For coziness add an area rug!

Do the windows have any curtains, that will slow reduce heat transfer. Would the landlord put some in for you. I am not sure what you can do about heat going up the stairwell.

No curtains on the windows unfortunately but we do have roller blinds. I could ask about curtains, the landlord seems to be a bit reluctant to do anything to the place but definetly worth asking.

The other houses here have plantation shutters which would be great but they are all owner occupied and its probably not an option for a rental property. Yes stairwell is a disaster for retaining heat but upstairs is lovely and warm!

Maybe watch TV upstairs in bed.!!! At least you rent and did not purchase. I don't understand all the open vaulted staircases for heating and cooling unless really built in a solar passive design. Keep the blinds down while heating, they will help. Where a outs are you, is it a very cold area.

Hi wuff. We live in Melbourne so it can get pretty chilly. Yes very thankful we didn't buy this place, although then I suppose we would be able to improve it, because we do love the space. We are just in Melbourne for 2 more years so intend renting here and don't really want the hassle of moving again. There is actually a large area at the top of the stairs which we are currently using as a study but it would easily be made into a living area, maybe we can have a winter tv area and summer one. It's a shame to have to scoff down our food when we get in and retreat upstairs to the warmth!

Big cream and Black Rug

you couch is the wrong shape for that space to be honest

You could mount the TV on the wall where that little picture frame is


You need a three seater couch and a two seater couch

Coffee table is perfect....possible buy another on the same a put it right next to it so you have that new look that's in with two circular tables together that way you have more seating and making use of all the space

Nice big rug

susan_66, I totally agree that getting the ducted heating is unlikely! They have said alternatively that would replace the split system and add some panel heaters. Have a few people coming to give quotes this week. The only powerpoints for the whole living/dining area are under the tv unit so at present we don't even have someplace to place column heaters or a light (which I agree would be much more homely).

Silvana. Large black and cream rug sounds great, would it be weird to get one of those outdoor/indoor ones? Just thinking of the practicalities of living with a 2 year old- she spilt a whole container of fruit right next to the coffee table today ie. exactly where the rug would be! I like the position of the tv there as I can watch it whilst I'm in the kitchen or at the dining table. Ya I was kinda concerned about the shape of the sofa when we moved in and how it would work in that space. I had thought of maybe putting an occasional chair/ chaise longue at the other side close to the windows. What does everyone else think, should we go 2 and 3 seater instead? We can move L- shaped lounge upstairs. I do love it though, it's so comfy and great for entertaining, but my favourite thing about it is being able to lie down at one end and my husband at the other at the end of a long day!

Thanks everyone loving the advice, it's so great to hear what others would do.

http://www.templeandwebster.com.au/tw-presents/room-sized-rugs-may.html

indoor outdoor rugs

@fifibeewal,
I have a heated throw from Target, sort of like an electric blanket but very user friendly, as you can wrap yourself up in it and it's surprising how it doesn't matter so much if the rest of the room is cold if you have one of these throws around you.
If you all sit together on the couch to watch tv then you can even share half the throw. I love mine its, fantastic!!
It would in fact be far cheaper to even have a throw each than to heat unused areas of the home.
I live about 160km west of Melbourne so I do know how cold the nights can get.

Does the fireplace heater not work? I installed a gas Nectre Wonderfire with fan in my sister's open plan lounge/dining (both rooms have no doors) and it heats the whole house.

Large wool or Persian rugs on the floor under dining suite and lounge suite. There are easy clean rugs out there and Melbourne has plenty of rug shops.

Close the blinds if you can't put up curtains as heat will be lost through the large glass expanse. Block-out curtains will assist in keeping heat in/out. As suggested above, the column oil heaters can be set on a low thermostat setting and are ideal for taking the chill off and heating a single room. However, given there are no doors the effectiveness may be reduced. Try it. They are cheap. I have a Delonghi brand one

fibibeewal - A very difficult place to keep warm. I doubt the landlord will be amenable to any improvements - remember they are only in it as an investment, they don't have to live in it. If he will put in a split system it will help, but your power bill could be rather high.

As Barbara suggested, an electric throw is an excellent idea. I have one and to save money I don't have the heater on but cuddle up under it. This does not, of course, help in keeping your active 2 year old warm.

If you can keep the area (study) upstairs warm then I would make that my winter retreat. Many years ago, when we had toddlers, we had a winter retreat, as the living room had an open fire and we could not afford to have it going all the time.

No need to restrict yourself to a blanket or to retreat to upstairs after dinner. As you are experiencing, heat rises, so ceiling fans with a reverse motor will help push the heat down. If the landlord isn't interested in installing these you can at least use a pedestal fan on the stairs on low to direct some warm air back to the living area.

A column heater will not be effective to warm this space, meaning it will be very expensive to run as they are "room" heaters. In fact that will be the same with panel heaters, fan heaters, ceramic heaters basically any heater designed to warm a room as they cycle via a thermostat (aircon included). Because of the stairs, the room will never reach temperature therefore thermostats will be inefficient. Other than a wood fire, gas is the only other type of heater powerful enough to combat the stairs, provided you match the entire area space to the megajoule rating of the heater. 25mj is the maximum before requiring a flue, that will heat approximately 40 square metres.

