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 .

Cheese Wine, yes sadly brickies aren't cheap, but reverse brick veneer doesn't dictate traditional terracotta brickwork. There are lots of great concrete block products in a variety of finishes that have a great architectural finish for internal walls. Or if you want to go more rustic then consider mudbrick options. As with many homes built for good thermal mass there is sometimes a tension between wanting thermal mass, but not wanting to see it. Hiding thermal mass adds to the cost, so you have lots of elements to balance in the cost versus energy efficiency versus aesthetics equation. If anybody figures a way to build thermal mass into a home cheaper than masonry, that looks great and performs well then be sure to let me know... Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

As an architect, I have previously been taught that creating a sustainable home is about designing it so that living in it lowers energy and water use. This is achieved through designing for orientation, using thermal mass and specifying fixtures and finishes that are low impact, reuse water on site, etc. However, the latest research is showing that this is not enough to impact the rate of climate change. And that what we build from needs to be considered in order to make a dent. This is because the timeframe required to see the benefits of sustainable living in a home, is a longer play than the upfront construction from low tox, low energy, minimal footprint materials and methodologies. It has to be a two-pronged approach. Choose materials and products, and constructing efficiently with low energy and low waste. Having carbon neutral homes. And designing homes that over the long term, are low in energy and water consumption, and support the health and well-being of the occupants. A project was established in mid 2017, called “The Building Code Energy Performance Trajectory Project”. It involved the Sustainable Built Environment Council and ClimateWorks Australia, and is described as an industry-led initiative seeking improvements to energy requirements in the National Construction Code. The report was released recently, and what was amazing in this report was to read that 58% of Australia’s buildings in 2050, will be built after 2019 … which means that there’s huge potential to impact their performance and the environment through better energy requirements. And these energy requirements have not been rigorously updated since 2010, despite electricity prices having doubled over that time. Detached housing will comprise 64% of the new construction between 2019 and 2050. So every homeowner has the opportunity to seriously change the landscape of energy use and efficiency in our country. There’s some sectors of the industry really pushing back against this … largely because they believe it will dramatically dent their profit margins to have to build houses with higher star ratings. Australian homes, on average, perform very poorly, and our expectations are super low. Steve Baczek, an American architect, said something about American houses that I think sums it up for Australia as well ... “It’s not that High-Performance Houses cost too much; it’s that our idea of a fairly priced home is based on a history of building houses to meet embarrassingly low performance benchmarks. Clients don’t realise the difference between built to code vs built to last”.

The renovation in my house was overdue as the kitchen, the master bedroom, and living area; all were in dire need of more space, breathability, and improved lighting. They had started to look dated and tired. Though I have been searching through remodeling blogs and renovation expert’s websites for quite some time for ideas and costs, instead of getting clarity of thoughts on how to get it started, I was becoming more confused because the pros floated too many ideas that also seemed a bit expensive to meet my budget. Then suddenly I got this thought of contacting Stewart (my school friend who was a professional remodeler and was running his own business of house renovation in California). I mailed him immediately telling him my requirements and asking for some frugal yet viable solutions. He replied within a week with very good ideas and some exclusive pictures of renovation done on different areas of the house. Thesebefore and after picturesmade me very focused on what and how to go about the renovation of my sweet dream home with the most cost-saving. The highlights of Stewart’s suggestions that I followed later were as follows: · Invest quality time on budget and never ever be tempted to exceed the budgetary limits set out for each task. · List all your needs precisely. · Make the whole process a combination of DIY projects and professionals. This is also very much required because most of the minor alterations and remodeling can be done by you using your own skills and they will result in impressive cost savings. · Fully utilizing home renovation use promo and coupon codes to buy decorative pieces, rugs, wall hangings, and furniture items, etc. I bought many kitchen and bathroom appliances with these promo codes saving almost 50% of their original cost. · Discussing the aspects of storage in the kitchen and functionality in the bathroom candidly with the professional you hire for renovating. · Consider painting the bathroom, living area, and kitchen by yourself. Using high-quality brushes will make your paint in the corners of the doors and coating door frames in one pass. Needless to mention that a little bit of Goggle search for promo codes for paint, related material, and primer will provide you enough discount codes to select some that suit your needs the best and save the most. · When it comes to the living area, the best revitalizing is one that makes it look as large as possible. For this purpose, I combined the living and dining area and opened up the floor plan. I also streamlined the windows and gave them the real upgrade. Lighting is another area where proper usage can create a sense of the place looking more spacious than it actually is. · Last but not least since the entire job cannot be done by you alone and structural alterations will need an expert, you should choose a contractor with good recommendations from friends who have already got their houses renovated. There is no need to rush and one should take time to select an appropriate and capable resource. Transformed my kitchen having refreshed the cabinets and white paint boosted the space The best shade of light grey and red cushioned dining table chairs made the living area fabulous Removing sofa with chairs and bringing in a floral patterned wall mirror made wonder A few wall hangings and decorative pieces transformed this room from a dull and suffocative place to a full of life area in my house The interior doors are given a nice boost as well Only color schemes and rearranged appliances can enhance the look of the kitchen By giving new life to the front door, the very impression of the house was transformed.