I have an open plan home too but mine looks a bit larger. I would open the space instead of trying to make rooms using the furniture. If there is no other wall, you could put your couch where the tv is and place the TV on a smaller table on an angle where your gas connection is. I would also lighten and brighten the furnishings with chair covers, cushions and maybe even a stretchy lighter couch cover (good too as you can wash so keep fabric on couch clean). I would add some drama and frame the windows with ceiling to floor side drapes leaving the rest for natural light. You can easily do yourself with some cheap cotton fabric and some curtain hardware (as they are not functional, you just need to hang and drape on sides). Id turn your dining table the other way and get some nice stuff happening on your fence outside to draw the eye to the out doors. You could grow creepers, ivy or hang some trailing plants in a row from the fence. There are some great pots that hook onto the top of fences for this so no drilling required. You could also combine fake trails with real until the real ones grow for instant green. Amazon have cheap fake trailing ivy etc. Or, Put some ficus or other trees in pots along the fence. Id repeat some green indoors too ie a pot here and there in corners as you have so much light. Id also get a washable rug to cosy up the tiles and make it look less stark ie one you can throw in the washing machine! I just bought a soft one from target for $25! Alternatively, buy an outdoor plastic one as they can be hosed. I use one of those too and as I have pets, tits great. They have some cool designs too. Chair covers will update your dining chairs and are cheap on sale at places like spotlight and kmart. Lastly, Id look on gumtree for some cool lamps or a hanging light for your dining area. You can be modern but always balance with some natural elements like wood so maybe a wood based lamp or a couple of wooden ornaments. :)

Thanks for all your comments. We've decided to go with a soft tan leather and will probably cover just one of the chairs initially (we have two of them). I'll post a photo when it's reupholstered, which will be a few weeks away yet. Looking forward to breathing new life into the chair. It's so comfortable and we love that it's locally made. Thanks Macu Design for the fabric link - some really beautiful and unusual designs, love the Australian inspired patterns and will keep them in mind for cushions and maybe wallpaper. Meilin42, I agree. The lines of the chair are beautiful and would be overwhelmed with patterned fabric. We looked at the Kvadrat/Maharam fabrics, great options, but couldn't decide on a colour! Very tempted by the citrus, deep purples and teal, but as upholstering is so expensive, we've opted for a classic leather look.

Hi Patricia, that sounds like one of those 'rules of thumb' that can't necessarily be relied upon. There are a lot of factors to consider when burying or partially burying a water tank including the hydrostatic pressure (if you have a high water table there is a change the tank could float right out of the hole when empty), soil pressure which could distort your tank etc. I guess the first question I would ask you is 'why a 30,000L tank?'. Are you diverting all of your downpipes? How much roof area to you have? There may be other space saving solutions that don't rely on you partially burying a tank. Happy to help if you want to send me an email or just reply here.

You won't believe this but it is true, I bought a house when I attended a garage sale. The owner of the house I bought was helping her friend with her garage sale as they were leaving the area, she said she wanted to sell up and move with them, we got chatting and she took me to her house that she wanted to sell. It was fantastic, on one third of an acre with a rural outlook, in need of a bit of work, I agreed to her price straight away, I got it for a great price and no real estate agents were involved and I love it. Wasn't really planning on buying a house but the opportunity presented itself and was too good to pass up, my family still tease me about my love of garage sales and my ultimate purchase!!