Agree with everyone who said that art should speak to them and not be purchased simply to match existing décor. I am a bit of an art hoarder. I have so many pieces of art that I buy simply because I love them or they really do speak to me! I do not have enough walls to hang all my art, so I simply recycle them. I move them around or replace one with another over and over again. When I purchase art for clients I do so in various ways. Art auctions, galleries, online, commissions etc. it really depends on what the client's budget is, how far I can push the client's boundaries but still stay within the parameters of what they like, and most importantly, how the art makes the client feel! I never buy art for a client and just install it without their imput because what speaks to me may not speak to them! I really like your pieces TJG creative! I happen to love photography however, most clients ( at least the majority of the ones I have worked for) seem to be glued to the idea of paintings. every now and then I manage to convince a client to include black and white photography in their home and I do this by bringing my own pieces in, showing them how wonderful they can be in their space and they are usually keen then to purchase some of their own. I try to steer away from art prints if possible because in my opinion, something original can always be found to suit anyone's taste and budget. By buying original artworks, we are supporting our local art communities and encouraging new and emerging artists to continue pursuing their dreams. Good luck with your venture and I will certainly keep your works in mind if the opportunity arises.

Hello everyone! It's been a while. Thank you all for the overwhelming response. Just thought I'd better update you all on changes I've made. And yes, got rid of those horrible lamps (what was I ever thinking when I bought them???). So I know the new lamps aren't still tall enough but they were all I could afford. I think they look nice. Wrt the artwork, decided to hang up a triptych of my eldest daughter artwork which I love. Now I know what you will all say: "those frames are way too small". So my next little project is to find larger frames for the artwork. On the left corner I usually have a mother-in-laws tongue plant but I had it outside when I took the photo.

I'm sure there's plenty of confusion about the why's and wherefore's of house orientation. The reality, as I have recently discovered, is that if want to live in an area that is older, developed, close to facilities, you take whatever orientation the block actually happens to be and do the best you can with it. Unless you're out in the country, or buying something in a new estate, you may not get a choice of orientation: we certainly didn't. And yes, our garage does have the best aspect - because there was nowhere else to put it - it had to face the street - but we live walking distance to shops (think of the petrol saved on not having to get into the car), we've got clerestory windows on the west side so no afternoon sun issues, and we're assembling a collection of sails for the south side, where the deck is, to provide shade from the late afternoon sun. Oh, and skylights for the kitchen. No, not ideal. But the location is, and the designers have worked around the constraints of orientation. And that's reality for a lot of us.

In Australia the sun rises in the east and comes across the sky and sets in the west. So in winter, when the sun is lower in the sky, if the rooms used the most, during the day, have large windows that are facing north, then you will use passive solar principles to heat your home. Those rooms will always get beautiful sunlight into them, with out using artificial lighting or heating. This will therefore save the financial cost of heating and cooling your home. In the summer the sun is higher in the sky and the north facing rooms, will in turn not get the direct west sun. This is all relative to where in Australia you are building. Townsville in Queensland would be different to Tambellup in Western Australia. But the northern aspect and solar passive orientation is still the same. Solar panels are also better positioned on the north face roof surface. This is because that side of the home will always receive sunlight in winter.