Hey Sally, This is from the ‘Thermal Mass in Summer’ section from our website, "With correct eave overhang on the North of your building & thermal mass being shielded from direct solar gain we can control the increase in the ambient air temperature of the building. During the day heat gains from external temperature, the occupants of the building, and any electrical lighting and equipment, is absorbed by the exposed thermal mass of the building and releases stored cool within the thermal mass, thus limiting the temperature rise within the space to be within acceptable levels for human thermal comfort. By the end of the day the thermal mass of the building has in turn warmed up, and now as external temperatures reduce the heat can be released and the thermal mass cooled down ready for the start of the next day. However this "regeneration" process is only effective if the building is ventilated at night when the external air temperature has dropped below the internal temperature, to carry away the heat that has been absorbed during the day. This can be achieved through naturally ventilating buildings (opening windows etc.) or the use of automated ventilation systems. This reduces or totally eliminates the need for artificial cooling systems to be installed, thus reducing the overall energy consumption of the building to attain a comfortable living environment." When temperatures do not drop at night for 3-4 nights, our houses are still far more comfortable than outside, warmer than it would be if night ventilation could be achieved, but still a comfortable temperature. In our house we just use ceiling fans during those in-between days! We find that even when it is warmer in our houses in prolonged hot periods than it would be with air-conditioning, the quality of the air and feel of being inside the house is much nicer than what it would be with the everyday use of an air-conditioner – not to mention benefit that not using air-conditioning has on the environment. Hope this answers your question :)

what a great house! is the garden overshadowed from next door, are there any potential views from upstairs, what's the shape of the roof and what shape roof is acceptable to local council, we need to identify the potential size and shape of the "headroom" for the upstairs floor area, what is the position of the workshop, is the terrace above the carport used, what is the size of the carport, how do you reach the terrace, the steps off the end of the front verandah show "up" does that mean that the carport is higher than the house, what is the distance from the side of the house to the side fence on the carport side, is there an existing porch or verandah next to the laundry, are there steps at the back...and some external photos would also add inspiration

Sumera. Congrats on making the big purchases. The rug in your last picture might be the right direction adding warmth but still the style pattern you mentioned u liked. But I would suggest you buy something on the basis you can return for full refund so you can see how it looks in place. Same with pendants etc. the room will change dramatically based on how you furnish it, and will over time develop into your style. Soft furnishings can always be updated. Good luck.

Hi Sarah It’s really hard to compare as they don’t give you a price per metre. Just quote the job each time. The stone we used, Spirals in Silk finish is one of the very dearest Aurea do so it was considerably dearer than other more common brands. It has just been installed and I don’t regret the cost for a second. I absolutely love it. What swung us was the fact it was a jumbo slab so no join on our island, the silk finish (feels amazing!!) and the colour/pattern. We felt it was nicer than any other engineered stone. Good luck, get as many quotes from different stonemasons as you can. There was significant differences in prices between the companies we were getting quotes from.