Hi Juliahocking - thanks for the ideas! Sorry I saw your comments on the weekend and then forgot to come back and update after I had moved the furniture around. I like the idea of moving the sofa and creating two separate spaces within the room. The problem is that the section of the room with the blank wall doesn't have a tv point so would need to get that installed. I moved one of the couches there to face the wall and it felt a little bit cramped, and the other section of the room seemed to have a lot of space to fill without the second couch. Is this what you meant? I found the photos from the real estate listing to show the previous owners set up, they might give a better indication of the space? We moved the TV to the corner because we didn't like it blocking the window, but i don't think the corner is ideal either. Do you think it would work to have a couple of chairs in the "dining" section of the room, or would that be strange to be facing to the back of the couch? Would love any ideas to make the windows prettier. I love the outlook but the brown screens and frames are not very attractive! Timandra Design and Landscaping - thanks! Will start my search for some large pieces of art and colourful cushions. Is it that rug you don't like, or just the idea of a rug in general in this room? I wasn't sure about a rug on top of carpet but thought it could be a good way to break up the space and add some colour. I am planning to return that rug on the weekend and continue my search! I agree I love the green outlook and it is really nice to lie on the couch and look out (while wondering how to set up the room!) :)

In all honesty, you are looking at a pretty expensive renovation so it is probably worthwhile getting some plans professionally done. The best alterations will be site specific, so will take into consideration the local climate, the path of the sun, where the best views are, anything blocking the sun anywhere, passive solar design, privacy from neighbours etc. It's just not possible to make a great design without all that information and it would be a real shame to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars and not get the best result possible. Given that you haven't stated where you live, we don't even know whether North or South is the sunny side of the house, so it's impossible to suggest improvements! I'd strongly suggest taking your time figuring out exactly what you want to achieve and how much you are willing to spend to do so. Even with easy access under the house, shifting plumbing will not be cheap (from memory our plumber had the highest hourly rate of all our tradespeople when we renovated), so you want to be very certain that you're doing the right thing and will love the results. If you can possibly keep the same roofline, that will help reduce costs significantly. I'd also suggest using this as an opportunity to improve your house's performance, by insulating, improving the passive solar design, installing a heat recovery ventilation system, buying energy star appliances and LED lights etc. It's all the things that you won't see in the finished house that can have a major impact on how pleasant the house is to live in and how expensive it is to run, and they're easier to do when you're doing a major renovation anyway. Good luck!

The one thing we learn over the years is that everyone is different and have different thoughts and priorities when it comes to design. I agree with The Interior Difference on this one. For me, keep the deck off the master bedroom as a private outdoor getaway that extends the bedroom and offers a protective transition zone between the outdoor/public view area and the private tranquil bedroom. I also ask why you have 2 stairs? They are expensive little things and take up so much floor space on both floors. I also suggest that you revisit the ensuite/WIR. To me the ensuite is small and underwhelming for the overall size of this well appointed 5 bedroom with 3 ensuite bathroom home. Ditch the second stair and use that space for a powder room on the ground floor and place the WIR in this space while increasing your ensuite to the master bedroom to be a more opulent and luxurious scale that is in keeping with the home you are seeking. Keep the ensuite semi open to the bedroom so there is an easy flow of space. It will also give the master bedroom a sense of luxury and space. You can use shutters to enclose it if you feel that at times you may need more privacy on occasions.

I think this may be a great opportunity to add contrast to the hard lines of joinery and structure. As it is a dwarf wall, and the stairs could potentially acces the void from this wall, you want to avoid providing a dangerous platform to which adventurous children may use as a vantage point!!! I suggest building out the wall 2/3 the height of the dwarf wall, applying vertical timber battens to it, with equall spacing, finishing slightly above the solid wall, which effectively becomes a large planter box. So inside real or artificial foliage would not only add form and function and green life to the space, but would also provide a buffer to the void below. As It would be visible from below and above, it would become a focal point and extend the impact of the stairwell, it could also be easily styled to further compliment the timber stair treads. Plants have a way of lessening the pretence of an interior, bring nature in to soften man made lines. 👍🏻