I had a lot of Tile Photos and shapes on my old Computer XP But the new one is Apple and I was Wondering why I couldn't Find Things that should have been there..The best ones are those that fit together as a complete Panel. It is True that it is not easy to Make The Shapes yourself...I did a tile Course a few years ago....You can Roll the Clay out and then print out the shape you require. (You need to spend time making or getting a Metal Worker to Make several Shapes in Steel...It is like Pastry Cutting ..Probably would take too long...You are right that some Clays are Easier to Work with...There is a type of Terracotta that is very forgiving...But a lot of the white or beige clays will crack very easily and are too fussy.. You have to leave things to dry out slowly over about 4 weeks ...The Kiln needs to be heated up very slowly any rushing and crafts will happen . I still have my old Computer so I hope to get Photo's unto a clip so that I can move them to iPhoto...Good luck with your Project....

hi Neryl and others, I love fire pits and we have a special area in the yard with stone seating around it. we love it and it is great for the kids and when they have friends over. we often burn these funny hexagonal 'logs' which are made from recycled something (I cant remember whether its paper or woodchips). we got them from Bunnings but I can't find them on bunnings website right now. they are called ecologs or something like that. they are slow burning and good. we have the chappala sun god fire pit from bunnings and it has been good. the metal parts do rust tho. the good thing about it is the screen lid which I feel is a bit safer. but the lid does get hot so you need an oven mitt or similar to lift it to roast marshmallows or add more wood or anything. downside is it has no drainage hole so fills with rainwater. good luck

If you are after plans of architecturally designed homes, magazines may be your best bet (try libraries as you are unlikely to get most at the newsagent), however there are also a number of open homes and architecturally designed homes that are open to the public, including the Rose Seidler House. Also, if you are trying to get away from the kit-home look, take note of how the architects and designers use everyday material creatively in unexpected ways to achieve a highly polished look. As for your floor plans, further work is needed to the downstairs plan. I would seriously question whether you need two bathrooms downstairs. The bathroom for the guest room could be used by everyone (maybe consider setting it up as a three-way bathroom). You can remove the doors between the pantry and the butler's pantry, it is already hidden and just uses up space. As MB Design & Drafting has said, there is a lot of empty space on the downstairs plan and there is going to be an empty void around the meals area. Also of note, try to have continuity in your windows - that is, try to minimise the number of different sized windows and ensure they are standard sizes where possible (its cheaper and more cost effective to make 10 of one thing rather than 10 custom sizes); and try to ensure that the header and sills have a relationship. You have engaged an architect as you feel they are able to successfully design you ideal home. I would suggest giving the architect the ability to experiment and push your brief, otherwise you are doing yourself and them a disservice and you should have gone to a draftsperson how would have simply just drawn up your ideas as you stated them. You are on the right track, so don't give up! Often a design needs lots of discussion between the client and the architect before a great design can be achieved. Whilst it is wonderful that public forums such as this exist, ultimately the discussion needs to occur between yourselves and the architect as you are the ones who will be living there. Take time to listen to their ideas, and don't be afraid to question something you don't understand.

We went for a 70 cm induction stove top which works well - bit more space than 60 but doesn't eat up as much bench space. Our space was limited too, and we wanted to maximise both bench tops and storage. I'd go for an under cupboard range hood and us the above space for some more storage - besides it streamlines the look. I personally like a sink and a small one - using the small one for vegetable washing and smaller washing up works well for us. Our space (and the necessity for two corner cupboards) meant that we had to have a small dishwasher - Bosch 45cm wide (several brands make them). It works really well if you have space issues.