What does everyone think about the height of the pendant light in the above photo? The bottom of the pendant light appears to be level with the top of the upstairs half-height wall. I was originally thinking about asking for our pendant light to be raised so that the TOP of the pendant light was level with the top of the upstairs half-height wall, but now I wonder whether the BOTTOM of the pendant light should be level with the top of the upstairs half-height wall. The pendant light in the below photo appears to be at a similar height (i.e. the BOTTOM of the light is level with the half-height wall). Who knew that a pendant light could be so stressful!

I really like the storage ideas, suggested here; as we ha d a small flat, which had a built-in storage area under the stairs. Looked good and was very useful and practical. If you don't need a storage, I can imagine a cosy reading corner; a comfy sofa, where you can either sit or lie down, scatter cushions...if enough space, you can put a bookshelf behind the sofa. As a powerpoint already there, you can stand a nice-looking, practical lamp; for reading or to create a pleasant atmosphere :) Good luck!

yes oklouise, I hear all that - absolutely yes it's all about clients understanding/working out properly what they need.........and it's great to be able to seek comments/thoughts on Houzz from a broad range of backgrounds/experiences......the issue though is when it gets into territory where (from my perspective) clearly experience and professional skill will help resolve the problem most effectively (such as on this particular one) that it's therefore appropriate to suggest this the advised way to go.......I suppose I see frequently here capacity for designers to be able to "cut to the chase" most effectively, but of course this needs to be done in a manner underpinned by a thorough understanding and establishment of what the client needs in context, and yes very often the client will require more time to work this all through.........I however still see our role as relevant in that part of the process though, and not necessarily having to "wait" for that to happen, because ultimately as professionals in this position (i believe) have a responsibility (as part of our role as a consultant) to educate people appropriately and thoroughly so they can develop the skills to be able to consolidate their decision-making most appropriately for themselves and the project - by the end of the journey, I find my clients are rather quite the experts!..........this however involves a collaborative approach, egos are shelved and an intimate working relationship, which is very different from the approach (that some designers work to) which is essentially selling a "product" or particular end result, rather than a service....significant difference, and again, horses for courses ;)

Hi why don't you install the spotted gum floor on the staircase? you can just order a plain staircase from the stair company, and the flooring installer is able to lay spotted gum floor on the staircase. The stair nosing can be customized by using the same spotted gum floorboards. That way you will have a flush finish through the house space.