To da_jg_king...This thread is about Stephanie's dilemma and all responses are directed to giving her some suggestions....its grown to be a rather long article and it is unlikely that anyone will respond to your dilemma. Why don't you start a post about your house and put up some really good photos to give Houzzers a "look in"? I bet you will get lots of respnse if Stephanie's post is anything to go by. Its hard to imagine your environment and make alternative suggestions without having photos. Cedar or any timber panelling can be deceptive depending on the area of the room and on the lighting that would change during the day..really need photos! I'm sure Houzzers would love to pitch in with suggestions...some of the ideas given to Stephanie might inspire you too! I love the challenge of natural timber. I've come across and advert for a beautiful new paint colour from the RESENE company..They have some amazing stuff that gets me quite excited imagining what I could do with some of it...You ask for suggestions for flooring that would look good against cedar walls....You do not say whether you want colour suggestions or materials suggestions...so...Go to the RESENE paint site and have a look at all their paint products, you might be inspired by the colours and that could lead you to other ideas...like tiles, floor renders..etc. Lately I've had a "thing" for a definite shade of Wedgewood Blue..( and I don't particularly like blue in my environment), but there's something very appealing about a dusty, light, warm-looking exact BLUE...leaning neither towards green nor purple...a perfect blue that I just love next to my timber walls.....That might be a clue for you...though it would depend, as colour always does, on the natural hue of your timber walls...Wood has its natural colour variations according to its type that also change with age....lots to consider. Put up some PICS! Yes?

Finished product! Glad I switched the rug the other direction, and the round table kind of plays off the circle window. Truly thankful for all your help! This was fun and I am so happy with the end result. :)

Serene, I believe your ceiling is ok, You don't need to go full height, there is a lot of ways to design kitchen for a high ceiling. Seems like yours is more than 3m high. Why not put some potted plants above the overhead cabinet? It can be fake plants, nobody will notice the dust if its high on the top. On your other question, I prefer Washing Machine to have a proper tub to soak shoes or really dirty towels, so if you can build another roof to boundary fence OPTION D like your sample photo, it will be most ideal. In Malaysia, its hot and humid, and lots of rain, so having a shelter that allows you to air the clothes is best.

Thank you everyone for your tips and ideas. Firstly, it is a bit confusing because the plan says 'study' (former residents used it as a study). Its intended purpose, and what we will use it for is a small dining room/breakfast nook. There is light from the study window, but most of it is obscured by trees. To pretty up the carport space I have planted some hardenbergias, but they are not doing great when a two-story house blocks the northerly sun. me me and fianou luca - I don't mind the idea of frosted louvres. It has come up in our discussions. I will have to research if it fits in with the aesthetic of our kitchen and mid-century windows in the lounge room. Kitchen and Home Sketch Designs - Unfortunately the door to the carport is unusable. It is over a metre drop from the kitchen to the outside ground and there is old plumbing around it. Bricking it up is non-negotiable. I like the idea of putting a window further down into the 'study', but only if we were to set the shed back further. It is food for thought in the future. Siriuskey - I think we are on the same page. I would love to set the garage back, however, that is way into the future. Thank you to everyone who suggested skylights. I would LOVE to add them. It might be worth getting a quote, but we need to draw a line in the sand for this renovation. After the kitchen is done, we need to redo our roof. Perhaps a good time for some VELUX! I am still really torn on what to do. I just blocked up the windows with some towels, and it is quite dark. It is hard to gauge because the walls are still up, thus obscuring light from the lounge and study. Will need to do more pondering.