I agree with Catherine. I see more effort put into the design of a study/home office area than ever before. If my clients don't have the extra room to create a working space then we look at how they can incorporate a workspace into their living areas. I'm also finding that a lot of people don't have the time or expense to keep updating their interiors but instead are looking for timeless designs when it comes to furniture and kitchen/bathrooms. A space can be updated with accessories and art. Another trend I have seen is for more people to put more of themselves into their home design. I have seen so many homes that look exactly like showrooms or display houses (which some of them I can say are stunning but they all look the same) - however my Clients have said "well the designer told me this is what is on trend and that this is what homes look like'. And my Clients don't even like the end result! They just go with it because. People want their homes to stand out from their friends and neighbours and this can only be done with using the Clients personality tastefully.

Hi Kathy, so thrilled to hear my comments got you started thinking of the big picture, it has been a pleasure working with this. When you are starting totally from scratch like this it is easy to become too close to the issues and the brain becomes overloaded so you can't see the woods for the trees. I think this is also a classic example of why I always tell people to live in a house for a year before beginning to decorate, as hard as it is to be patient and wait, you do need to get the feel for a house and relate your lifestyle to it. I do like your idea of splitting the room into two areas, the room looks big enough to give you this option, and to me intimate spaces within a room create a more welcoming and homely feel. When you have a good idea of the furniture you would like, put what you have in the room and measure anything else before you buy it, use newspaper or cardboard boxes the size of the pieces and put them around the room to ensure you are going to get the desired result. It can be so easy to over or under estimate just how much space furniture will take up. Sorry the green lounge in the study didn't work out, but glad this has helped you see options. Just my personal opinion, one of my joeys had a lovely old grandfather clock in her lounge room and while it was a beautiful piece of furniture to look at, I just found it a little on the intrusive side - with its constant chiming it just didn't make the room feel relaxing, one was just so aware of the passing of time. Of course this can be advantageous when certain rellies visit. She ended up moving hers to her entrance foyer where it was a stand out feature and the lounge room became so much more relaxing. Love to see some photos of your landscaping.

G'day Folks, My wife and I, like Jess (Strons) am a very proud owners of Nore Furniture, still used daily, and purchased in the late 70's! The collection includes a dining Table/dining and lounge chairs, coffee/lamp tables, and a Buffet. Interstingly, when we have visitors, the two Nore lounge chairs in the lounge are always taken before the modern lounge suite is used. (which annoys me, as the Nore furniture are the more comfortable by far) The remaining items are used in our Family/Ding area. Due to having constant use over the last 6 years with grand children, several of these magnificent pieces of Art are needing a little lift, re damaged finish. If your father does remember the stain details, I would appreciate his advice! The pride, skill, and love that went into this furniture still shines thru to this day! Cheers Dennis

Hi I Lesslie, What a lovely place to make your own (and bring up your kids, work, garden…). The best way forward for you and your family is to jot down what you love and what you don’t love about your existing home and land (site). This can vary between individuals. Your list should include aspects like the leaky bathroom, as well as particular rooms being ‘too dark’. Don’t forget the wonderful features such as a particular view to the garden (or hills beyond), enough lawn to kick a footy, and so on. Now transform these into two ordered lists: the first list being the things you love about your home and your site (list in priority order); the other list is for the items that need changing for functional or aesthetic reasons (also in priority order). Next, write down what your short term and long term needs are for your home: do you intend to live there until the day you die, or just while the kids are at school?; are you intending to continue to work from home?. Now, to think about how you imagine you’d like to live, work and exist as a family. Forget for the moment your current home scenario. Write down the types of rooms/space you need (as distinct from ‘want’). List the aspects of living you enjoy, such as family gatherings, friends visiting overnight, and son on. What about your work from home requirements: do you need a space separate from the living (kids zone) to make telephone calls, concentrate? And how big should this space be (occasional staff)? After much soul searching, you will have what we call a “Functional Brief”, bringing together the pro’s and con’s of your project, your long term plan and your wish list. This should now become your ‘go to’ document that sets the agenda for your renovation project. If an idea is not on your list, don’t go there! There is another benefit of creating your Functional Brief. Whilst creating and editing these documents you will become more attuned with the worth (benefits) of each component. For every project there needs to be a budget – and your budget will assist in prioritising what is most important to you (the tighter the budget, the greater the need to prioritise). Your next step is to take your Functional Brief and your budget to a suitably qualified architect. An experienced architect should be able to transform your Functional Brief and your budget into a project – a renovation project that is specific to you, your family, your site, your budget and your future. Best of luck, Cathi