Doh! Just saw your BR study pix! I wouldn't personally want to repeat the same area, but if you love it, you can. I'd want art. Even black & white art or photos. Something that speaks to you personally so your home doesn't look like a showplace - but like your Home! lol My only other thought is that you don't want it to look too safe - like you couldn't make any decsiions so you just did everything in either black or white. You want the design to look purposeful. Search Houzz for black & white living rooms & you'll find lots of inspiration (which you probably have doen already!). Just for fun, I've attached a couple of pix of an arc lamp we have in our apartment. The globe is glass & my DH hit his head on it & broke it once. That's why it's not really properly placed but is too close to the wall! lol Live & learn! That's the only way to make it in life!

We've bought an old house in need of a bit of TLC and have a few odd rooms to make sense of! But if makes it all the more satisfying!! The window looks nice and large to let light in which is a plus! Storage would be the obvious solution but if you're all good with storage, why not install a small desk, put a noticeboard the full length of the external door so it's less noticeable as a door, a few hanging plants off-centre, replace the blinds and have it as a study nook? Or if it's your thing a stylish little dressing table. But keep it simple not cluttered as it will risk looking even more pokey otherwise. If you wanted to spring a bit more budget-wise: it looks quite dark so you could even get an inexpensive DIY skylight; do flooring (e.g. carpet) to match the bedroom so it looks less like an add-on. Otherwise If so you add a french-style door (even centred in the solid wall) and use the balcony as a nice little area with plants and an armchair. But more hassle and expense for not much payoff. Painting the exterior will look great, those 50s/60s style weatherboards some up so nicely! And if you paint the external door the same colour as the weatherboards (i.e. not a contrasting trim colour), it won't stand out as much.

adding some extra living space at the side will take away from the lovely courtyard and would not create the occasional guest bedroom that's already available with Siriusky's sliding door partitions in the living area but a loft over the kitchen could add an additional bedroom overlooking the garden and you haven't mentioned if there is rear car access into the yard and if so the option for a carport and or "studio bedroom" at th rear could also be a very cost effective means of adding extra space.....always subject to council regulations and dimensions btw if the kitchen cabinets are in good condition they can be reconfigured with sections having a deeper counter (with void at the back ) to allow for extra depth needed for DW etc and the shallow cabinets can still be a useful space savers in smaller kitchen with a new counter to suit the new arrangements

Thank you everyone, lots of food for thought. oklouise, would you have the false wall going all the way along the bathroom or just jutting out behind the vanity? We have a few cm to work with as the vanity we are looking at is a little narrower than it could be. jacqueline thank you so much for your photo! Something that goes down a bit lower might help disguise the pipes, ours will be a much smaller room than yours. siriskey, I have attached the plan for this room to see if it is helpful. I am leaning towards choosing a different vanity but as you have said this one is lovely! But it won't be lovely if it doesn't work...!