Hi Sarah DIY can be a great option to stay within your budget and find an agreeable solution to your current dilemma. Window furnishings are generally one of the last jobs required after going through the process of building your house, which means the budget is always tight at this point after all the other 'extra expenses' Therefore you are now potentially starting to look at compromising on the quality that you originally wanted to finish your off your house. Window furnishing can have a fairly visual impact, as well as influencing how the room 'feels', on both the inside and outside of you rooms and home. In the first instance we need to define the difference between a DIY 'Ready Made / Ready to Hang Product' which is what you would purchase from somewhere such as Spotlight vs DIY "Custom Made" products. The difference in quality is significant, however the price points don't have to be. At iseekblinds, we offer genuine custom made blinds, made in Australia. If you visit our website, you can get an instant price online - It would be interesting to see the difference between what you have been quoted and what we can offer. We can turn Roller Blinds around within 3 weeks or sooner if requested and deliver nationally. Everything you need to know regarding measure and installation is on our website and we teach and guide you through the process to ensure you get it right. Please see some of our reviews to hear how our other customers have been surprised at just how easy the installation process has been and are over the moon in regards to the product quality they received. Get Your DIY On! I say. And please don't hesitate to contact me if I can be of any further assistance Cheers, Sally

I agree about the idea of putting roller blinds on your door , matching the colours of the others must mention about Annie Sloan paint : it is a chalk paint and you can apply it on any wood surface with at having to use primer, what " seals" the pain is the Annie Sloan wax you apply afterwards. You can Buy Annie Sloan on line , i use Annie Sloan a lot.it is expensive if you want the legs painted black to be smooth, just paint and wax , but one coat of Annie Sloan does not give a good coverage. It you want it " distressed" slightly, then just sand a few it on the edges afterwards, before the waxing With a slight " distressed" leg look, but you would need to give the top of the table a light sanding to " rough it up" on the edges if you want a good solid, coverage, Annie Sloan is not the right choice have a look on eBay, I have just bought some cages light to fit near my table outside ( I was just playing around with them yesterday before the electrician comes toda), they were only like $46 each

Good point bigreader, totally agree. But I'm afraid I have to admit defeat. Hubby is delighted at the feedback and reckons he's won this dispute hands down. Thank you all for the input and great advice as always. Until the next crisis, cheers EL

Hi siriuskey. Not sure how to place the furniture yet. Still trying to work it out.. I am selling my dining table and chairs. My new chairs just arrived today. I bought some hooks to put my mirror up.I am going to order those prints shortly. Also trying to find a round dining table I like. Getting there slowly : Thanks for asking. Thank you Julie. Very kind of you. :) Thank you legendaryflame :)