The best type of heater in this particular case is a "radiant" heater. The ones with exposed elements. This style heats things in its direct path rather than the room. I would suggest a halogen one. Point it towards you at a safe distance and feel their incredible warmth from their amazing glow... And the good news is, they are very reasonably priced to buy and use lower wattages which is great for running costs. I would buy one that oscillates to affect more people and for personal comfort as they can be very warm. Visit Harvey Norman, they will have the best range and offer the ability to try them out, in the store.

Due to the exposed heat source however, you must teach little ones not to touch and be present whilst it is in use, 100% of the time!

I sold heating for 10 years... I'll leave the decorating tips up to some one more experienced :-)

Natmach. Thank you! That was exactly the type of expertise I was after. I'll definetly get one of those heaters and see if I can get ceiling fans too. Is an open fire better at heating than a gas fire? Maybe I could ask about using the fireplace again as that wouldn't cost them a cent. Thank you!

Plants! I think the space also needs some greenery - perhaps one in the corner behind the dining table, and another on the bench by the window to the left of the fireplace. I had a stairwell once in a rental and put up a heavy blanket to stop the heat rising up there. Worked a treat, but it was a rustic style place, not sure how it would look in a modern home...

Ya plants would be good, I must get something low maintenance though I always manage to kill everything! I can see how the blanket would work great in rustic place, but can't really see it blending in here.

Hi there, some great advice but some involve big expense...

Could you keep blinds closed, move furniture in front of windows to block cold and keep warm temps due to fire/ heaters stable? And have a couple of wingbacks with footstools/ poufs for night time relaxation? Heat bags warmed in microwave are very effective too. Definitely a rug or two.
Maybe retire to your cosy bed after 9pm? TV in bed anyone?
We have used all these "tricks" in our bush facing, large open plan living space with massive windows that have no blinds/ curtains or plantation shutters.
I'm still waiting to have a windfall to get plantations or smart external shutters ...and to double glaze

All blinds closed, use warm colours such as yellows and reds, for winter some deeper tones of orange, rust, bronze would create a cosier feel, if you need to use the cooler colours use deeper tones. Add a rug, ikea have a range of woollen ones with a great soft pile. I find panel heaters the best and most efficient, I pop my reverse cycle on in the arvo as the day is cooling down then when the room is at temp, 23 degrees C, I pop the panel heater on and it maintains heat efficiently, then a radiant heater pointed on seating area would work well. Add some nice throws, you can even get heated throws. The main key would be to ensure hot air is not escaping upstairs, either by a partition or blanket, and use those door sausages to ensure every door on that floor is not sucking in the warm air or allowing cool air to escape into the area. I have a skylight and put a blanket over that, looks ridiculous but stops the air escaping!

Wood is a great heat source and adds beautiful ambience. It comes with some cons... ie. Sourcing wood, cleanliness, odours, starting the fire, time to heat the space. But it is an excellent option and it will handle the stairs.

Because most gas heaters have fans, heating the room is a lot quicker, plus they have timers so you can set them to come on before you get up or arrive home and they also have thermostats to regulate the temperature, keeping it more comfortable.

Both heating sources would be brilliant and better than any electric heater if they are an option. I will add though that a gas heater big enough for your job will be pricey and I wouldn't recommend the radiant style in gas, stick to the convectors.

Light the fire if you can!

This house is very like mine. Done get ducted! We have a split system with open stairwell to downstairs and it heats the room very efficiently. Power bills are about half of what they were with ducted in our old smaller house (both well insulated new builds). Definitely get a rug. Our 2.5yr old and 8 mth old love playing on the rug and lying on it watching tv.

Use deep and warm tones for rugs, cushions and throws, it will feel warm instantly. If you can make a designated eating area for your little one, so food doesn't get all over the rugs etc it will make life a lot easier for you too, and they can lie and play on it without the extra food bacteria. Fires can be messy and expensive, and open ones don't necessarily throw out as much heat but use more wood than closed ones. Hope the split system works well. Good luck!

As Australias largest supplier of hydronic heating, we have been providing Australian homes with stylish, safe and comfortable hydronic heating and cooling solutions. As exclusive stockists of an extensive range of premium products, we ensure that all homes can enjoy the benefits of a low carbon, energy efficient system.

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@ Hunt Heating,

Sophie,

Wish you had been around 10 years ago!!

We have an indoor pool and had planned to go with hydronic heating, prepared to do the hard yards and $$$$ to go down the many metres necessary to obtain the heat but at the time, the only person we could get any info from seemed a bit shonky, so we didn't do anything and now it's too late with the home built.

Glad there is finally someone reliable now that can help others!!

@Barbara. Very disappointing you had this experience, we've been around for roughly 35 years and only partner with the best installers the industry has to offer.

If you ever require any information then please do not hesitate to contact us. Thanks

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