Hi Emma, As you say, whilst it's lines on a page, you have a precious window of opportunity to get it right - before you make all these choices and decisions permanent ones you are forced to live with. So I hope you'll appreciate my honesty, and not be offended by it. I am incredibly passionate about helping people create homes that make their lives better, and I want you to achieve the best outcome possible for your home, your budget and your life, and that's why I don't mince words. I have such concerns about this floor plan generally Emma. I can understand the desire to maximise the view however I believe that the everyday use of your home, traversing all those stairs, and being disconnected from your garden (especially with small children) is consequently being compromised, and will be challenging and frustrating. I think the multi-purpose rooms appear to be space for space's sake ... they lack thought and intention for their use, and the way you need to circulate through or across them will compromise their functionality, furnishability and sense of space. It's interesting that there's no furniture shown in them on these floor plans, whereas the other areas are all furnished. With family homes, I would consider the following: supervision of gardens from indoor living areas has such a dramatic impact on the usability of the home overall, and your ability to get stuff done whilst kids play etc a study nook or somewhere near living areas where kids' use of computers can be supervised, and you have a home 'command station' of sorts is also good the ability to acoustically close off a lounge area - which is the kids' TV / play area is very helpful for long term use I wouldn't split the bathrooms - I understand what you're seeking to achieve, but replanning to group them in one area will consolidate plumbing and your wet area finishes and be more efficient overall consider creating a floor plan that works with access / circulation etc between living areas and garden, and then having an upper floor living area or retreat where you can enjoy the view One of the biggest challenges with homes in Brisbane is that they are completely divorced from their gardens because they have prioritised the view. As a mum to 3 young kids, and having helped truckloads of clients with family homes (and families of all ages), I know this for sure ... the connection to garden ... the ability to move in and out with ease, safety and enjoyment ... is one of the things that pays dividends long term. The view is the immediate and early 'wow' but the inconvenience of having to take a packed lunch each time your kids want to use the yard or pool is infuriating. With clever design you can have both convenience and enjoyment of the view. Your home design dictates the lifestyle you lead in it. Focus on functionality and durability and it will create a home that works now and always. There is no northpoint on these drawings, so I can't comment as to the success of the planning in terms of the orientation - which is something to be aware of also. I'd also be doing a budget check. There are A LOT of wet areas in this home because of how they're being distributed throughout the floor plan. Best wishes with the creation of your new home, Regards Amelia Lee, UA www.undercoverarchitect.com amelia@undercoverarchitect.com

I have two tortured willow trees...(sometimes I wish I didn't since they grow fast and get all tangled up in themselves...and everything else) BUT... if I harvest some of the more interestingly 'tortured' young branches, denude them of their leaves and young bark, I have the frameworks for Christmas wreaths and other interesting decorations. The young little branches, once stripped of their outer soft bark and when dry, can be painted and decorated with glitter or whatever and stood in floor vases. This year, rather than a Christmas tree, having a large mixed pot of coloured, decorated and natural tortured willow branches...and maybe a few wreaths here and there, maybe some of the sentimental tree decos that come out every year and...since this is a cat friendly house...lots of curly ribbons hanging down from the tortured willow 'tree' with the odd fluffy little toy to intrigue. I prefer to bring nature into the house for Christmas. In pagan times at Yule...branches from Fir trees were brought inside and hung with apples and oranges Use was made of dried pine cones and home made candles were an everyday thing only some special ones were made for Yuletide...and that harks back to the cold climate countries...hence the sleigh bells and snow etc. For Australia I prefer to use our native trees and leaves for adornment also for the fragrance these waft around the house. I lovely big frondy lot of gum tree leaves all tied and arranged well and sat in a metal bucket can be a lovely natural touch more in keeping with am Aussie Christmas. Personally I think the commercialisation of tree and home decorations has become rather....'ratty-looking'..fake green pine branches, gaudy baubles etc. Well in advance we go collecting dried seed pods, pine cones and any other nature-products for Christmas decos...all natural and really beautiful!

The trouble with that Tribble4152k7 Trek is that everyone reading who has not experienced it thinks its just a page of jokes. The trouble with many milennials is they want everything now and have 'tanties' thiking they are entitled to it then they compare themselves and their situation to others when they have no idea how those others got where they are. It doesn't drop out of the sky for anyone but it might gush up from the ground for some Oil rich people. Some have absolutely no idea of what "I can't afford that" means! A good starter home is one you can afford but unfortunately, when they have no idea what "afford" means its not going to work is it? From what I've seen some milennials can't even manage on two salaries...and good salaies at that, many times because they include in their budget too many things they consider are absolute necessities. Because some of them earn two salaries they believe they are entitled to certain luxuries...theres that word again...the two words that defeat the purpose of getting their own home...even with a mortgage.... "afford" and "entitled". Sometimes $5 is out of the range of affordability and sometimes a two salaried couple forget why they are working so hard and reward themselves for their efforts. Then there's the syndrome "keeping up with the Joneses"...must not lose face, must not appear underpriviledged, must be able to measure up and match the spending habits of friends....who, you never know, might be doing exactly the same thing. My maxim has always been...and I count it as the reason I survive on very little, is,,,"Old is not bad" - " Out of fashion does not mean its broken" - If it works and is safe don't discard it and if it costs little to fix...fix it.... recycle, repurpose and re-use. If you can pick it up at the Op Shop its somebody else's loss and your good fortune. Finally, ask yourself..."Do I want this or do I really really need it?'...that's a good one. I always maintain that if you have something that you had to work really hard and save scrupulously to get...then you are entitled to it...and that applies to small things and to getting a home of your own.

Keep it light otherwise it makes the low ceilings feel even lower. I will share our story in the hope it may help you! Picture 1. We moved from a house with high ceilings to one with low bedroom ceilings and it felt claustrophobic for a while (2 years we put up with it). Our bedroom, when we moved in, had burgundy walls, dark wooden doors into the ensuite and wardrobe, b&w zigzag curtains and pink carpet (yes someone thought pink carpets and burgundy walls would be a good idea!). The one redeeming feature was large glass sliding doors that led out onto a covered deck which provided a view and let in some light (which pretty much got swallowed by all the dark features). We faced our bed towards the doors when we moved in to have a view - as who wants to look into the bathroom like the previous owners did in the picture! Transforming the space: We pulled up the carpet and laid medium coloured wood floors (dark floors were too much for this space and needed to work through entire house), we painted the whole room including the ensuite and bathroom slatted doors white - all of which transformed the space in a way that really surprised me. A tallish wooden bed head and antique dresser, along with tall (rather than wide) artwork help add height to the room as do the doors now that they are white. To keep a feeling of warmth in the room (sorry minimalists out there) I used linen bedding in greys and used blue accessories in rugs and cushions which compliment the artwork which we picked up from a painter on the streets of Paris (framed on our return). We used a muted rug on the floor to bring elements together and for warmth for our feet as we live in a very cool climate during winter months. I simply wanted colour that wouldn't overpower the space. Since pics were taken: We have since started revamping the outside deck and removed some of the lattice which has brought a beautiful flood of natural light flooding in and a view of the garden. Our next step: will be to add some white linen or silk curtains at the highest height possible to maintain an illusion of height. We will extend the curtains to land either side of the doors when open, as while we now need to have them for some added privacy, we still want the light and the view most of the time including when the deck is lit up at night. We will keep the curtains light as colour would encroach on the room size which isn't very big. Our dream addition is to replace the sliding doors with white French doors. Hope this is helpful.