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 Joaney & Lainy I also use only windex on all my bench tops. The granite I had before was a white with a few burgundy streaks and gorgeous highlights through it. Can't remember the name, might have been River White but not sure and I found nothing stained it at all. The marble in my bathrooms I have now look very expensive and impressive but I know every single mark on them even though a visitor mightn't pick them out. In my kitchen I now have Caeser stone and if you want a virtually indestructible bench top this would be it. I have blackbutt timber floors and as they have a lot of color, I chose all white in the kitchen with just a tiny fleck. I just love granite because of the beautiful grains you get running through it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating volume build in ANY way....there's actually little positive I can say about it except they are a more affordable option, and for some people that's the priority.....,whether or not it's in fact good value for money is a whole other discussion ;).......people have to work out where they sit within the quality to quantity spectrum for a particular project..................It's certainly a challenge here for you in that how can you accurately assess and distill/filter the "advice" offered by various parties?.......Seriously, unless a builder actually absorbs your design brief and comes back with a considered solution, any suggestion/comment such as " you could raise the ceiling" or "put in a window" or "use trusses" of whatever is neither here nor there, and are just floating ideas to consider in the mix...........but isolated "suggestions", whilst may be ideas to consider, don't effectively dealing with the overall solution/big picture to your challenge..................there are different areas of expertise in this game.....builders are builders, (and they seem to have a knack of getting called in and influencing too early in the process) they build stuff and certainly they have an idea about this and that from experience, and they can provide sound quotation/opinion on how much it will cost to do something... BUT really only properly/accurately once there is hard documentation in place (read: documented&specified, not basic concept/design sketches/verbal ideas) .......I have great respect for builders (it's a seriously hard rugged gig) and I know some fantastic ones, but builders are (in general) not "designers" unless they have come form a design background......and the conversations if held too early can be (unintentionally blurred, confusing and actually detrimental to the client and what they really need to be focusing on...........design advice from a builder can be offered with good intentions, however I have found it generally comes from more a singular benefit angle (usually motivated by business/profit) whereas (good/seasoned design) advice from a design professional comes from more complex, balanced and creative position and process in which various aspects are simultaneously managed/considered to achieve results for a client on multiple levels, ie, cost, function, aesthetic, experience etc.............the different and various professional skills all have their place, but need to be utilised in the right order relevant to the process......................yep I wish you all the luck.....these are always big investments, and big decisions, both emotionally and financially :)

In small batches and small areas (1-2m square) it's incredibly easy and diy friendly. In larger areas it is very difficult to mix and pour quickly enough; it's really hard work! And despite the name, it's not truly self leveling. It takes a bit of skill to get it level and smooth. It's easy to end up with high points and dips. I've leveled a 3m X 5m room before laying hybrid flooring and I would never do it again.