I like Mary Margaret's apartment in Once upon a time. That kind of space would work great for our family. I'd like somewhere more open to the garden though. I also love the house in Nanny McPhee. Especially the way each room is a different colour. I think that's a great idea for a big old house. I'd paint the hallway all white, walls, floor everything. And each room a different colour.

Ok cool - what a great space to work with. What are the Ikea chairs like? Or are they the wicker ones you mentioned? Since they are white walls and lighter timber floors, I'd keep the furniture light to accentuate space and not close it in. This is living space, right? Are you planning on having a television too?

If you wanted to try that safari theme, you could try a vintage looking trunk as a coffee table, as they can hold cushions, throws, magazines, Xbox controllers, etc., out of sight. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/170984006005?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=107&ul_ref=http%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F705-139619-5960-0%252F2%253Fipn%253Dicep%2526icep_id%253D62%2526mtid%253D1797%2526kwid%253D1%2526crlp%253D40593704497_573061%2526icep_item_id%253D170984006005%2526itemid%253D170984006005%2526icep_meta_categ_id%253D11700%2526icep_etrs%253DY%2526icep_epid%253D-999%2526icep_ctlg%253D-999%2526icep_cond%253Dnew%2526targetid%253D91821563857%2526rpc%253D0.26%2526rpc_upld_id%253D69716%2526device%253Dt%2526icep_cbt%253Dn%2526icep_msku_flag%253Dn%2526adtype%253Dpla%2526googleloc%253D9060880%2526poi%253D%2526campaignid%253D184043497%2526adgroupid%253D8467825417%2526rlsatarget%253Dpla-91821563857%2526gclid%253DCM6Tj7ubxMwCFQslvQodg90LTQ%2526srcrot%253D705-139619-5960-0%2526rvr_id%253D1025806069455&limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=107&chn=ps&ul_ref=http%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F705-139619-5960-0%252F2%253Fipn%253Dicep%2526icep_id%253D62%2526mtid%253D1797%2526kwid%253D1%2526crlp%253D40593704497_573061%2526icep_item_id%253D170984006005%2526itemid%253D170984006005%2526icep_meta_categ_id%253D11700%2526icep_etrs%253DY%2526icep_epid%253D-999%2526icep_ctlg%253D-999%2526icep_cond%253Dnew%2526targetid%253D91821563857%2526rpc%253D0.26%2526rpc_upld_id%253D69716%2526device%253Dt%2526icep_cbt%253Dn%2526icep_msku_flag%253Dn%2526adtype%253Dpla%2526googleloc%253D9060880%2526poi%253D%2526campaignid%253D184043497%2526adgroupid%253D8467825417%2526rlsatarget%253Dpla-91821563857%2526gclid%253DCM6Tj7ubxMwCFQslvQodg90LTQ%2526srcrot%253D705-139619-5960-0%2526rvr_id%253D1025806069455&ul_noapp=true the plantation shutters would be great for a safari theme, but in that room definitely put plain cream sheers in front of them, in a natural cotton. White isn't great with brown. Earthy colours are coming in.

Hi Louise, hope you are settled in your house now, it looks lovely. Having lived in a house with a west facing living area I'm sorry to say your rooms will get very hot over summer and even if you install air conditioning you will still need to minimise the sun and heat coming into the house to save on electricity. Stopping the sun reaching your rooms is the ideal but outdoor blinds can look ugly so ultimately it comes down to looks -v- comfort. Thermal blinds or curtains will help keep the sun and heat out considerably but they do darken a room as well. Fans will help with air circulation but you do need cross ventilation to help the house cool itself especially if you get breezes off the water. I think your bedroom would be enhanced by a covered deck to add some character to the house too and this would certainly help with the sun in that room. Another tip is the colours you use in these rooms will help improve the look and feel of the room, I found soft blues or aquas made a huge difference with a lot of white for freshness. Neutral colours for some reason just did nothing and made the rooms look and feel hotter.