Oh C'mon V Richards...every epoch has its treasures. B4 you make a mad run for it stop a while and consider the period and the reasons for the style...it can be extremely enlightening....unless its not the period you want to escape from but from some of the opinions. I spent many years of my youth outside of Australia living surrounded by old ruins in Europe. I forgot what it was like here. When finally I returned to Australia and found myself living in some of the 60s and 70s places..I found much to admire and wonder about. I may not have fallen in love with much of it but there was a certain mistique and a feel that I can still conjure when talking about certain places. Not saying that it was all romantic and pleasant but it conveyed something of the era and the kind of Aussie from those days.

I'm sure you've got this sorted now, but for anyone else that lands on this thread, checkout us at bluethumb.com.au. We're Australia's largest online art marketplace with over 9000 local artists listing original works from $99. The best place to buy art online direct from artists, even if we do say so ourselves - haha. Thanks

Hi Donna - Look for a company that offer a 10-year warranty and a product that complies with Australian Standards. There are some companies that provide a 'kit' for your builder to install to make it a little bit cheaper again. There are also products that have a 'rack and pinion' design which minimises maintenance and eliminates the need for a motor pit - just do a google search for "dumbwaiter rack and pinion' . Good Luck!

From what you have said, I think smaller separate pieces such as couch and chair(s) rather than a large sectional is likely to work better in the space and still allow for traffic flow. However, if you still have lots to do then don't rush to make large purchases. In the meantime, if your current sectional looks better pulled away from the wall a bit, then perhaps you could rotate the side table so that the long side runs parallel with the sofa arm instead of the wall. Would that help to stop it blocking the doorway and resolve the 'not quite right' placement?