I have not read all of the above. It must be tempting to render and paint the fireplace but if it is decided to work with it then maybe you can find your colour palette in the bricks. The new grey carpet will give you a fresh neutral but grey can be very cold. you might need a bit of warmth in the others colors chosen for walls or soft furnishings. If you extend the tile base in front of the fireplace that will give another opportunity to introduce more impact with the tiles. There are always lots of gorgeous tile options. I am loving some of the Moroccan looking styles.

Hi there Victoria, Just trying to add a few more ideas, with a separate Pantry/Landry cupboard (this can easily be ducted and when the doors are closed very quite). Fridge and appliances all along the wall, the island can be what ever size you would prefer. It would also be nice to have a computer desk next to the kitchen by the window. I would also prefer the living area off the sliding doors to the alfresco area Bedroom 4 could have full height sliding doors coming together at the corner this can be close off or left open for times when extra space is needed for the family. And built in Wardrobes in the master would work best, just have something that blends in and looks special.

Option 3 has a terrazzo-look tile which references the previous and original bathroom. The concrete look tiles will date, and look quite daggy in ten years time. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

I would re-evaluate my brief, my budget and my site. It is another case of trying to squeeze too many rooms into too small a space and compromising the living space. If you draw furniture to scale in your living room then you will see that it is undersized for a four bedroom home. With the best orientation going to the garage door and bedroom 4 I would look at a complete redesign by pushing some of the bedrooms to the rear, and a central courtyard to give you an opportunity for north facing light to a living room. There is nothing nice about the current design and will feel like an apartment with little resale appeal. The designer has shown no flair or imagination in this "gun-barrel" floorplan, and is a variation on a concept that has been around for centuries. But your biggest problem is the number of rooms. Do you really need 4 bedrooms plus a study and 2.5 bathrooms, a long wasteful hallway, and only one modestly sized open plan living area and kitchen on a narrow block? I would start again with a smaller brief and a designer who can challenge your thinking about what good small house design actually means. Small house design is the hardest to do really well, so don't use a large house designer. Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls and Dr Retro Virtual Visits