Hi Ann, thank you for your comprehensive replies, I definitely prefer a neutral palette as I am attempting to make the view the main feature of the room. I love the style of the coffee tables you chose, they are exactly what I have been looking at and agree with your comments regarding the entertainment unit, I have been actively looking for a long lowline unit (220-240cm length and 45cm high)as I wish to minimise the obstruction of the view. You definitely have a knack for picking up on the look I was after!!!!. Thank you again for your assistance.

the wooden floor makes it so much easier to consider moving plumbing and i'm wondering if moving the kitchen next to the laundry has been considered to enhance the indoor outdoor feel with a servery window and use the old kitchen meals area as a sitting tv area (with or without a means of closing off the area) and square up rumpus room and include the old entry to enlarge rumpus and create a new entry more centred along the verandah, having the new walls around the rumpus would allow for sound insulation and the two sets of doors between theh rumpus and living areas should improve separation without losing the separate study (guest room) and access to the other bedrooms and bath...accurate measurements would allow better consideration of this idea

it is always a good idea to improve your home and there are many inexpensive ways to add value. Do your research in your area - always make improvements that will INCREASE the value of your home Take ideas from what’s sold in your area- which homes achieved the highest prices - in particular what features made the most impact and why... The most impactful way to improve your home - befor you renovate.. De clutter de clutter de clutter . if you can’t then add storage - storage is king. Look at door hardware - is it outdated ?? change to a more modern look - black hardware adds a great contemporary look to doors, kitchen and bathroom cabinetry - if you have a contemporary home that is! Bathroom mirrors - if your home is a standard 4 x 2 and holds a simple frameless mirror - then update it!! if there is no window treatment in the bathroom add one - 64mm venetian come in contemporary colours including black. best idea- use Houzz to find bathroom images of similar style and look to yours / then look for bathrooms that emulate the look your going for! sometimes cleaning grout and changing a shower screen can make all the difference! Kitchens - if your kitchen is functional and your cabinetry carcass is in good nic - change the doors with a local cabinet maker - if your carcass is good then don’t go over board! Having renovated over 300 properties to sell I look for simple but effective solutions that will impact a sale... Paint paint paint - best and cheapest solution by far! TVs - if they are currently sitting on tv units - mount them to a wall- create as much floor space as you can - sell your tv unit to fund your new monitor arm. a small floating cabinet or shelf underneath the tv should do the trick! Look for effective storage solutions for everyday appliances or gadgets that you use - you’ll be surprised at how much “bigger” your home will be! Use old bathroom mirrors and glue them to alfresco limestone walls behind your feature plants ( i’ve done this many a time is small complexes and large and they are always fantastic! ART - large pieces of art - if you can’t afford a great piece then find some beautiful upholstery or fabric and staple to an old canvas or multiple canvases to creat one large art piece even multiple fabric choices Recover old cushions - there are so many seamstresses out of work that i can get them done for under $10 per cushion .. Good window treatments can make all the difference. Pick your main areas to invest in the best window treatments and do the basics in the smaller rooms .. you can always update them later. Look at the companies warranties - the longer the better is what you want! make them guarantee fabric and components and ask them which products look good and stand the test of time year after year. Lighting - both mood and functional is so important - LED people ... will save you so much more money in the long run! If you can’t afford a lighting designer - go speak to the people at beacon or smaller lighting shops They will consult for you for free so ask them! I aiways guarantee that every dollar i invest in a project must make me at lest 1 - 3 dollars in return. Do that with every renovation idea make sure you’ll get your money back!

I’ve since been rethinking on the layout and am wondering if this layout might work better (apologies for the poor sketches but hopefully it makes sense). Main changes are the entrance moved across the allow for a smaller office space, the lounge moved to the old kitchen as suggested and the space to the left of the new entrance being utilised as an extension to the main bedroom for a WIR space which would then allow us to get rid of the pokey wardrobe and potentially make the ensuite a bit larger (the main bedroom window is currently relatively close to the wardrobe so we couldn’t extend the ensuite much further out than where the current wardrobe comes out to). Welcome any suggestions on layout but main things I really want are: An open plan kitchen/dining/living that is connected to the main outdoor area (the side of the house) the laundry closer to the bedrooms than the old laundry which sits off the family room maintain a second lounge/living area and an office space more room in the main bedroom for a walk in robe/larger ensuite would also be ideal