I have miles of decking at two houses. All timber when put in the Australian sun will suffer. When building our beach house we decided to go for Spotted Gum and let it grey. Why fight it? We applied Cutek, and will on a regular basis. At our main house we have lots of Merabu or Quilla. Will not grey the same, and leaches lots of red stain. Cheap, but would not use again. What ever you use, use a good quality oil that seeps deep into the wood not a traditional stain/or top finishing product.

Dear Sophia, I have read your post very carefully and become interested to advise you about flooring. I am a professional flooring consultant. I recommend you the following options : 1. Waterproof Laminate for whole house as you mentioned you want same flooring in Laundry area too. There are few waterproof laminate in the market and I am happy to help you with that if you need me to do that. 2. Carpet (Solution Dyed Nylon or Triexta) for living, dining, study and bedrooms and Vinyl planks or waterproof laminate for Kitchen and Laundry areas. If you need any further please do not hesitate to contact us via http://www.carpetshoponline.com.au/online-enquiry/

Hi Amanda, the hexagon tiles on the floors will absolutely look great too and if that's the dream, then go for it. Personally, I would also try to run the hex tiles up and over the bath hob if your budget allows. A light grey grout (instead of white) and also sealing the grout properly will help to maintain. I like both vanities, they are very similar, and would probably go with the one that offers the most drawer space as there's not a lot of storage in the bathroom (speaking of which, add a niche in the shower area if you can). Also bear in mind the toilet roll holder and make sure it can be fixed to the side of the vanity despite the drawer (as you can't fix to the other side of the toilet which I presume will have a glass shower screen). Lastly, I know you've already mentioned white, but have you considered timber (or timber-look) panels for the drawer fronts? It's just a suggestion, but it will bring some warmth into the modern space and may also be another way to tie in with the federation style of the home. Found those couple of photos to give you an idea how you can introduce timber... https://www.houzz.com.au/photos/designer-bathroom-project-contemporary-bathroom-melbourne-phvw-vp~32381930 https://www.houzz.com.au/photos/neutral-bay-house-contemporary-bathroom-sydney-phvw-vp~19885477

Start with a budget and how much you want to spend. Think about how much work you are prepared to do yourself. Think about the type of roof cover you want, and how it will be supported. Think about maintenance, and how often you are prepared to stain or oil a deck. At the top end I would look at a slab to match the existing slab, with a tiled finish over both new and old slabs, with a vergola roof than can open and shut. At the bottom end I would think about concrete pavers laid on a sand bed with pebbles in between and a market umbrella. Middle range would be a timber deck with a pergola and shade cloth. Lots to think about.. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls