Hi there, having recently been through a similar decision process for our Reno I can really recommend ordering the Dulux A4 samples. They are made with the real paint on them so you can move them around from room to room to see exactly what it will look like without having a heap of swatches painted on the wall. They have a sticker backing but I used blu-tac so 8 could move them over and over. Good luck

You must be really pleased with this result. Once you have the TV and fireplace in that space and your furniture around it will all come together very nicely. Congrats!

I like the 525 Coastal Gum in your last pic. It's light but has that ever so slight red in it that goes with the terracotta tiles, although it could just be the pic and lighting etc. But I do prefer it. Or I was going for the 550 before that. You definitely need to stick with the lighter/or oak look finish I think. Dark is way overrated and a bugger to keep clean. It shows up so much in the sunlight and yet I don't even have all that dark floors. Mine is more like a merbau look laminate and it shows up so much dust and dirt (I'm on acreage with a gravel driveway though!) But my parent's have a spotted gum engineered timber flooring with a shiny finish and it is sooooooo much nicer. So definitely stick with the lighter oak finish :)

As previously noted, the door to the family from hall needs to be opposite the front door so it sits between the kitchen and family. I would make the opening the full width of the hallway. Where you have proposed the large entry midway makes the family area cramped and creates a large dead space between the kitchen and family. Creating the external deck is a very large expense and if you want to stage it, I would suggest adding a second door into the family at the right end opposite the back door for that circulation path. Tv goes on the hall door between the two new doors. Once you complete the deck then you can rotate the living to put the tv on the laundry wall.