Hi Siriuskey, They are timber looking tiles - we absolutely love them. We are considering the same for the new place but potentially herringbone/parquetry arrangement. Much more expensive vs. laminate but easier to clean and no concern in relation to water...

I love the timber panelling, maybe with a bit of a clean it will look a bit lighter, but in any case, I love it! I actually think some lighter flooring would make the room work better - not what you were asking about I know! The current flooring being dark and matte sucks a lot of the light out of the room and also makes the timber panelling/fireplace feel heavier. Even a lighter rug (or even a fun Ikea Stockholm rug?) could make it look more crisp, fresh and stylish, whilst still giving a nod to your home's gorgeous retro features. A fresher light fitting - maybe a simple drum style?) would make it look more modern also and less busy to allow the original features to be the focus. Your existing armchair etc suit it beautifully though! The fireplace I'm not sure about - I hate to ruin original features but I'm not sure about that?! Maybe wiht the other changes done it might work much better anyway? Otherwise an interesting tile or sandstone cladding could work beautifully with the timber tones?

We usually try to clean the 2nd level glass and frames before the builder removes the scaffolding since any cement and mortar is impossible to clean off without proper access. This is because you need to apply a light acid or a product like liquid hammer to soften the concrete before it can be removed. This is something I recommend getting a professional after builders cleaning company to do since the chemicals or technique used can damage the windows and frames if you are not careful so it's by no means a simple task. The best way to mitigate this is prevention, which simply means getting your builders or contractors to tape up the glass and frames before any sort of rendering is done. Will save you a lot of costs when it comes to cleaning up. Darius Milocevic from Simpo Cleaning Connect with me - Twitter Linkedin

Like macyjane , I'd be interested to see an external view . When I look at the interior pics , particularly the one that says 'Live' on the top corner , the front door and surround only works because of the ceiling IMO , and even then the door and surround stain is a bit dark to really get the tie in . My worry is what the mix in external styles looks like . To a certain degree , as owner and occupier you can simply think 'I like it and thats all that matters' , but to me it also needs to look okay on the outside too . And even with the interior shots , for a full comparison it would have been interesting to see the before shots with the blinds wound up ( or the after with the blinds lowered ) -- basically , comparing like with similar , rather than different with different .