real estate websites, I sometimes see houses I dislike even though they tick all the boxes for colours and features I like, and I sometimes see houses I like despite having colours and features I would not personally choose. There is something that comes together to create a home that looks happy and loved which is very appealing.

Dear Creatively Challenged , I can recommend Dulux Colour Consultants, I gave up after about 5 sample pots . At the time it cost me $150 and if I used dulux paints I could claim a full refund . That was 12 years ago . I didn’t realise at the time just how good they were , the colours are still in fashion but it’s ready for another paint job for sure. It was such a relief to have someone in who is trained and fully understands colours and fashion and what goes with what . I finally stopped stressing about it and got the job done ✅

Hi Sue, I think the wall colour (white looks like an white/off white) is lovely. It’s neutral and light, and will be the best back drop for any soft furnishings. I would suggest maybe updating some of your furniture. Your sofas look in good condition, so re-upholstering to change the colour may be a expensive option. in a bid to save some money, perhaps updating your rug to a lighter/more neutral pattern/colour (look at armadillo rugs) is a better option. Also updating your dining setting (perhaps something with chair upholstery to compliment the sofa, and even a large light coloured marble top) to be more contemporary and in keeping with your lounge suite would be the way to go. My clients often find it difficult to part with certain pieces that hold sentimental value, but often a new home requires a furniture update. In summary, I’m not convinced changing wall colour will be able to link all your furniture together. Stick with one piece that works well (ie. the sofa) and work towards updating the rest. Good luck!