Let's keep it nice, I don't think EthanWes is as precious as you may think and it is a forum for personal opinions after all. I also thought the comeback was unnecessarily aggressive & unwarranted. I would keep whatever you put there quite subtle and simple in colour so it doesn't draw the eye. You've got a nice retro/scandi feel from the look of it, see it as another way to carry this through?! So some ideas: - a small succulent in a low 1-2" pot, possibly including a trailing one such as Silver Falls (though don't let it get too out of hand!), will help make it look less compartmenty. Or even Ikea http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/40349079/ - a couple of neutral coloured cookbooks stacked horizontally. - a nice low serving dish in a soft grey - but make it one you will actually use, not just for aesthetics! ; D I have a similar one to this https://www.countryroad.com.au/shop/home/kitchen-and-dining/serving/60209668/Tiro-Salad-Bowl.html https://www.countryroad.com.au/shop/home/kitchen-and-dining/serving/60203911-9084/Tapas-Salad-Bowl.html and use it a lot. - or, if you like your tech, it could be a great place for a small wireless speaker. Expensive example, but something like the Bose Soundlink Mini If you're looking for more ideas, 'open shelving' should provide lots though you are constrained with the very low height of the shelves.

Thanks all for your advice ☺️ Much appreciated! We are still debating whether to keep or remove the shelf unit. The idea of having a small shelf unit with a small pot plant on top (hiding the router as the back of it!🤭) sounds nice as well. If we were to keep a small shelf unit there, as recommended I'd find the one with table height and narrow in depth. As for the colour/material of the side table if we decided to have one, what would you recommend? We have white walls and dark grey carpet. Most pieces of furniture are light beige/white/black, and the dining table (near the wall which is the topic of discussion) has a glass top. I am wondering if something like a tray stand or a narrow (in depth) hall table will suit there. Also as for the colour, while white will brend in with the background wall, black/dark grey aligns with the colour of the carpet - but it may be overpowering.. Would love to hear your thoughts ☺️ And it does seem to be difficult to find a piece of shelf unit for this particular wall and @Jennier, it's amazing that you can build your own piece of furniture! Thanks all for sharing your inspirations.

Hello. Aaargh did not receive notifications from Houzz so didn’t realise I’d received responses. Apologies and many thanks! So our current apartment faces East and is above a Coles car park. The view from interior is sky but on the balcony on one side we look into apartments on the left. The other apartment is south facing and looks over a large park and can’t be built out. We are a family of three with an 11yo going on 18 and with all the bedroom doors opening into the living area, the idea of a corridor is actually appealing :) The third bedroom would be the adult’s study. The balcony space would definitely be smaller by being separated but I think we’ve entertained outside once in three years. Above is a concrete slab roof with no plant equipment. We know others on the fourth floor and they are not experience issues with the skylights. Our main concerns are twofold. The living area is 1.5m shorter than our current one and 50cms wider. Trying to get a sense of whether that would make a huge difference is challenging without seeing the other apartment. (The owner is open to selling but is conscious that he has a very good tenant and doesn’t want to spook him with inspections unless we’re super serious). The second is the Euro Laundry and no butlers pantry. Ideally we’d like to convert the powder room and laundry into a combined laundry/butlers pantry - but not sure how achievable that is as we imagine all the plumbing is currently in the wall separating the two. Would anyone be able to tell from this high level plan if that would be impossible? Many thanks for all your responses!

@Margot @Alistair McLean @Kate Thank you for your feedback, as we all know in Australia, the preferred aspect is for living areas to be placed on the Northern side of the home. This of course conflicts with creating an indoor-outdoor feel with the backyard and taking full advantage of the bush views from the rear (south) of the home. In regards to knockdown and rebuild, to build a similar house, spec and size would cost roughly 750k plus (turn key). This does make sense in some respect, as you could design a house that is 'perfect' with higher ceilings, no beams to consider or to design around, new plumbing, wiring and a more efficient house in general with all the mods and cons that a new house has to offer. However, the site houses a large 400sm under roof double brick house. So the current improvements are worth 250k approx. As long as the renovation cost + existing improvements don't exceed the possible price of a new built then renovating is still the best option. Based on preliminary costing the renovation still stacks up. However, it's really much of a muchness.