I hope you receive more ideas, Marc. I am not really tech savvy. Have you considered collaborating with some of your tech friends? I'll bet they could come up with some really good ideas. What I am sort of envisioning is the look of a coffee table. You open up the hinged,large top and inside is a tech world. Another idea (don't think you could do both) is a gamer coffee table. Inside is small monitor, xbox and components. Another idea----a lot of physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists are utilizing nintendo wii as therapy for heal patients. You could come up with a mobile wii station. Get with some of your medical friends and come up with something like this. Unique: no one esle will be doing this, I'll bet.

I think a mid-tone blue would be best. Something like a demin colour. Tropic Night by Dulux grabbed my attention, but at a half strength. I too am halfway through my own first renovation project - one that has grown exponentially, - and picking the colours was the hardest. I took some advice from the local paint shop, as well as from a interior decorator friend who works occasionally as a colour consultant with architects. Take as much advice as you can, and then throw it all into a mixer (your mind) and then - as others have suggested - go get a heap of sample pots and paint big (I mean BIG!!) swatches on the side of the house. Then take at least a week to keep looking at them in different lights, at different times and one colour usually will just become your favourite. That is the right one to paint. Best of Luck with your renovation project!

Hi May I ask why you want to use rammed earth? There are other more energy efficient materials around particularly when you want to build two storey. The answer to your question as to who to use will be heavily influenced by what materials you choose. Building in alternative materials usually requires changes in methods regarding eg footing/concrete details, reinforcement (engineering) prelays and finishes. Talking with builders / architects experienced in the method eg rammed earth early will both help you avoid mistakes / late changes to accommodate materials and different requirements.... I would start by talking with builders that have built in the method you like. You will soon find out if it is what you want. A simple web search will locate rammed earth builders who are experienced in double storey homes. I know of one in QLD. Cheers

answering your questions: change the sliding door to a bench height sliding window and use the salvaged sliding door in the western end of the dining room where the best entry position is for the deck, you MUST have a proper legal drains do not consider anything else...the drain pipe for the garage laundry can be on top of the concrete floor, behind the washing machine and through the sink cabinet and/or under built in storage and only needs a few cms not a whole floor and no stepped up area that you would see or trip over.. the laundry can't be in a separate room as there's not enough space for a separate laundry without compromising the size of the garage...a laundry cupboard 80 cm deep is enough for the washing machine (allowing for the drainage pipe) you could use the old line cupboard to store anything you want but it's not cost effective to change, the entry foyer is already as big as in many modern homes and there's generous flatpac biw space in the small study.... the family bathroom is 2380 x 2370 (ie the old study minus 1m for hall way and wall thickness and, arranged exactly as shown to allow for the wide window there should be space for a bath up to 1800 x 750, vanity about 1200 x 500 and shower space 1200 x 800 and leftover space makes the small linen cupboard with the door deliberately opening towards the shower to use the back of the door for hanging racks for towels and clothes....btw i understood your priority was maximizing separate sleeping rooms and minimising costs...my last plan has five separate sleeping rooms plus the lounge with sofa bed totalling sleeping places for at least 10 people plus the potential for bunks in the garage so you need to decide what is most important and where you're prepared to compromise