That's what I got also. I didn't make it all the way through but got confused while reading what the original topic was because it went in so many directions. It's hard on Houzz to discuss serious issues like that through text. So much gets lost in translation and can get completely misinterpreted. Without someone sitting right in front of you, it's nearly impossible to get it 100%. Couldn't figure out why politics kept getting brought up regarding government allowance, etc from posters. I'm sure she was just throwing her heart out there but not wording it in the best manner. Does sound like she has some serious hardships. I just thought Houzz might not be the best place to unload all of it. Unless you recognize her name and have followers her, it was really hard to understand everything. I'm really glad you caught it all Roo and could help her.

Hi Lah, firstly we are in an inner Sydney area, so your house is positively enormous by our standards!. My kitchen/dining is 4.6 x 6. This will be my main entertaining space. We have a separate loungeroom upstairs that will be just for us. It's 4 x 4 roughly. The plaster is light grey, whereas the framing was dark and made it look like a cave. If you really don't need the 4th bedroom, I'd be leaving the cavity slider and making it a media room perhaps?. My boys are on the edge of their teen years, I know they won't want to be anywhere near us soon....I think open plan works well when your kids are young, but as they age they really want to be away!! I think opening that whole area up would make for a giant open-plan but odd shape. Keeping it gives the option for future buyers or you to determine what you do with it.

Hi Roz, Looks like you have a beautiful space with lots of light, great idea to go with a tropical theme and the bar will be a fantastic touch. If you want something a little more casual, have you considered adding a [drinks trolley/ bar cart[(https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/bar-trolleys-let-the-good-times-roll-stsetivw-vs~56579761) instead of a built-in bar? Also, there are some great ideas in [this story[(https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/get-the-look-caribbean-style-with-a-twist-stsetivw-vs~76280038) that might help you with furniture and decor. As a lot of other people have said, natural fibres are going to be your best friends, as are lots of [beautiful houseplants[(https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/our-10-hottest-indoor-plants-stsetivw-vs~27299305) to add lushness and freshness to the space, perfect with all of those windows. Hope this helps, and can't wait to see the finished product! Deirdre

Keep it light otherwise it makes the low ceilings feel even lower. I will share our story in the hope it may help you! Picture 1. We moved from a house with high ceilings to one with low bedroom ceilings and it felt claustrophobic for a while (2 years we put up with it). Our bedroom, when we moved in, had burgundy walls, dark wooden doors into the ensuite and wardrobe, b&w zigzag curtains and pink carpet (yes someone thought pink carpets and burgundy walls would be a good idea!). The one redeeming feature was large glass sliding doors that led out onto a covered deck which provided a view and let in some light (which pretty much got swallowed by all the dark features). We faced our bed towards the doors when we moved in to have a view - as who wants to look into the bathroom like the previous owners did in the picture! Transforming the space: We pulled up the carpet and laid medium coloured wood floors (dark floors were too much for this space and needed to work through entire house), we painted the whole room including the ensuite and bathroom slatted doors white - all of which transformed the space in a way that really surprised me. A tallish wooden bed head and antique dresser, along with tall (rather than wide) artwork help add height to the room as do the doors now that they are white. To keep a feeling of warmth in the room (sorry minimalists out there) I used linen bedding in greys and used blue accessories in rugs and cushions which compliment the artwork which we picked up from a painter on the streets of Paris (framed on our return). We used a muted rug on the floor to bring elements together and for warmth for our feet as we live in a very cool climate during winter months. I simply wanted colour that wouldn't overpower the space. Since pics were taken: We have since started revamping the outside deck and removed some of the lattice which has brought a beautiful flood of natural light flooding in and a view of the garden. Our next step: will be to add some white linen or silk curtains at the highest height possible to maintain an illusion of height. We will extend the curtains to land either side of the doors when open, as while we now need to have them for some added privacy, we still want the light and the view most of the time including when the deck is lit up at night. We will keep the curtains light as colour would encroach on the room size which isn't very big. Our dream addition is to replace the sliding doors with white French doors. Hope this is helpful.