What a great big room. The ideas are endless. Not sure if you live in Melb but I would get professional help. Honestly it doesn't cost a lot and you have peace of mind. For the painting go to any paint store, even Bunnings. They have the ph nos for a paint colour consultant. (I went with Dulux) but most Paint companies now have colour consultants to come out for a fee. The consultant comes out for a fee approx.($150) but that was for a few rooms. Then if you buy their paint, the price of the consultation is deducted off the paint you purchase. So really the consultation is free, if you choose their paint. Freedom decorator consultant works the same way. Can't remember how much (no more than $200) and she gave me great ideas. If you buy anything from them, again it's deducted off your purchase. There is no commitment with either paint company of Freedom to purchase from them. The advantage is, you can have the amount spent deducted from purchase. Honestly it cost saving and you get professional advise. Win Win situation. We've built 3 times and painted the house myself, and I have been so glad I did the above, with both paint and furnishings.. Plus I do up my own furniture, (most bought at garage sales) so I only purchased what I really wanted from Freedom, the rest 99%, I got from op shops and did up myself. But the ideas are helpful. Honestly, you need to know what decore you want in your room? So they will work around that. If your unsure, they will look at the rest of the house and work with your ideas. I like French provin. So I worked around that, Just to give you ideas you don't have to spend a fortune. My bedroom is also huge. Haven't took photos all-round. I redid all the furniture in both rooms. The above cabinet was brown stain which I painted white. GOODLUCK

Ok, don't like the dark cushion, don't like the TV in the bedroom. You could go for pendant lighting using the same 'material' as the mirror? If you went for larger beside lamps while you have that mirror there, they would be fighting each other. In the programs I watch, they say to have 'a hero in the room'. In this case the mirror is the hero I think. Also the extra throw cushion for the bed could match one on the chair, so it ties in (or don't have one at all on the bed). If you did need a TV what about having one installed on the wall to the right of the chair,(looking at the photo) and make sure it can swivel out, so when you aren't watching TV in bed it can be against the wall, out of the way. Then you can have a lovely (glass) ornament or two, or a bunch of flowers sitting on it along with your photos. I love how you have your bed dressed, spot on! (without the dark cushion) I absolutely adore the blue shades in the duvet cover and I would draw those out into the room. Love that you have opened up your windows in the lounge. Maybe a throw rug and some colourful (same colours as in the duvet cover on your bed) cushions on the lounge suite as nothing is really popping! There doesn't seem to be any colour except for the flowers and the photos. Colourful paintings on the wall would be lovely too. Maybe the potted plants could be in coloured (as in your duvet cover) pots instead of white. I know you weren't asking about the lounge and if you are happy with it, then that is all that matters. Well done.

Hi Amanda, tricky... I would suggest rendering the brick and the upstairs exterior so it all hangs together. Use a poly-render. The upstairs currently looks like an after thought and is not working with the rest of the building as it is. I would paint the render and roof in colours that work with your existing front door and windows as painting these is not a long term option that is going to last without a lot of maintenance. So I suggest using the existing roller door colour for the exterior walls with a heritage red roof, gutters and downpipes. Above all keep it simple.

Hi Polly, I live in SE Qld, so completely different climate from you. Where I live, Lomandra are incredibly hardy and will grow in shade or sun. Westringia are also hardy, They will take part-shade and adapt very well to being clipped to size. I'm also happy with my dianella. They are really great for getting green 'lushness' in shade. I grow quite a few grevilleas. The hybrid ones flower all year round and give great colour to the garden - and the birds love them. I also grow leptospermum, melaleucas and callistemons in areas where my drainage isn't good enough for grevilleas. I also like Chrysocephalum apiculatum as a ground cover. According to the experts it grows in Melbourne. Where I live it's very long-flowering and spills onto paths nicely. I'm growing a few lilliepillies in shady areas, but we had lots in our last garden so I wanted a change. We have no lawn at all in our garden. No kids or dogs so don't need it. There are so many wonderful natives. Our local Bunnings actually stocks quite a few, or you can find a specialist native nursery that will have an even bigger selection. They can give you advice on what will grow well in your situation.