Thanks Ladies! There are four down lights on either side of those light already (LED bright white - so at night it is fine I am more after helping to lighten up the whole place during the day). We chose those lights so that the natural light from outside is not obstructed. We had a big round light before that and it blocked it out. We have solar tubes in our kitchen already and love them - this is but just one area of the house where we have these coloured doors there are 7 others in the open space leading to different parts of the house - I chose this angle as it shows the two types of doors I have to deal with. Can't change the table - it is really expensive and hubby did not like any of the lighter ones when we were looking. Our old table blended in to the floor so table had to be lighter or darker. The rug under the table and chairs help to break it all up. Am considering more small solar tubes for that particular area too.

Hi Kruti. Those new pieces are lovely. There’s a houzz article in Stories about how to decorate a console table. If you select Stories, then Interior Design, then Decorating, and then type ‘how to decorate a console table,’ in the window, the article should pop up. I think you will find it very helpful.

Thank you everyone! Between you all you have summed up my concerns (changing bulbs, enough detail already in the stairwell, honouring the old house) and my desires (a nice lantern pendant or period light, LEDs need less changing, overhead lighting. I like the idea of the wall lights but we have not wired for this. There is wiring for for stair lighting (phew, glad we got that right) and one down light in the middle of the void. We have reconsidered a pendant as the one down light will be harder to change but are worried about obscuring the windows. Perhaps one of the simple fine-framed lantern pendants or white vintage light, on chains will be easier to change as we can pull it across to the stair, or a pulley pendant like this I'll post some more photos of our reno once its further on.

When selecting windows it’s a good idea to think about how they perform thermally. The frames influence this as well as the glazing. Timber, uPVC and thermally broken aluminium frames are lower conductors of heat and cool than regular aluminium or steel frames, but they do come at a cost premium. Timber frames also require much more maintenance. And, of course, aesthetics come into play. The windows you select will affect your NATHERS or BASIX rating and will also affect your heating and cooling requirements. For more information these websites have useful information: https://renew.org.au/renew-magazine/buyers-guides/window-buyers-guide/ https://www.wers.net/werscontent/how-to-select-windows