Wuff, you wrote my bedroom memories of my room at our farm. Lipstick pink carpet and psychedelic curtains and bedspreads. I still think it was the coolest room I ever had! I am currently using 60's and 70's colours and patterns to decorate my fabulous 1965 built home, with a 1970 sunroom extension. Psychedelic black and white vinyl in the bathroom. The rest is white and beige lamipanel in the wet areas. I have an orange and cream geometric patterned quilt cover and pillow slips I love in my bedroom and found psychedelic lime, purple and hot pink , with white splotches linen for my guest room. I have a lime green glass splashback in my kitchen, with terazzo look minoleum floors and blackwood cabinetry, with butcher block benchtops. I kept to white enamel appliances for 60's authenticity, but did use a stainless steel cooktop. I also have 1960's canisters, two sets one ranges from tangerine, to pale lime, beige, deep aqua and salmon, the others have bight fruits, with black lids. My jug is electric blue, with a matching toaster! I have my original 1970's microwave and food processor, as well as a hand me down 1960's Sunbeam Mixmaster, with all its attachments! My laundry has a mix of cream and beige floral and lime green and more blackwood cabinetry and the benchtop matches that in the kitchen. My sunroom is resplendant with its spotted pine feature wall and lime green and olive cane furniture, with masses of much loved houseplants, including a hoya that occupies one wall, that is as old as I am. Both of us turn 60 next year! The whole house is painted in airey cream, an off white, that just takes the chill out of white white! My lounge is a collection of antique vases, fine bone china, silverware and blond wood lounge and dining furniture, all that were proudly displayed by my parents in the 1960s and 70's when antiques were all the rage! There is not a single tile in my house, by choice, to avoid mould and heavy duty cleaning! I hate cleaning tiles as much as I hate the colour grey! My place is filled with colour! Luckily the beige shot silk curtains that are the bedrooms and lounge are so neutral they go with all the ecclectic items and 60's era styling I so love. Their quality means they should see out at least a century of wear!

I have two tortured willow trees...(sometimes I wish I didn't since they grow fast and get all tangled up in themselves...and everything else) BUT... if I harvest some of the more interestingly 'tortured' young branches, denude them of their leaves and young bark, I have the frameworks for Christmas wreaths and other interesting decorations. The young little branches, once stripped of their outer soft bark and when dry, can be painted and decorated with glitter or whatever and stood in floor vases. This year, rather than a Christmas tree, having a large mixed pot of coloured, decorated and natural tortured willow branches...and maybe a few wreaths here and there, maybe some of the sentimental tree decos that come out every year and...since this is a cat friendly house...lots of curly ribbons hanging down from the tortured willow 'tree' with the odd fluffy little toy to intrigue. I prefer to bring nature into the house for Christmas. In pagan times at Yule...branches from Fir trees were brought inside and hung with apples and oranges Use was made of dried pine cones and home made candles were an everyday thing only some special ones were made for Yuletide...and that harks back to the cold climate countries...hence the sleigh bells and snow etc. For Australia I prefer to use our native trees and leaves for adornment also for the fragrance these waft around the house. I lovely big frondy lot of gum tree leaves all tied and arranged well and sat in a metal bucket can be a lovely natural touch more in keeping with am Aussie Christmas. Personally I think the commercialisation of tree and home decorations has become rather....'ratty-looking'..fake green pine branches, gaudy baubles etc. Well in advance we go collecting dried seed pods, pine cones and any other nature-products for Christmas decos...all natural and really beautiful!

I spent ages figuring out the lay out of our kitchen and am really happy with the result (four months in). We put the sink on the back wall, under a window and love looking out. Make sure there is a bin drawer next to the sink. Ours goes bin, sink, dishwasher, drawers, stove, drawers, oven stack. I think the passages in your kitchen area are a bit narrow. We have 1300mm between the benchtop edges. People can then pass each other easily and it doesn't matter if the drawers or dishwasher is open. The island then has drawers holding the plates and cutlery. You can unload the dishwasher straight into the opposite drawers which the kids love. You have two lots of corner cupboards in the pantry and might be better off with one straight line as I don't believe you gain much more and it will feel more spacious. Consider leaving a space on the kitchen side of the island so you can sit too. I hate standing while entertaining and everyone else is sitting at the island! Hope that helps.

If I were styling that room I'd add some warmth and soften it a little. I'd go with a beautiful big timber table, to fill the space, some fabric chairs, for comfort (or timber if you have small kids, like me, and need to be able to wipe them down!). I'd skip the rug until they're a bit older, and put in some big pot plants, and a lovely artwork- and voila!!! Have a look at our shop, there are some lovely quality pieces, that would look great! https://www.northhem.com.au/