@urj123, Cricky!!! I knew you were going to ask that, after I looked at the sample I had that was full strength ha-ha.....AND I re-read you post and you wrote quite clearly 1/4 strength!!! I will return to the store, AGAIN, ha-ha and ask for 1/4 strength. All jokes aside, I think 1/4 will probably be real nice, as I didn't dislike the full strength but too creamy for the ceiling. My daughter actually painted all her ceilings the same colour as her walls with Hog Bristle but all the experts seem to say that a ceiling should be white or at least traditionally its always been white and I like the look of that too. I won't be back in town until next week but I'll keep in touch when I have the sample in my hand. Hubby and I are hay contractors and are at our most busy time being in tractors for many long hours but we are nearing the end and then I can take a breath and turn my focus back onto the home. Actually have 80mtrs of edging or capping tiles around the veranda to do and then the same amount of concreting to do on the 1.8m wide veranda and then we can get the colourbond roof on the house and during the cooler months, we can start to lay the limestone bricks, so there's plenty to do on the home!!! I have photo's attached in an earlier post. Best get to bed, more hay baling to do tomorrow. Cheers, Barbara

Agree with everyone who said that art should speak to them and not be purchased simply to match existing décor. I am a bit of an art hoarder. I have so many pieces of art that I buy simply because I love them or they really do speak to me! I do not have enough walls to hang all my art, so I simply recycle them. I move them around or replace one with another over and over again. When I purchase art for clients I do so in various ways. Art auctions, galleries, online, commissions etc. it really depends on what the client's budget is, how far I can push the client's boundaries but still stay within the parameters of what they like, and most importantly, how the art makes the client feel! I never buy art for a client and just install it without their imput because what speaks to me may not speak to them! I really like your pieces TJG creative! I happen to love photography however, most clients ( at least the majority of the ones I have worked for) seem to be glued to the idea of paintings. every now and then I manage to convince a client to include black and white photography in their home and I do this by bringing my own pieces in, showing them how wonderful they can be in their space and they are usually keen then to purchase some of their own. I try to steer away from art prints if possible because in my opinion, something original can always be found to suit anyone's taste and budget. By buying original artworks, we are supporting our local art communities and encouraging new and emerging artists to continue pursuing their dreams. Good luck with your venture and I will certainly keep your works in mind if the opportunity arises.

The latest update! The demolition work commences on Monday. My budget has now blown out to about $14K,including everything however I think it's going to look great. My plumber and tiler are great tradesmen, and I am going to get quality fittings (on clearance from Tradelink!). My vanity does have drawers, however I had to make the compromise due to the cost and time for it to travel to WA. I have also increased the size of the shower to 900wide and the shower screen is 1160 as I am not getting it custom made (and saving $1100 in the process). The plumber has said as I need to remove and replace some of the walls, he can do an inset in the shower for shampoo/conditioner etc.and in inset/step at the bottom for shaving legs. Can anyone recommend if I should do it, and if so, what size the inset should be and how high it should be from the ground? Any advice is appreciated!

1991_kid - I think you may have posted your sketch concept yesterday when asking about relocating your powder room? Floor area is measured to include external (and internal) wall thickness, even though the walls aren't usable floor area. A common newbie error is to not include the wall thickness in the calculation of squares. Your house looks very big, with a lot of perimeter wall, and when you include the perimeter wall thickness it will be much larger (and nore expensive) than you anticipated. The U-shape of the plan means that there is a lot of perimeter wall in realtion to the floor area, which will be counted in the squares, and add to your costs. A simpler rectilinear plan will be more cost-effective, easier to build, easier to roof, and more in line with your price per square expectation. I would suggest that you engage a local draftsperson to draw up your plan to scale, with the proper wall thicknesses so that your friendly builder has a better chance of giving you a rough estimate. Best of luck Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls