We watch a lot of movies... and buying a projector, even a high-end one is cheaper than a big screen TV. In our new house I was going to convert a bedroom into the media room, but now I might convert the "dining" end of the Great Room into a media room. Thanks for the suggestion! Why lose a bedroom, when you can appropriate enough space from a cavernous Great Room?

I like all the garden ideas ( it does look a bit sparse and 'rental property' look about it IMO ) , with a low fence along the front , a wooden screen a couple of metres in front of the door , etc , BUT when I looked at the very first photo -- the wider angle one -- the one thing you notice first is the yellow marker post on the left hand side of the driveway fence . So take that as a cue , and paint the garage door a bright colour to stand out -- primary or metallic or trendy , just one that you like , and personally I'd probably change the curtains ( or even dye them ) to the same colour as the garage door . Right now , everything is various derivatives of off-white and red brown earth brick -- needs a decent spot of colour to lift the houses look IMO . Another option would be 'natural' timber blinds , especially if you had them the same shade of stain as the screen and the front fence , but I'd still do the garage door ( and maybe the guttering ) your current favourite colour .

Good advice, but it is also important to match the builder to the size of the job, and choose one that is experienced in the type of work you need. Don't choose a builder who builds new homes to do your extension, as the skill sets are quite different when working with an existing building. Don't choose a builder who only works in the $800,000+ extension area to work on your $150,000 renovation. If you are living in your home during the renovation choose your builder like you would choose a flatmate, and one that will respect your family's privacy. I had one client whose young daughter learnt some colourful language from their builders while they were working on their extension! Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

Great suggestions by dreamer, I think a dark colour for all your trims would look great, even the eaves, we painted our eaves same colour as our trims and I absolutely love it, it gives a really edgy stand out look, try with colour swatches to give you an idea, along with your fence to highlight the entrance it will look fabulous. So many colours to choose from, sample pots are worth it to get your desired look.