Whatever you do never plant a gum! They have no place in suburban areas! The sooner the council realises that these trees kill people the better! We have had two gum trees fall on the back of our house now, one in 2012 and one in 2014. We are so lucky that myself, my husband, three children, three dogs, five Guinea pigs, two parrots and one bearded dragon were not injured. It's just a miracle not once but twice! I still don't know how we escaped unharmed. The gums do not have a stable root system and they grow very shallow, they get to the point where they just fall over. And the scary thing is they fall silently. They are not called 'Widow Makers' in the bush for no reason. I like the Tuckeroo tree, not sure of scientific name. They grow with a straight trunk and keep their foliage in a straight and symmetrical line along the bottom and grow hiding their branches. Essentially they look like a large mushroom. They are green all year too. I think they get to about 6 metre or ten if they have to reach for the sun.

Polyurethane timber floor finishes are the most durable and economical floor coating available for floor sanding and polishing projects. Especially if you are considering the resale of your home in the future. Liming or white washing your floor certainly is in fashion at the moment but is far more expensive to do. If you are still interested in liming your timber floors take a look our blog for some more info . http://budgetfloorsanding.com.au/?s=liming+timber+floors http://budgetfloorsanding.com.au/timber-floor-finishes/timber-floor-staining/

Daniel Lindahl - I didn't say to get rid of it - I just said to change it for something else - I have a 70's home owner built - cavity brick - Daniel sometimes it is working with what you have in order to keep costs down - paintings - if you have several - can be changed around your home for a interesting look - as our homes are our homes - the paintings - can always be shared in various rooms/walls to suit ones mood.

Though I don't know for certain, I think the cotton/linen shades are removable. I wasn't able to determine this by my searches. This could easily be confirmed by making an enquiry to supplier before purchase. Alternatively, a handmade one could be made removable by making shade slightly larger than frame and making ties.