Doh! Just saw your BR study pix! I wouldn't personally want to repeat the same area, but if you love it, you can. I'd want art. Even black & white art or photos. Something that speaks to you personally so your home doesn't look like a showplace - but like your Home! lol My only other thought is that you don't want it to look too safe - like you couldn't make any decsiions so you just did everything in either black or white. You want the design to look purposeful. Search Houzz for black & white living rooms & you'll find lots of inspiration (which you probably have doen already!). Just for fun, I've attached a couple of pix of an arc lamp we have in our apartment. The globe is glass & my DH hit his head on it & broke it once. That's why it's not really properly placed but is too close to the wall! lol Live & learn! That's the only way to make it in life!

Oh C'mon V Richards...every epoch has its treasures. B4 you make a mad run for it stop a while and consider the period and the reasons for the style...it can be extremely enlightening....unless its not the period you want to escape from but from some of the opinions. I spent many years of my youth outside of Australia living surrounded by old ruins in Europe. I forgot what it was like here. When finally I returned to Australia and found myself living in some of the 60s and 70s places..I found much to admire and wonder about. I may not have fallen in love with much of it but there was a certain mistique and a feel that I can still conjure when talking about certain places. Not saying that it was all romantic and pleasant but it conveyed something of the era and the kind of Aussie from those days.

I love watching all the reno shows, doesn't matter which one, they all have their drama's & drama queen's, that's TV, loved the girls on the last Block, they were the ONLY ones with a bit of class in their design and decor, could not understand why they didn't get a much better result from buyers, especially over the nasty/slobby redhead and her slob of a partner, have to say I hate the Scandi & Industrial design they all have to stick to, to appease those boring judges, there is nothing outstanding in the rooms, they are boring, they obviously ALL have a connection with 'Pin Interest' and 'Houzz' so you know where all the designs come from. Love what "Matt & Kim" are doing here in WA with their 'Renovation Rescue', watch all the overseas reno's, Escape to the Country, Grand designs etc. the interesting knowledge & talent of UK people is excellent when restoring older homes, it would be good to have a section of the Australian shows which show how to do a particular piece of renovation.

Hi BC, I thought to throw a few more ideas at you before getting trades in as OK suggested, you might find something in all suggestions that appeal to. I personally don't think it a good idea to have a combined laundry kitchen in a house, it's something that you relate to apartment living, that's why I have previously suggested that you might consider opening the laundry from the bathroom, which then gives you another wall in the kitchen space. The kitchen is small and I was going to suggest the you have a 900 glass cook top that can be used for extra bench top. This new floor plan keeps the laundry where it is with staked washer and dryer and sink which can be used for cleaning large pots. I have drawn a galley kitchen with the cook top/oven on one side with the fridge sink and DW on the other, for prep and cleaning up. I have also added a sideboard.bar/desk facing into the living room, these cupboards backing up to the kitchen cook top on the other side could be used for the load bearing wall. Where I have marked the wall oven would be bench top as you have now mentioned not wanting that, the microwave can be mounted in the wall cupboard next to the cooktop where the wall oven was marked. The wall units could go to the ceiling or have a bulk head above them I have drawn the kitchen as a galley as the distance between bench's is too wide, 1200 is as wide as you need