Your tile will co-ordinate beautifully with the timber if you can pick one of the darker colours out of the timber and select a tile in this family of colour. The trick to making a colour concept work is to either co-ordinate or contrast. If your timber is as busy with grain and colour as the image you've shown, then maybe co-coordinating is the best way to go. Never chose materials independently of each other - always take a tile sample home to see in the natural light, next to the timber. I hope it all works out the way you envisage it. Cheers, Michelle

Hi Chris The cheapest option is Grind & Seal, but we usually recommend Mechanically Polished Concrete for inside of a home. This is by far a better option, if you were to go for a Matte or Satin finish it is less expensive than a higher gloss finish. Mechanically Polished Concrete does not have a top coat sealer requiring drying and curing time and does not need re-applying in the future which will save time and money in the long run. Because Polished Concrete does not require drying or curing time it can be used as soon as the process is completed unlike the Grind & Seal option. All floors are slippery when wet, a non slip agent can be added to a top coat sealer which would be the Grind & Seal method which we do apply in a shower area if there is not a shower base. Polished Concrete in Matte and Satin finish does have a very good slip rating, has no grout lines as with tiled floors where dust can get trapped therefore it is a wonderful easy to clean flooring solution. Hope this helps, I have provided some details regarding the 2 main processes below There are 2 different finishing processes / methods that are commonly called Polished Concrete, they are very different so it is important that you know the difference & which process/method you want and which is being used on your concrete Polished Concrete - 12 to 17+ step process During this process the concrete is ground to the desired level of stone exposure. After grinding the concrete surface, the Polished Concrete process begins. This process has a densifier applied in multiple stages that is absorbed into the concrete which hardens and strengthens the concrete. A Polished Concrete Floor is Polished in Multiple stages in a Refining Process using diamond tooling & resin pads. A penetrating sealer is applied in the final buffing stage to complete the process The "Polished Concrete" process has "NO TOP COAT SEALER" applied therefore there is no drying or curing time required so your space can be used as soon as the process is completed Grind & Seal (a 3 to 4 step process) This is NOT Polished Concrete. Grind & Seal is often referred to as Polished Concrete, this is the cheaper substitute that gives a "Polished Concrete Look" With the Grind & Seal method the concrete is ground to the desired level of stone exposure and a TOP Coat Sealer is applied such as water based, solvent based, urethane, acrylic or epoxy requiring 5-7 days to dry & cure

Love it as is. Well done. The void above living will let on light, just be careful of not letting in the western light too much. So some way to shade house on the backyard end. would be good.

Timber flooring is always one of the most popular types of flooring choices for households in Canberra. This is because it gives a warm feel to the house as well as having many other advantages. Many types of timber floors are durable and low-maintenance. However, cleaning and maintenance are still required if you want your flooring to keep their look for long time. This article will show you how to maintain timber flooring, making it look even better as time goes by. LAMINATE FLOORING First of all, a regular sweeping can always help you keep the floor clean. You can use an electrostatic broom, soft-bristled broom or wood floor mop. And sweeping in the direction in which the boards were installed would also help a lot, because this allows you to pick up any debris that may hide in between the grooves of the laminated flooring boards. Other than that, you can as well use a non-abrasive soft bristled vacuum head. Regular cleaning takes away the dust and debris, so when people walks on it, it would be less possible to create scratches. Liquid may harm the flooring. It just happens as we use the floors on daily basis. It wouldn’t be a big deal if you wipe the spills and dirts quickly. If not, they may damage your floors and cause stains. You can use dry cloth or mop to soak up the excess liquids, and then use a clean and wet one to remove any remains. After that, you can leave the surface dry itself or use a dry cloth. Please do not use traditional household cleaning solutions as they are likely to damage the coating of the floor. If necessary, use a pH-neutral cleaning solution. You can buy suitable cleaning solutions from a number of reputable flooring retailers and don’t forget to read the instructions carefully before using them. Use a rug or mat in high traffic areas. For example, entrances and spots near doorway. You can also stick soft pads to the base of furnishings in contact with the floor. This also aims to prevent scratches to the coating. If you have pets in the house, it is also a good ida to keep pets claws properly trimmed. ENGINEERED TIMBER FLOORING Use an anti-static or micro-fibre mop to clean your flooring at least once a week. Therefore you can keep away any gathered dust or dirt. emove any spills immediately so they won’t soak into the board and cause stains. Try not to use mops that are too wet. Only dampen the mop a little or use specialised flooring clean solutions. The less dirt you bring back home, the easier maintenance will be. So do place a rug and use doormats at the entrance to keep away most of the dust. Equip all your furniture with floor protectors such as felt pads on their bases, so they wouldn’t scratch or dent your floor. If the room is for office use, then your office chair also needs plastic pads or a mat set underneath the wheels so protect your flooring boards. https://flooring2you.com.au/how-to-clean-and-maintain-your-timber-floor/