The grey wall colour! This colour pallette from the deepest to the lightest has been on trend for a while now ... and it doesn't seem to matter what room of the house: it is becoming rather ho hum!! No proportion, balance, harmony with the elements in the room. Is this room a backpackers shared TV room?

Sue, congratulations. You've not only identified a colour you feel happier about, you've actually created it. I suspect you'll now be able to create a pleasing mix of warm greys, plywood browns, stone tones, coppers or bronzes, warm whites, etc; maybe with a bit of yellow added come spring; and you'll be able to live with the brownish sofa until you're ready to update or reupholster. I have some KAS cushion covers from a couple of years ago which show how this kind of colour mix can be done. One has stylised flowers (a la Mexican) in grey, brown and caramel with a touch of burnt orange. (You mention liking ochre.). Another is lighter grey, brown, taupe and bone-white on a natural linen. A third (less subtle) is warm greens with brown, taupe, yellow, white and a little aqua. I'm not saying go for styles that are a few years out of fashion. But do be confident enough to resist a harsh, hard-edged option if a gentler one is right for your temperament and household and the room's aspect. Robyn

Spotted Gum is a great hard wearing timber with a Janka rating of 11. This means it is high density timber and won't dent as easily as softer timbers like American Oak. A polyurethane finish is the hardest and most durable timber floor coating and it comes in gloss satin and mat. The lower sheen's are more forgiving if you you have pets and young children. Bamboo is another hard product but only comes in short lengths so you would need to take that look into consideration when selecting. Some clients don't like the look of the short boards and consider it a cheap look. Others prefer the longer floor boards of timber. If you do choose bamboo make sure that you find out the coating used and whether it can be sanded and re coated down the track, as all timber and bamboo floors will need a touch up especially if you have pets. Some bamboo floors can not be sanded due the coating used. Hope this helps. Our website may offer some inspiration. Good Luck http://budgetfloorsanding.com.au/

Thanks for the additional info and photos, EL, and what a clever husband to construct the model! If it were me, I would install the heater on the wall in sitting/dining room. I say this location as it is tucked away a little better than the location behind kitchen wall, and seems safer (for people walking past it when in use), to me anyway. The TV could be placed or mounted next to it, but far enough away so heat doesn't affect it in any way (not sure if that's a consideration). My folks had a large wood burning stove installed in their old house long ago, to replace the original fireplace. My mother used to cook large pots of homemade soups on the top of it, letting them simmer all day long - the aromas were amazing. Your house project is exciting. Best wishes.