Re comment by @wuff...yes! My laundry tub was always full of dust and stuff I'd forgotten about and is now covered up by a timber insert which is a strong shelf/table for the dryer. So, the tub is being used, just not in the way originally intended! For any hand washing, I use a large plastic bucket which also doubles as a clothes basket I use to carry washing to the line. I think it's great that all these opinions can be expressed on Houzz as I find the comments as entertaining and useful as the Houzz articles.

I like all the garden ideas ( it does look a bit sparse and 'rental property' look about it IMO ) , with a low fence along the front , a wooden screen a couple of metres in front of the door , etc , BUT when I looked at the very first photo -- the wider angle one -- the one thing you notice first is the yellow marker post on the left hand side of the driveway fence . So take that as a cue , and paint the garage door a bright colour to stand out -- primary or metallic or trendy , just one that you like , and personally I'd probably change the curtains ( or even dye them ) to the same colour as the garage door . Right now , everything is various derivatives of off-white and red brown earth brick -- needs a decent spot of colour to lift the houses look IMO . Another option would be 'natural' timber blinds , especially if you had them the same shade of stain as the screen and the front fence , but I'd still do the garage door ( and maybe the guttering ) your current favourite colour .

I have actually imported furniture myself without a freight forwarder/ shipping company a couple of times. it is fiddly but not impossible. I saved heaps if you don't count my time. And it was a bit of an adventure. It did give me an appreciation of the expenses importers have though and these shipping places (myUS etc) have to add their margin of course. so for anyone considering-anything timber has to have pest certification and that has to be within 3 weeks (I think) of arrival. Then the shippers in their wisdom had put the container on a timber pallet for which I didn't have a pest fumigation certificate so I had to pay $33 to have the pallet destroyed. But with a lot of family in rural/farming businesses I don't mind the strict quarantine. We are very lucky with our relatively clean produce. The customs people at the airport are very discouraging and keep telling you to use a freight forwarder etc (my stuff was already at Botany so no way), there were all sorts of odd fees etc (eg AQIS container fee $6), terminal fee. All sorts of things but it was fun and I saved a fortune, even after GST (I had to pay GST on the freight too, I guess as a 'service', which I wasn't expecting). Mind you the dollar was better then. It wouldn't be worth it for just a lamp but for more stuff...... But then if you were bringing in that much stuff maybe you wouldn't need to save the money. they also required that the invoice from the supplier of the furniture clearly showed what currency it was in. This was a hassle as I had just bought retail in the US. What currency do customs think a receipt/invoice from a shop in California shop would be in? But that's where the bureaucracy was frustrating. a final tip, the freight forwarders usually only include delivery to kerbside. They were even very unwilling just to help me get it into the garage (let alone down the steps/indoors) so you may need someone to help you receive the goods at home and get them at least out of the weather.

Hi Rema, if yellow is you favourite colour then use that as the base for other decisions. Those chairs will look stylish with a timber table, perhaps circular for the space, and the timber will add warmth to the room. Or a glass top table with timber legs. Glass will help the room look bigger. Yellow looks great with black, purple or violet for drama. For something softer add some other warm tones such as orange or a cool green. A rug is a great way to define your dining space by placing it under the table and chairs. Ensure the chairs fit on the rug when not in use. Pick a rug that has yellow to match the chairs and other colours that appeal to you. Use the colours in the rug to determine other design elements such as art, object, trims, and curtains. I have a couple of pages on my other website, dontcallmepenny.com.au for 'what's on sale' and also 'interior design resources' both of which have lots of retailers and suppliers. Brosa is one of them and there are lots of others. Cheers, Penelope