My stuff is in, the basic stuff is in place where I can find it; the exterior is going to do the job (keep the weather and wildlife out) and the climate control is going to do it's thing (heating, cooling, water, plumbing).... my bed is clear and the shower and stove and toilet and fridge work. I LIVE here. That's what makes it home. I agree Chooky, my last move was past a nightmare and took us two years to physically recover from. I'm not moving again. One high point about it being ours... is planting a lilac tree if there isn't one there. Last place before this, we bought a little lilac in a pot with one flower stalk; and it was going to snow right after so we put it in the living room for the few days, and it BLOOMED and smelled up the whole living room. It got planted 10 feet away outside and when we left there it was well established and doing purple majesty every spring. We planted lots more trees before we left there. Here we planted trees too. So maybe that's it. It's home when we can plant trees. A legacy for after us. (giving flowers, fruit, shade, shelter...) Putting the roots down, literally.

Bit late now to comment, I guess, but would like to share that we are contemplating the plans on a government website for a sustainable home. Have actually got to the point of getting prices to build. It is 3 bed and study but we have changed the front bed, making it larger for a separate media room. The study is large enough for a bedroom and we plan to install a wall bed with desk. Have changed the kitchen to incorporate a walk in pantry. Love the master bed suit which has a passage to the en suite which contains the only bath so could be used by anyone. Guests usually only shower and they are provided with a shower and toilet in their area. Works for us! The plan is free and changes are allowed.

Selling and buying is not cheap. There are real estate agent fees, lawyer fees, removal fees, sundries like post office redirection, etc, and depending on your state, and circumstances, there may be stamp duty and possibly capital gains tax to pay. So looking at it from a financial point of view, you need to cost that out, then cost out the renovation with a designer, architect, or building firm. Add on 10- 20 % for contingencies, bank fees and interest for the loan, then decide.

You have a really gorgeous home - beautiful details! A lighter rug or perhaps even a pattern would help to lift the room. A great place to start for inspiration would be the details themselves - this project by Ann King (http://annking.com.au) actually took the ceiling pattern and created a custom rug, which creates a really striking traditional pattern. Camilla Molders (https://camillamolders.com.au) is also a wonderful designer who designs custom rugs that fit perfectly with traditional features, you may find some inspiration here! A few other colour and design suggestions - in terms of colour, working with all that lovely warm toned wood would be lovely, choosing cream and warm white hues. Or a subtle blue would be a great contrast! https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/designer-collaborations/catherine-martin/black-pearl/ https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/designer-collaborations/catherine-martin/feathers/ https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/designer-collaborations/catherine-martin/garden-party/ https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/designer-collaborations/kingdom-home-nouveau-collection/lily-nouveau-2/ https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/designer-collaborations/kingdom-home-nouveau-collection/metropolitan/ https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/designer-collaborations/house-of-heras/waratah-wonderland/ https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/designer-collaborations/catherine-martin/westchester/ https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/in-house-collections/saffron/istanbul-azure/ https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/in-house-collections/saffron/othello-latte/ https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/in-house-collections/saffron/peacock-feather-latte/ https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/in-house-collections/saffron/samson-dark-knight/ https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/in-house-collections/saffron/shadow-cream/ https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/handknot-collections/classic-handknots/lexicon/ https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/handknot-collections/classic-handknots/vision/ https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/handknot-collections/mystique/hudson-stone/ https://www.designerrugs.com.au/rug-collections/handknot-collections/classic-handknots/kensington-light-grey/