Since you are handy you could make something like this ,if you want to safe time then get a screen and place it behind the bed,this one you can change at anytime and use it if you ever need some sort of privacy or other decor ,here is one idea and I will find the other ones . Privacy screen example if you like quilts and have a lot of fabric available you could make something like this one http://stagingandredesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/diy-headboard.jpg Also take a look in here http://www.homedit.com/34-diy-headboard-ideas/

We also bought an 80's (decade that style forgot!) 2nd house & have been renovating over the last couple of years. Lots of red feature brick, dark wood, slate floors (ugh), dark. In most of the brick areas we rendered then painted Dulux Lexicon 1/2, where there was brick adjoining built in wardrobes we painted the brick. Also beadboarded over red brick walls dividing the main spaces. Painted all of the dark woodwork - beams, skirts, archs & doors Dulux White on White. The slate however was a major undertaking to remove. Did this in the dining & kitchen areas as there is clear delineation between these spaces & the main living area. Jackhammer, lots of noise & dust. Slate remains in the main living area as it's too big an expanse to contemplate going through the removal process & mess again. Have used light coloured rugs on those floors. Believe you can get slate ground down to flatten out bumps then cover it with tile or a floating floor. However if there's any drumminess in the slate it won't provide a reliable subfloor for another covering. In the laundry & bathroom we tiled over the slate, as these were smaller areas. Looks fine & you would never know it was there. Lighting is critical, but you'll find as soon as you eliminate some of the dark brick colour light will reflect rather than being sucked into the space. Here are some before & after images showing comparison, out of the dark & into the light...

Pelmets are part of good solar passive design, stopping the heat rising over the tops of the drapes and out of the glass. A continuous pelmet suits a MCM, modern , or contemporary design. A deep pelmet suits traditional design, if covered by a valance. Padded ones are not currently in style.

Okay, here's an update. It seems that the only 'recommended' product is fibre cement sheets as they will not absorb humidity. All the other brands mentioned above didn't recommend their own product when they found out it was going in the bathroom. Scyon and Hardiegroove were the options they recommended. I found providers in Brissy but freight was in excess of $250... Bunning had them in theory, but only for full packs (20 sheets) which was more than I needed so that didn't work either, but... then they told me they also have another brand 'Duragroove' which they did stock. To summarise: I think I will be getting: - Duragroove (http://www.bunnings.com.au/search/products?q=hardigroove) - Some kind of nice pine railing Thank you everyone for your comments/help and I hope this info helps you too Denise.