I think your biggest problem is the paintwork, particularly as it seems quite dark in the space anyway. If you sell the furniture & replace it you will run at a loss, so I would put that money into repainting instead. Go for a much lighter colour, like Dulux Natural White. Beige & pale blue absolutely work together, & when the beige is on the floor only it will be far less of an impact, it's actually quite a neutral flooring to work with, and certainly a 'beige' floorboard will lends itself well to a Scandinavian look. Also you really want to mazximise the light in the space to achieve a Scandi look so the whiter walls will help this too. If you search "beige and blue" on Houzz I would be surprised if there weren't countless schemes incorporating these colours. Good luck :)

Thanks annb1997 and Julie... Yes, I think it's time I invested in a water meter, it is hard to know how much water to give it sometimes. Its been potted for over a year now and I do think the soil has probably compacted so I may repot and will also mulch the top soon. I am also thinking to move it to an eastern facing balcony because the western sun is too hot for it come summer (and yes, the pot gets pretty hot to touch by the end of the day).

hi could be over watering, stick your finger in say 5cms if it is moist dont water, only water when you feel the soil is dry , they like to be moist but not wet, the stems seem to be rotting due to being constantly soggy, you could always take problem leaves and stem for advice from a nursery, but I would definitely hold back on the water, good luck.

Hi Devoted Friend, Those magnolias do look like they're struggling! From my experience their condition would be due to more than just lack of water. I think you've done the right thing pruning off the diseased leaves and branches, and from the final photo it looks like you might be seeing some new shoots already. I'd now work on improving the general health of your plants just by being diligent with watering plus adding a slow-release fertilizer, and a light mulch to improve the soil and conserve water. You want to see moderate, strong new growth rather than masses of weak shoots, so go for a general, balanced fertilizer maybe starting at half the recommended rate. Hope this helps - good luck!