I have just cleared out an area under the house - a small room at the back of the garage that connects to the laundry/come storage room on the other side - a bit hard to explain the layout, but it works perfectly now as a second office/study area that I am using to gather and sort literature for further study. It has a large filing cabinet, desk, sorting table and lots of shelving for pre-sorting piles of literature which I have accumulated so effortlessly over the years! It comes with window views out to the garden and lovely water glimpses (if I open the garage door) and is lovely and cool in summer. While it is well organised and tidy, I have deliberately left it fairly rustic (read 'man cave' like) as I don't want to feel like I need to be 'cleaning and tidying' while I am there. I have a stack of classical and choral music that I play while down there ... in between listening to the cricket in summer, of course! Some great names in here re what to call it .... perhaps my 'She Nook' or 'the Reading Room'

I love the option to work in a private office while still feeling connected to the larger open plan space. And who doesn't want a huge blackboard to creatively brainstorm?

If you can't change the purple blinds, try and tie them in with layered cream, beige and chocolate brown bedding. A natural wicker style light fitting with matching side lamps. Above the bed, perhaps a large wicker wreath with a few sprigs of lavender (real or not) threaded throughout. If there's room, a chair painted or covered. With the chair you could choose floral or striped, as long as there's Browns, 'soft mauve' with touches of lemon. At the foot of the bed, you can purchase a cheap polyester doona, cut it in half and dye it the required colour. I've done this and it works well. I've then sewn wooden buttons at all the quilted points. Good luck.

We are yet to move into our new home. I like both of these products very much but not enough to use them through the entire house. We have beautiful blond plywood on our very high sloping ceiling in our living space; no nails or fixings visible and a narrow black shadow line between the gaps. we will be having concrete 'sexy floors' (Trade Name) in our studio and garage, a wonderful glossy finish that are absolutely non-toxic. Different patterns available.