When we bought our current house it cost a bit more than our budget had allowed. So there was not my much money to spend on updating. But I just HATED the kitchen: imitation wood grain cupboards, pink laminate bench tops and a painted wood trim around the edges. Overall, the kitchen was very usable, so a new kitchen seemed not necessary. So we called in a company who took all the cupboard doors and drawer fronts away and spray painted them brilliant white. ( to match the colour of the fridge, which later turned out to be a mistake when I had to buy a new fridge: different white) They also came back to paint the frames the same colour. But what to do about the horrible pink laminate? They used a industrial laboratory finish, spayed on, 5 coats. It is super tough and can be done in several colours and finishes. We chose a beige with speckles of black, gold, brown, silver. Looks suburb and very, very serviceable. The wood trim was also covered and a splash back behind the sink had the same treatment. I was without a kitchen for only 3 days. So for a reasonable cost, I think it was around $2500, I now just love my kitchen. The big expense of course was the oven, warming drawer, gas wok burner, range-hood and induction cook top. Bathrooms and laundry had a complete pink laminate colour scheme. yuk. Then I gloss painted the laundry and bathroom cupboards and had the same industrial spray on finish on the bench tops, but in speckled white. Cost $1900 for 3 benches. Done in 2 days. And 3 weeks of painting!!!!!!

The background of the wallpaper appears to be white to me. How will that go with a cream bedroom set do you think? However, if you think it would be okay because the cream is almost white then silver/grey curtains and silver grey bed coverings would play down the cream bedroom set a lot. Otherwise it might be time to steam off the wallpaper and start again.

Hi Jo, Hope you realize that Blue Pacific can grow quite large unless you have a "nana" variety. The standard plant which I have in my garden, can grow almost 2mtrs tall and spread 1.5 mtrs in every direction and very low to the ground. The area you are showing isn't very big, you may have to keep them trimmed regularly otherwise the trunk can get 20cm thick and the branches 7.5cm thick and it doesn't like pruning when it's got too big. (personal experience). good luck, Barbara

@wuff Oh yes, the birds (and bees) are having a great time in the garden right now. I saw a group of five rather large and therefore quite heavy wattle birds trying to take nectar from the pink grevillea flowers on the end of the long spikes (2nd photo). The stems were twanging about like great springs and the birds were being flung all over the place, but holding on determined to stay put. Great antics to watch.