Lucia, a girl after my own heart! Your duck egg blue and tan are spot on, I would consider these classic, which is a contemporary way of presenting traditional elements into your design. To keep your interior looking current, consider the duck egg to be inclined towards a grey base, less blue, so it will team well with the decor available in store. The tan would look sumptuous if you use suedes, upholstered ottoman as a coffee table, perhaps one with the buttoned top which can also be a storage item. Layer textiles, tactile fibres, like he suede, velvet in scatter cushions, and embellish with trims, ties and edge details. Layering means you need to be clever with coordinating patterns, prints and colour. Stick to two. Te tan and the duck egg, now be comfortable to vary these colours in strength and build upon a neutral bad of an offwhite. Consider that this interior needs the right bones to build upon, so request higher skirting board, and architrave of around 90mm minimum with a simple, but shaped profile. Consider plaster details beyond cornice, maybe create a dado rail around the room at around 750mm nigh, to make the ceiling feel higher, hang drapes from this level on rod, consider pellets, and layer your window treatments, so start with. Roller blind, then side drapes to frame and a pelmet to define them all. Use these chosen fabrics in cushions, and keep a simple or bold fabric for large items, like a stripe on armchairs, print or velvet on your ottoman coffee table, and a solid linen or worn tan leather sofa. A classic look is light filled not stuffy, so use reflective materials, glass vases, clear candle lanterns, pendant lint fixtures etc, mirror and metal frames. These will brinng the bling and shine into the space, the soft fabric will be sumptuous, and the backdrop should support this style. If you do wallpaper, I suggest creating paneled areas on your walls, out of timber quad, you or a handyman can do this, and paint the entire room, but paper inside these panels. Perhaps a large rectangle on your central feature wall, with two smaller (slimmer) side panels that you could mirror, and install wall sconce lights to them, it would look amazing, and add the architectural details that a classic, and refined interior demands. If possible, consider a fireplace, to create the focal point and depth and dimension to your space. Yu can use this to feature art, an opulent, extravagant mirror to reflect a gorgeous chandelier or light fixture, or a tv if you must. The rest, I'm sure you can manage. Good luck.

Wow, that house is WAY to big. How on earth do you clean it? Why not have outdoor entertaining on the back deck? This would incorporate flying fox to a cubby and play equipment down the back yard. In the summer perhaps a collapsible awning for during the day but at night just candles and the stars to keep you company. If the weather is too cold you could provide a pile of crocheted lap rugs or fur or old blankets to get the cottage or french look. I suppose then your dining furniture would need to be a style to suit - maybe more relaxed or boho. Anyway sounds good fun - oo I forgot to allow for the outdoor fireplace (stone or brick) preferably. I notice you said any ideas would be greatly appreciated so I will press on regardless another day.

we can't read the dimensions on the plans but it appears that the block isn't flat so the placement of access to the rear is affected by the slope and the reason for access...do you want/need to have an extra garage with driveway into the far back yard or just vehicle access for occasional gardening or pool maintenance? and this plan has the most exposure to the east and west which, depending on your climate, can be the most challenging to manage ...are there any changes possible to the plan or have you considered other plans for this block?

Most people buy a house with the longer term in mind, not just the next six months. By the time you have your house on the market, the marketing campaign complete, and settlement finalised all of the dirty, messy renovation stuff that is happening next door now will be well and truly over. If I was a savvy buyer I would think about the positives rather than negatives. It means that somebody else is prepared to sink big bucks into a renovation, so they must be sure of the potential of the area. They are likely to be long-term neighbours if they are going through a renovation. Potential buyers could see potential ideas for your house. And no developer is going to knock over a newly renovated home for townhouses. Even so, I would try and co-ordinate your open for inspections for when there aren't tradesmen working next door. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls