Sue, congratulations. You've not only identified a colour you feel happier about, you've actually created it. I suspect you'll now be able to create a pleasing mix of warm greys, plywood browns, stone tones, coppers or bronzes, warm whites, etc; maybe with a bit of yellow added come spring; and you'll be able to live with the brownish sofa until you're ready to update or reupholster. I have some KAS cushion covers from a couple of years ago which show how this kind of colour mix can be done. One has stylised flowers (a la Mexican) in grey, brown and caramel with a touch of burnt orange. (You mention liking ochre.). Another is lighter grey, brown, taupe and bone-white on a natural linen. A third (less subtle) is warm greens with brown, taupe, yellow, white and a little aqua. I'm not saying go for styles that are a few years out of fashion. But do be confident enough to resist a harsh, hard-edged option if a gentler one is right for your temperament and household and the room's aspect. Robyn

The mirror is the wrong size for the mantle. There was a Houzz article some time back on sizing mirrors above fireplaces. First, you need to decide whether you want a mirror, a large picture, or a collection of objects on the mantle. For a mirror, it would need to be much larger. The upright edges of the mirror's frame should be the same width as the corbles under the mantle. The bottom of the mirror should be at least 150mm above the mantle and the top edge of the mirror approx 200mm below the cornice. Working with what you have got, try turning your existing mirror so the long edge is across the chimney wall and at least 150mm above the mantle. Petapea's idea of a round mirror is great and will alleviate lining mirror edges up with the mantle or fireplace. Otherwise, try styling the mantle and wall with assymetry. The sofa is out of whack with the other chairs/furniture given there does not appear to be a TV in the room. It looks too big for the space and is pushed up against the wall to fit it in. A large 3 seater sofa with feet similar to the chairs would be better. The sofa would then be visually smaller, there would be flow around it, and it would make the space look bigger as you will see more floor. Do you need a rug? Get rid of the rug or get one that fits under the legs of your "new sofa" and the other two chairs. A glass top coffee table with silver/bronze legs will be more sophisticated and make the space look larger too. Good luck.

Sounds like a very stressful situation! If there is absolutely no way the builder will allow you to change things (even if they did, I imagine they would ask you to foot the entire bill of pulling the tiles down and replacing all water proofing in addition to new tiles), I can make a few suggestions for improvement. Firstly I would suggest replacing the tiles above the vanity with a white mosaic, a patterned or a textured feature tile/strip. You could also use this same tile to replace the vertical feature in the shower. There are some beautiful shapes and sizes available to choose from. Secondly I would address the grout situation in this way: Floor - dark colour grout & Walls - Light colour grout. Lastly if it does not prove too difficult or expensive, maybe replace the tiles below the vanity with a plain white tile (could be similar size). Good luck and I am sure once you have a lovely mirror up and some crisp white towels, it will look just wonderful.

Exactly the same tones as mine except i lifted it with a stainless steel col glass splashback and s/steel handles. I can change my accessories to suit the season even . clean and lovely as dark col bench tops look cluttered to me.Infact last week we even replaced the two downlights with 2 smoked glass pendents over the sink ( like yours) and they look great. Glad you are happier with your chosen result.