Hi rissv100 It is rare that I would endorse living rooms on the upper floor over the lower floor. Exceptional views are one reason - however even then, especially for family homes, I would still recommend a living area of some sort on the ground level. With families of any age, but particularly with young children, the ability to have them move easily in and out of the home, be supervised from inside, but also be within easy reach should you need to get to them, and that indoor/outdoor connection physical connection ... all bode very well for a functional, flexible family home. Perhaps as has been suggested, consider a double height living space that can access natural light at high level clerestory glazing to light the lower level too. Using other devices in the home to get light from a higher level to below can be through locating the stair void near the living areas, and using an open design to help light get access. Voids are also good. Alternatively, you can consider your home seasonally ... a living / kitchen / dining area on the ground floor that helps with entertaining, and daily living with a family ... and then a upper floor family area / snug that may have a small kitchenette in it. Based on where you are, the warming north-west sun is generally most useful in winter to help you have warmer evenings in your home - which works with that idea of a family/TV/relaxing evening space. Other times of the year, you generally want to keep the heat of that sun out of your home. I have an 8, 6 and 4 year old who all sleep on a separate level to us and we generally don't have issues. I have designed lots of homes for families of different ages and there are various views on where kids' bedrooms should be. Some families like having the parents on the lower floor, and the kids on the upper floor because they think this is better security. Some don't mind kids on the lower floor as long as they can manage their access outside and security of openings, especially at night. I recommend to all my clients that your kids are big for a lot longer than they're little - and having separation between bedrooms is good for long term use of your home ... however maintaining some visual and audio connection is useful for that casual surveillance of their activities with each other and when friends are over. We renovated our homes for resale (it was how we got ourselves to our current home in the Byron Hinterland), and getting a big living/kitchen/dining area well connected to the garden was always a winner for a family home that sells quickly and sells well. Even though you may have no intention to sell in the near future, your home is generally your biggest asset, and you never know what's around the corner. So any money you invest in it should give you the biggest bang for buck, and help you improve the value of your asset. Hope that helps - best wishes with your renovation - it's an exciting (and daunting) adventure you're about to embark on! Regards Amelia, UA www.undercoverarchitect.com amelia@undercoverarchitect.com Get your free guide to keep your renovation project on budget - CLICK HERE

You can do whatever you like, but you need to decide on the margins of where the colours would change. You could go with the same white but have double or triple strength in some areas and possibly half in others. There are whites that will work with both schemes so I suggest you decide what tint you would like e.g.. grey or yellow or green and get a couple of test pots and paint a flattened cardboard box and move it around the spaces. If you have access to Resene Paints - Thornton Cream in its various strengths may work for the spaces you describe. But have a look at their whites and neutrals fan deck. Watch the white accents - you will need to make sure you have enough of a contrast otherwise it will look like a poor match so the contrast needs to be strong enough against white[ the margins on the paint chart can help with this. Good luck

On the surface this subject raises quaint images of flowering vine-adorned little granny flats and harmonious extended families 'taking tea' together on the patio surrounded by grandchildren and laughter, visiting care-givers helping the elderly live at home with family, receiving visits from Caregiver services...everyone smiling...but wait, there's more. At a certain stage along the planning process a percentage of us fall foul of the expectations, hopes and idealistic scenarios and maybe, for some, that is because of religious upbringings..."honour they father and thy mother" etc. adding guilt to the already difficult decisions. Housing our elderlies is not an easy topic to bring up for discussion in public because there is no "one way" to address and resolve this issue. I felt that HOUZZ, was a good place to have a discussion about an otherwise difficult and emotional subject that many would be reluctant to approach. On deciding to tell a bit of my own experience I felt that it would open up an opportunity for others battling with the complexities of this problem. So, congrats to all the Houzzers who've had a go at telling their stories here and making the rest of us feel that we are not alone having to deal with this life-situation. Taking care of our elderlies is about much more than building them a comfy granny flat or putting on extentions to our own homes and its not about applying a "One size fits most" solution...( Would that it were all that easy!) I found that my religious upbringing, coupled with unhappy experiences had with my parent made my final decision ever so much more difficult despite that certain 'rules' no longer applied in my own life....or I thought they did not! I discovered that the religious expectations put on me in my childhood coupled with those of friends and family members had reared their heads from the distant past to make my decisions more difficult. I discovered the power of guilt! Mum did not practise her faith but the rules about children and parents were convenient, those indisputable, fearsome rules to enforce compliance and obedience...or else.... I will never forget the day she quoted her favourite "honour thy father and thy mother" at me just once too often after she'd exacted very severe discipline: : I'd found my indignation at being treated unfairly and, through my bloodied handkerchief I screamed : -"What if thy father and thy mother are not honourable ?" There was no answer to that question, no hour long lecture to reinforce the point. Again I paid dearly for my retort. This example to illustrate that domineering parents can be very cruel when they call to bear witness to their demnds any rationale that they have inculcated in their children from a religious perspective and a socio/ cultural perspective So - pondering on wheher we would house our elderlies ( probably meant to call for accomodation suggestions and financial solutions here on HOUZZ) for me, and maybe for others. brought out a dilemma I did not know was there...Obligation irrespectively and Guilt.....they are your parents no matter what. Maybe today I would have guarded more jealously the life I'd won for myself.

Two things -- what is the floor between the 2 stories made of , year it was built , thickness , insulation , waterproofing membrane ? And is it only for guests , and how often do they stay ? IF it is concrete floored and guests stay a few nights a year , not a problem . If it is 25mm timber on wooden beams with a plaster ceiling , and it is a B'N'B , then maybe not .