I would suggest that you have a serious think about what you use that area for the most. Is it sitting in front of the fire, watching the TV for hours on end, or sitting chatting to friends and family??? Depending on what you do the most will help you decide on the style. I think the graphite colour would bring out the colour of the stones in the fireplace surround. Do you think all the cushions and rolled backs on your white lounge in addition to the white and cream together is putting you off too? Maybe a low backed lounge would be better, if you are just chilling in that area. You have plenty of light coming into the room, so do not worry about using darker lounge colour, although I think the black would be too much. My husband and I must have sat on every available lounge in Brisbane before we decided on one that felt comfortable. It took us a while, but got there in the end. Cheers, loken.

Great to hear that you have decided not to paint the brickwork. Can I offer my opinion - I'd suggest painting the garage door and surrounding frame and the adjacent beam and column (currently white) in a dark charcoal/brown to match the ground floor brickwork try Dulux Namandji or Mali. I would redo the retaining wall with large boulders in a more freestyle layout than the current straight line and take up some of the concrete drive near the retaining wall to create a garden on the lower level, curved to still provide access to all of the undercroft unless you wish to enclose part of it with a large full height window. I'd love to see the wrought iron balustrade painted black. My home in the mid sixties had salmon coloured bricks, white window frames and fabulous turquoise gutters! The downpipes were painted to match the bricks thankfully - turquoise might have been a bit over the top! Good luck with your project, would love to see your progress. W

2 sofas look great when you are needed extra seating for people but i really like the armchair /wingchair idea with a sofa. As you have chosen a modern take on deco i would look at a side table that encumpases that style but as said functionality is key. No good having one sofa if you have 5 guests. It sounds so beautiful so keep moving with your ideas and remember that sometimes ideas can change with different advise but you have to love it

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>Comfort is rule 1 of any couch so if you like the comfort that's all that matter. Also note that spaces filled with furniture can often make the room look bigger so oversized is fine. You just need to get a good balance. Once you get a rug, coffee table and maybe lamp or other accessories or indoor plants the sofa won't appear so large. Just remember to think about scale and proportion as these are important when pairing furniture. Compare a coffee table with open base on legs to a solid block for looks. The block type might disguise the scale of the couch. Some colour or warmer tones will also bring the space to life. Stick with your choice and dress the rest of it.... and forget what others think. If they're rude enough to comment so unkindly then make them sit on the floor