You could put it under a chair? chookchook2 is right, Ikea have a huge range of tables that you can store things in, you could easily drill through the back of one and then place your modem etc inside (that way all your cables are obscured from view).

Just to confirm I have taken the great ideas presented here as advice only and have no intention to do some dodgy diy reno's. With the exception of a couple of quirky exposed timbers as you can see in my pictures there are no other exposed beams. As you can also see from the pictures there is a large roof space on the right (east) side of the house but the ceilings themselves are flat with a slight dip on the north wall. Based on my own personal experiences I would have to agree with Two's Company that there is a tendency towards rendered brick in WA (although there are still many exposed brick houses in my suburb) while double enclosed double garages are also highly desirable. I would also agree that toilets within the main bathroom and non traditional laundries may be considered unusual by many (but not all). Ensuites with toilets however are still very common. Also due to the nature of our work we would prefer the laundry separated from food/kitchen area. For a 4x2 house it is only around 155m2 excluding carport/alfresco which makes the rooms feel quite cramped, hence the desire to open up the family room. However, as Two's Company suggests we will need to first get a builder/eng in to check load bearing walls etc as this will undoubtedly affect what we can achieve within our budget. Having said that I still excited by many of your ideas and with luck hopefully can work some of them into the budget. Cheers all :)

Thank you siriuskey :) The location is metro Adelaide so very hot summers and cool winters. Plans are for timber frame wall and roof construction, rendered hebel panels for all external walls and colourbond custom orb roofing. Party wall construction with 25mm gyprock shaft liner panels. Laminate timber flooring for living areas, carpet to bedrooms, tiles to wet areas, stone bench tops. Exposed aggregate concrete driveway & front footpath, grey concrete/paving to side path & pergola area. The market for these homes is predominantly downsizers, first home buyers and possibly single/separated parents with young children who do not want a large block of land. Basically nicely completed traditional/modern homes with above average finishes but not too high end.

I'd start with the basics . The fences , which seem to enclose 3 sides , let the place down . I'd go with 4 or 5 10 litre pails of fence stain , in charcoal/black -- I dislike Brown ( too 70's ) but I don't think it would suit anyway . Then some colour , and 1 focal piece . I'm in NZ , so not sure plants to recommend , but maybe a palm ( or two or three of differing heights ) as your focal point , and some colourful semi-tropical plants . The existing garden along the fence probably stain the low wall in the same charcoal black , to tie in with the fence , but add a lot of light / white pebbles , shells and similar -- any coloured plants or flowers will be highlighted . Then , depending on budget , build in a barbeque , with paving . off the covered area , and add a sail shade -- set up so it isn't over the barbeque area , and use a brighter colour canvas -- that yellow 'box' that is in the 3rd picture of yours stands out -- a sail in that colour , or mid orange or red , a reasonably vibrant green or blue , or even a neutral grey , will add colour but also distract the eye from the rectangular shape of your house . From there -- do what you like / can afford . The sky is the limit -- playground , pool , spa , water feature , sculpture -- wherever your taste takes you .