Thanks Chookchook, but in fact the house is terribly designed and there isn't much choice. We have a single living area that is approximately 6 metres x 4.5 metres. The north wall (long side) has a bank of French doors placed centrally, with clear wall space of 1 m on the east and west ends. The east wall (short side) is a full wall of built in bookcases over cabinets, built around a doorway into our entry hall. The south wall is approx 3.1m long, and clear, currently holding artwork. The rest of it is a triple width doorway into the dining room. The west wall is the fireplace with wood heater insert. Mantle is 2.5m long and 1.1m high. There is about 1m clear either side of the mantle that currently holds wall sconce type lighting. The television, a rescued 50 cm old school CRT-style beast, with accompanying ugly digital set box top and DVD played sit in a pine corner wall cabinet in the north west corner. We have a horrid, old, modular lounge suite in the south east corner. It covers all the cabinets below the bookcase between the south wall corner and the doorway into the entry hall. As farmers only just starting to financially recover after 12 years of drought, and our kids finally finishing school and heading off into the real world, I'm just starting to find enough cash to paint rooms. Re-finishing the timber floors is next on my list. But in the mean time, the boys think they deserve a flat screen, and in reality, they do. But how?

So many good suggestions and ideas, thank you everybody :) partim I actually had the lounge room exactly how you described to begin with, I know it's hard to visualize through just seeing the photos I've put up but it didn't work as the couch coffee table and tv unit were jammed in together leaving little walk through space and there was a lot of unusable wasted space in the corner where the tv is. I contemplated getting a corner lamp table at the time but what we really need is more sitting space than table space. I changed the room around to this and we liked it much better as the window wasn't obstructed as well. the walking space between couch and cone lamp hasn't been a problem. The absolute last thing after rugs etc will be to move the bigger bookcase that's next to wood heater to another room and put an armchair there :) that will require renovation of the other rooms first. our records are all in alphabetical order and I love them but wouldn't display them any more than I have already as it's not a huge focal point. decoenthusiaste I love the idea of putting the small bookcase on its side behind the couch and could do this if I put a finish on the top and the base! unfortunately it will no longer be able to hold the records if I do that as the shelves are an awkward shape. (Smaller shelf is better for holding records to keep them in separate categories and keep them standing up than the bigger shelf) redpoint, I know! I've always been a timber floor person. When we moved in I was set on putting wood floors down in future. Although these tiles lack character, since living with them I must say the practicality of them outweighs the aesthetics of wood. I can move furniture around without scratching the floor and know I'll never have to ever sand and re polish the floor from wear and tear and they feel cool to walk on in the hot, dry summer. I'm leaning towards getting a sandy coloured slate put down one day. That should add more character to the place :) and my future tribal rugs will work either way. The view is fine, it's just a neat suburban street. I feel too exposed for now with the curtains open and would like a privacy screen put up with a nice garden bed as a view when we get around to re paving and landscaping. It's a southern view so the winter sun now shines through our front windows, which gets a bit bright at times. The brown rug was given to us as a stop gap for absorbing sound and catching the walked in dirt. If I moved it in front of the couch the "brownness" of it would hurt my eyes while I'm trying to relax in my little living space hehe I would consider cutting up the wall hanging or doing something else with it yes, good idea :) Zag Built LLC, I like the idea of a round or oval coffee table! Thos. Baker, a new piece of art would be nice

To Uyenvy Le...hope I got hat right...as they say "Great Minds..." I've never forgoten my early "nuddie days on Nauru Island" just after WWII...a whole tribe of little chocolate and vanilla kids with the whole Island as our playground...the older ones with a littley to watch over. Now, I was about to log off when I read an article by a fellow who says that its unhealthy to wash too much or have long baths...that in his opinion equate to "stewing in your own juice". He advocates a short shower without soap about tice a week otherwise a 'sink wash'....and expounds his theories based on the healthy, supple, smoothe skin of jungle natives who do not bathe or use soap....all their natural oils preserved....lalalaaa.. Started me thinking about an pleasurable alternative to "stewing" (his opinion)...I like to have a shower after a long bath both to close the pores and rinse off any.."juice". Oh YUK, why did he have to spoil my heaven! I spent years in Italy in a community where people did not bathe at all or use soap but showered briefly on Saturdays so to go to church on Sundays...it was the worst, so I'm not going to go without my ablutions ever again. But...what if there were such water restrictions that we were all limited to a measured amount of water per person? What of our showers and tubs? That started me thinking on how to remain sweet smelling and really clean. My solution was...SAUNA! I go up to the local Gym for a swim a sauna and a massage just to keep as much mobility as possible and I love the Sauna! You mentioned the Spa..but that requires copious water...then there's communal bathing...which is not something I've done as an adult...that also requires water plus...so SAUNA!... I am having increasing problems getting out of my tub. I'd researched the disability 'walk in tubs' that are filled after one gets in and closes the door on the side and in which one sits on a seat submerged in the water, the Molly Bather which is a belt that lowers one into and out of the tub...but being a permanent fixture it spoils the look of the bathroom...and I like pretty bathrooms as well as functional ones...So many options to getting into and out of a tub....some sort of pretty others not. Not because that fellow has worried me but just that I want to enjoy a really thorough, healthy invigorating cleanse that is easy to access, that is relaxing without making a bathoom that resembles sports locker room showers, the ablution wing of an institution or the disbility facilities in a hospital. Maybe remove my lovely tub and replace it with a state of the art practical sauna room could be the go. Any comments Houzzers?

Styker, can you sew? Craftsy have a course that shows you how to make your own. I’m getting older and retail bras don’t sit very well anymore so making my own is on the agenda.