thanks to everyone for your helpful comments! I was going to have to pay around $190 for 6 more, but will order them from Beaumont who have a 25% sale on at the moment. I agree that I need to just live with the cost and finish the job properly, but your shortcut suggestions were all really interesting and much appreciated. And archimondo, I'd say it's like having a kangaroo loose in the top paddock.

m_mdimond; My constant whippet! Yes change is inevitable. Youth was great! Middle age more challenging, now the dread of what happens as the body slows, bu the mind still runs at top speed! Funny how we eventually become our parents and live with all the things they once complained about: eyesight less sharp, glasses, threading needles a challenge. Oh what we so easily dismissed or took for granted when we were young! Pain at bay to this point. Sad to hear of yours, but fantastic you are still managing to walk your Shepherd, despite it! Dogs keep us centred and motivated. They shower us in love and lack of judgement. My dad had his Jack Russell at his side into his nineties. He was his constant companion and often his sole company for days at a time, other than his twice weekly cleaner. Animals are so special. They deliver their own unique greetings and communicate in such different ways. My life would be so much the less without the animals who have been part of it. So lucky to have had two wonderful ponies and an incredible galloway. So lucky many of my friends had horses too. Horses, dogs and cats are always a point of connection into special human experience and also lead us to new human and animal connections. Nothing wrong with memories and sentiment. I think we feel it even more accutely as we age. Glad I kicked up my heels, as well as keeping those "heels down, legs close to my horses side and and elbows close to my own" for much of my fantastic and sometimes wild youth! I was a pretty good kid really, but do admit to having been a teen groupie, back in the day, wouldn't swap that either. Somewhere here, I believe is my scrapbook and definitely a few photos in the albums. Still like to kick up my heels, too! Yes. Gratitude is vital.

I'm afraid I am going to disagree with annb1997 and say that painting something that is already ugly with black paint to contrast with the white ceiling is not going to make a nice "feature". It will just look like an old commercial light fitting with a painted black trim, and stand out like, well you know the saying.... One option is to replace the light fittings with a similar sized light fitting that is the same size, or slightly larger than the existing. If you shop around you should get a cleaner design, without the dead moths and the nicotine stained surround. Depending on the future use of the office you can get recessed lights with diffusers to minimise reflective glare on computer screens. Depending on the ceiling height I would also consider removing the lights, patching the holes, and using elegant LED Strip pendants that have an uplight function to bounce light off the ceiling. However you will need more than two fittings as they have less light output than the fluoros. Complement these with task lighting to desks for a better overall ambience. https://www.beaconlighting.com.au/ledlux-nord-led-up-down-pendant-in-teak-1.html Best of luck with your office, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

Thanks everyone, again, a lot to think about! With regards to changing the structure of the house to make it more open plan - making one large living/dining/kitchen room is not something I want to do, it means getting rid of the 50s styling (inbuilt shelving brickwork etc) which I love about the house in the first place. It would also not be very practical for Hobart living, with freezing winters heating such a large space comfortably (initial heatpumps plus ongoing winter bills, without or without the wood heater )- would be completely out of my budget to be honest. I'm also not a huge fan of open plan living in general. The sunroom is effectively a 'tacked on' room to the outside of the house (load bearing wall). It was the original concrete deck just enclosed with plastic sheeting roof and walls, again a very costly renovation that I wouldn't be able to afford without years of saving. I'm liking these suggestions though- its all stuff that hadn't even crossed my mind. I think I will go with turning the bedroom into the kitchen and opening up the house from that side, I think that because it's a one bathroom property, it makes sense to me having 3 bedrooms and a larger kitchen/dining space. Thank you again for all your help and detailed responses :) Laura