Definitely glass and stainless steel for the TV unit, some round glass and stainless side tables rather than a coffee table in the middle and then invest in some colourful non-stripey cushions! The floor will look fab as a feature in the room but in winter it may need the warm feel of a plain coloured shaggy rug in front of your lounge.

We went with Monument and I am delighted. I was worried about it making the house hotter, but not at all as we added some extra insulation while the roof was lifted. We look over our roof to Mt Dandenong and it really feels like we are floating above the rooftops now (previously had a lighter color). I have also noticed there is far less glare being darker. Pic below is not my best shots ... but you get the idea. Forgot to add we also have a flat cliplock roof and used a combination of Monument and Dune on the house.

siriuskey, Yes, the courtyard is open to the sky (no roof over it), I assume this is what you mean by double story. Ref. below photos, I would love to get this look, especially the first and last photo, where you can see family living space from the first floor. I can't achieve this in my plan as it eats a lot of floor space upstairs. The referred plan (photos) has a very big void combining staircase, hallway and dining area. I know it is not easy with cooling and heating when you have such a big void. So, I explored a few ideas (with my limited knowledge on this topic) before achieving the current floorplan. I have also thought about, in my current plan, extending the void on the staircase to the dining area (it is more like L shape) but i wasn't sure if that makes any difference. keen to hear your thoughts.

When selecting windows it’s a good idea to think about how they perform thermally. The frames influence this as well as the glazing. Timber, uPVC and thermally broken aluminium frames are lower conductors of heat and cool than regular aluminium or steel frames, but they do come at a cost premium. Timber frames also require much more maintenance. And, of course, aesthetics come into play. The windows you select will affect your NATHERS or BASIX rating and will also affect your heating and cooling requirements. For more information these websites have useful information: https://renew.org.au/renew-magazine/buyers-guides/window-buyers-guide/ https://www.wers.net/werscontent/how-to-select-windows