I see this is a very old thread , with lots of comments . I've just skim read them , but I haven't seen anyone suggest anything like my 'top-of-my-head' idea -- I love the wood , and the white contrast , but pretty boring . Whats your favourite colour , or what ties in with the other rooms ? It might be blue or red or yellow or orange or green , as examples . So paint the skirting board and around the door a pastel shade of your choice , and add a small 30cm x 30cm abstract painting featuring that colour as the primary dominant one , above ( or possibly below , or maybe even get 2 matching/complementary ones ) the control panel . One lighting crowd suggested glass shades -- I'd actually go for someothing large but wooden , in much the same shade as your floors and steps , with LED bulbs -- you can get some stunning ones around 80-100 cm in diameter ( sort of a star ball shape ) for $300-400 . Total budget then $500 plus a painter and maybe electrician , unless you DIY .

hi, you should always go by what the manufacturer specify. coat them before you start to tile and again once laid before grouting and then after grouting one more time. the sealer should be a penetrating one . because of the nature of the tiles , being cement based, I do not recommend them being used in showers or constantly wet areas. some other recommendations for a bathroom application are .to use a membrane that is ok in full immersion. adhesive is also to be of a type that is ok in full water immersion.. remember that not following theses recommendations may result in membrane failure and water damage and even resulting in structural damage.

We've ended up choosing Yokor Windows & Doors. They're a Chinese import company with very high quality product. A builder friend of mine recommend him who used them in his own house. We are yet to order though. They were about 8k cheaper than The other company we were tossing up between. The only issue i don't like their flyscreen product so we'll get that from someone else.

Given Australia is fairly dry country (current flooding excepted), we changed our water usage considerably: changed to a front-loader washing machine, updated the dishwasher to one with minimal water usage, and changed a lot of taps and our shower heads to low flow types. It's cut our water usage by 60-70%. In particular, the Miele washing machine made a huge difference.