Just reading your ideas on your bars interior, love the idea of the rustic preloved theme, makes you feel like a visitor at a friends place rather than a customer. I thought an interesting way to display memorabilia which is inexpensive and also looks the part is to use fruit boxes or crates and fix them together in different positions and fix to the wall, for example one vertical screwed to a horizontal etc so they create bookcases, niches on the walls, they also look amazing when lit up by spotlits which will cast nice lighting across them and provide a great shadowed ambience. Moody and eye-catching Ml design

The cane furniture will really look nice in your verandah. As for plants, jump online and browse for some hardy plants on the Aussie websites. They are a wealth of information and if you do have a large planter box or pot make sure you put it on wheels. That way you can take your plants in and out of the house. Also put a base under the pot/planter so it catches the water and does not ruin your nice floor. You can pick these from a garden store in your area. Good luck! :) btw hope you don't mind me your spelling error "taught" should be "taut", I really hope folks correct my spelling too! cheers.

Hi @Lindel, The easy answer to your question e-screens. Can you put screens in front of the windows in the other gabled half of your frontage (where you have the drapes)? - You may not be able to coordinate with the blue screens in the dining room. If this is the case, then you might consider sacrificing them to the cause. It would also open up your choices with regard to selection of fabrics for the Romans. The relative cost of e-screens is fairly minor and will be more than offset by the wow effect of the statement you'll make with some nice Romans, and at the same time provide a uniform exterior projection across your entire house frontage. I'd strongly suggest 'pelmets' with the Roman Treatments. Yes. - It will add to the overall cost but it really would tie it all in. I would suggest you do not have your Roman's and pelmets in the same fabric. There are many coordinated fabrics as options from reputable Australian suppliers. Do the job properly with someone who will custom make Traditional Soft Roman's (as opposed to 'Hard Roman's' aka Casual Romans, Beach Blinds. If not within budget today better to wait; than to settle for second best. Properly lined custom made Romans + e-screens with pelmets, are going to save you on heating costs. (I have them through my own house, replacing some pre-existing verticals and it did make a big difference to my comfort in winter and $$$ saved on my heating bill). Here's an example of a Soft Roman with a single pelmet tying the treatments across three windows together: Above: Traditional Soft Roman Blinds (Lined) with a single pelmet tying the three windows together. Treatment variation: 4 pelmets completing the treatments for 4 windows. Alternatively, depending on the spacing between your windows, three separate pelmets could be used (marginally more cost - fabric for the returns/sides). Personally, I would go for a straight pelmet box for a more formal projection (rather than concave edged pelmets pictured above in your space). Pelmets can also be varied in fascia depth and depending on the height of the window. I would suggest min 20, 25 or maximum 30cm height. Ours look great with 20cm fascias. - Go for 'coordinated' rather than same fabric, to really set it off, along with high quality flange cord trim. You'll find a lot of the images that come up in your 'Roman Searches' from Oz, 'land' you on US Treatment search results; most of which are unlined and tend to have that 'saggy' look. You'll find more images of Traditional Soft Roman's raiding the photo archives of the Houzz sites in Europe. (although there are a number of excellent images here here on Houzz Oz). We recommend Warwick Fabrics, Charles Parsons, James Dunlop (Mokum/Pegasus), Nettex. Jump on their websites, view their collections. In most cases you will be able to order cuttings at no charge. - You'll be able to touch and feel and see how they will look in your home. Don't rush. Take your time as getting it right contributes greatly to the impact and projection of the vision you realise for the overall room. Above: Another example of a soft roman but without pelmets. It suits well in this interior, top-fixed to the ceiling (which would not be the case in your room). The above image also lacks the formal projection (or at least 'transitional') that you need for your space. In the above image, it is also worth noting that when viewed closer-up the head-rail is far more noticeable, and given the proximity of your windows to the dining table, far better covered over by pelmet(s). You will literally 'warm the cockles' of your dining guest's hearts during winter with the extra insulation that pelmets add to the treatment. Finally, this from Charles Parsons via the Window Coverings Association of Australia (WCAA) may prove enlightening: Energy Savings - Window Fact Sheet (via WCAA) All the best and do make sure you post the before/after shots, whatever solution you land on. Nancy.

Wish i found this Q &A before. So many beautiful people advising and sharing here! I am Repainting Tropical Queenslander with dark red and orangy timber floors and this thread is so helpful. I painted Whisper white and it is throwing so much Green it makes me so sad I am going to repaint. I get loads of tropical sun in the north facing - with eastern morning sunlight. Was just about to go and buy Natural White just to cover it. Do you think it will be too dull/warm a colour. I do like a fresh feel and contrasting with vivid white decorative trims. The whisper white looks nice For a while in the morning while the morning sunlight throws read up onto it but then it returns to a green