Well after a very (very very very) long time my Living Room is all but complete. There is some work to do behind the new steps and some trim to be put on the bookshelves. A light is to be put between the couches (that the electrical cable hanging down) and the wall lights are going to be removed. So just a quick rundown on what has been achieved; Two sky windows - Velux - roofing guy Sheeted under the beams - plasterer New carpet – Bunnings – carpet layer Closed off the old bar and put in a door – builder and plasterer Installed ceiling fans – Hunter, remote control, reversible – electrician Installed downlights - electrician Painted the endwalls – Solver Paint but Dulux Chine White colour - me Painted the ceiling – 2 x coats Solver Ceiling White over 2 x coats plaster board sealer - me New blinds (venetians) and curtains - from Spotlight - me Installed a gas bayonet heater (until I can afford a gas ‘wood’ fire for the fireplace – cripes they are expensive) – secondhand from Garage Sale - me Installed bookshelves – 2 x 202mm high + 2 x 106mm high Billy Bookshelf and 2 x Brimnes Cabinet - me Built and installed new steps and bench top on bookshelf – laminated Beech bench top, cut to size and routed, stained and oiled - me Sofas – Ikea Ektorp - me So some things I would have done differently. The downlights would be warm white not welding mask white. In fact I would re-think the whole light thing and possibly use lights with reflectors that were dark so that light was only reflected down. They would ‘lower’ the ceiling and make the room cosier I think. I kinda like the ceiling fans but had seen some which were awesome but really expensive. Then I saw ones very similar to the awesome ones but much cheaper but by then it was too late. I should have put bi-fold doors where the old bar was instead of a swinging door. I suspect that it will be unlikely now that I can use the room for its intended purpose. In fact with hindsight I coulda shoulda done the job myself rather than getting a builder in. It’s not as good as it should be and that has disappointed me. The bookshelves have come a up a treat – need to finish them off though with some trim. All from ‘Ikea’ except for the timber bench top. The bench top was a light bulb moment and breaks up the all-white appearance of the shelves. Also the white of the shelves and the white of the cabinet were slightly different and the bench has helped disguise that. The bench top and the steps were laminated beech panels from ‘Bunnings’ that I had cut to size. I stained them, put a router over the edge to round it off and then coated with Tung Oil. The bookshelves look bigger in real life than they do in the photos too. So now to sit and enjoy my handy work.

That sounds fair enough. Do you have outdoor entertaining area outside the sliding doors? If so, is it possible to make it a "three season " room by partially enclosing it? The blinds come in tinted too, you can hang outdoor shade blinds on the sunniest side, clear blinds where the cold winds and rain come from.

Go for a neutral shade for the couch. Don't buy a matching chair. X2 couches same is okay. Occasional chair something different, perhaps a colour or patterned fabric. I like sofas that are off the floor to give a more floating look but the one you like is a classic style, I think "hamptons". Get the furniture Fibre guarded upon delivery, it really does make a difference to the batterings of spills etc. If purchasing a rug do that last. People always buy too small. Front legs of furniture must sit on rug or all furniture to sit on the rug. Bring colour in with accessories. I still like the idea of soft curtains to creat a more relaxed cozy feel and will help break up the white brick look. Take rods right up to the ceiling. Go for a mid grey carpet, not too dark as to see every bit of biscuit etc on it. Get good underlay. I would go for a coffee table not a matched ottoman. The room will look so different. Unsure if joinery was aluminum but if so could get a roller shade over it, otherwise paint it out. Good luck and I look forward to some photos. Oh, colours. Warm grey, Resene Quarter truffle with stark white trims like Resene alabaster or Resene Black White. If you want more of a warm neutral look at colours of NZ Dulux. Quarter Opononi (there will be a match for that in Oz if not in NZ.

You are wanting help with a living room make over to make your beautiful room work, I suggest trying to re arrange the layout as it would open up the room, at the moment it is closed off with a small opening between the lounge and your lovely stone wall, and the other end of the lounge has multi chairs tables etc to walk around. You could try your lounge where you are thinking of having the TV but stepped out from the corner and wall having your arm chairs positioned facing the fireplace, or having the lounge opposite the fireplace with arm chairs either side with one chair and a lamp in the corner you are currently wanting the TV. A new rug as suggested by Julie would not only be lighter but smaller and only a short distance under the front of the lounge. to show off your lovely light oak coloured timber flooring I have attached a couple of examples, one from your ideas book, showing layouts and TV positioning. Your stone wall is the feature in the room without being distracted. I would also consider a longer timber mantle as shown in one photo and the TV mounted above this as shown in your example, I would mount the Mantel and TV as low as allowed over the fire, the mantel should protect the TV from any rising heat, you could change the wall lights to reflect light up and down the stone How did you go with the chimney in the kitchen