And in the storms last week, we had a 24 hour blackout!! I'm with wuff - just how simple is simple. I think there is quite a bit of difference between labour saving devices and technology now. Labour saving devices became more and more essential as our lives got busier, women were freed from the drudgery of housework and given encouragement and the freedom to grow, seek out careers and a life outside the home. In many ways, I feel technology is putting us back in our homes and not encouraging us to explore the outside world. We are letting too much technology take over our lives and we are not interacting with people like we did in the old days. The other disadvantage with technology is its continual need to be updated and upgraded which can not only be expensive but also requires constant learning. Take TVs for example - in the olden days you bought a set plugged it in and that was it, now they have to be specially installed and set up and for the average person to know how to do this and understand it is not easy. Older people are being disadvantaged by all this technology too, they were not raised with it like the young ones today so it is constant learning, even learning a whole new language, and quite frankly there comes a time in life when head space just reaches saturation point.

the whole house needs attention, Me and my youngest daughter with her Three Boys, live together in a Three bedroom one lounge and one toilet / bathroom, yes we are renting, through housing department, yes the rent is convenient as we pay a minimum of a quarter of our income, just need a better laid out house design with the toilet being a separate room with an extra toilet thrown in, in the laundry area, yes we are blessed to have a roof over our heads, we live in NSW, Australia.

Thankyou to you all for your input. A lot of great advice and ideas. It’s only my husband and I. As it’s our future retirement home. So main bedroom isn’t an issue. As we both are up early . We have added bulk head on entries to ensuite to help divide the room a bit. Entry we like as is. As end wall will be a big feature wall. I’m half inclined to turn is And bench around but the hubby wants to leave it 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️ I think we will end up with a clear island bench. Possibly put dishwasher and main sink in butlers . Butlers sink over with the stove. Other end with theatre and BEd 2 and 3 will be closed off unless family and visitors are with us. So won’t be used much at all. Was another bedroom there but we deleted one .so rooms are huge. We moved garage from the other side of the house so it will be closer to the shed and saved another driveway, that’s why the patio 1 is there as a walk through to carry groceries in etc from the car. Always said I’d never build again. I hate making decisions and find it very hard to visualise things 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️😂😂😂 Have our joinery consultation next week so wish me luck and I’ll let you all know the outcome😉 Thankyou again for your advice.

Hi this is a Reno. We want to make our 2nd bathroom into ensuite and WIR for the master which is on the right of bathroom....a sliding wardrobe is on shared wall of bathroom bedroom. Room to left of bathroom is 2nd bedroom. Currently bathroom door faces lounge room. We want to use entry area to these 3 rooms where the void space is to make this happen. Our master bedroom door would then be on current right wall of room on entry where well have a foyer/mudroom. Hubby is great builder but neither of us great on design. Helpful suggestions would help get us moving. Thanks in advance.