yes oklouise, I hear all that - absolutely yes it's all about clients understanding/working out properly what they need.........and it's great to be able to seek comments/thoughts on Houzz from a broad range of backgrounds/experiences......the issue though is when it gets into territory where (from my perspective) clearly experience and professional skill will help resolve the problem most effectively (such as on this particular one) that it's therefore appropriate to suggest this the advised way to go.......I suppose I see frequently here capacity for designers to be able to "cut to the chase" most effectively, but of course this needs to be done in a manner underpinned by a thorough understanding and establishment of what the client needs in context, and yes very often the client will require more time to work this all through.........I however still see our role as relevant in that part of the process though, and not necessarily having to "wait" for that to happen, because ultimately as professionals in this position (i believe) have a responsibility (as part of our role as a consultant) to educate people appropriately and thoroughly so they can develop the skills to be able to consolidate their decision-making most appropriately for themselves and the project - by the end of the journey, I find my clients are rather quite the experts!..........this however involves a collaborative approach, egos are shelved and an intimate working relationship, which is very different from the approach (that some designers work to) which is essentially selling a "product" or particular end result, rather than a service....significant difference, and again, horses for courses ;)

Hi why don't you install the spotted gum floor on the staircase? you can just order a plain staircase from the stair company, and the flooring installer is able to lay spotted gum floor on the staircase. The stair nosing can be customized by using the same spotted gum floorboards. That way you will have a flush finish through the house space.

Council approval requirements can vary for every state and council in Australia. So contact YOUR council. Contact your councils planning and building permit department, and before you do that go online and look at YOUR council regulations. This will help in understanding the conversation with the council planning person. Council approvals are necessary for any structure on your property. You can buy all the sunroom building products, but if you have not received council approval, you can not erect that structure. So contact your council and get the correct information for your land. The tradesman erecting the structure is not the one that needs to get the approval, it is the land owner. If you contract a patio/sunroom company, to install the structure, they can get the necessary approvals on your behalf.

Thanks Julie - appreciate your pics, our stringer is fixed so won’t allow for this look completely, but almost , you are right it’s the little details .