Wow, well, I didn't see that one, and since I tried bristle brushes anyway without success it may not have worked. What I did find, thanks to your suggestion, was this thing, which has fine grit embedded in the nylon bristles. So harder than a brush, softer than wire. The problem with my ceilings (all five of them) is that for the past 122 years, the thin pressed tin was the ONLY surface between the room and the corrugated iron roof. An oven in summer, an icebox in winter, and huge temperature fluctuations between night and day - so although the paint is only one or two coats thick, it has crazed as well as peeled or bubbled. Totally impractical financially speaking as well as impossible time-wise, to strip it back, so it's just remedial work for me. Getting rid of any hanging flakes, and filling in the tiny cracks. Togged up with eye protection, face mask, ear muffs when using the grinder, and a shower cap, I used a combination of the fan grinder below, a hand held small wire brush, the wooden handle of my paint brush, and the plastic end of a broom (when standing on the floor) to scrape flakes and crunch 'blisters'. After discussing the problem with a local specialist paint manufacturer I came away with a fantastic primer which primes ANY surface, even aluminium, bonds the paint, fills tiny cracks, and covers amazingly well. I used a soft brush. Much to my surprise it only took half a pot to do a ceiling of just under 13 sq metres. I found it was less exhausting to do first the scraping, then painting, whatever was in reach before moving the ladder. This saved a lot of double handling.. I hung my paint pot on the ladder, so just threw a cloth over it while doing the scraping. One more tip is that you can do touchups from the floor very nicely with a foam roller mini brush on a pole. The foam roller squidges into the hills and valleys of the tin patterns. I have now finished preparing this first room and only have the top coat to finish off. I don't think I'll need more than one coat, as the prep coat is so good already. I'm going to use a good quality flat white ceiling paint (they usually have a bit of black in them for better coverage). I don't pretend it will look as glorious as the original, but I'm not doing a full-on restoration, just a renovation/refreshing of a very humble cottage. I think it will still look attractive, flaws and all, and show the history of the house. Photo also below of work in progress, and the 'after' of the prep coat. If I remember, I'll post an after picture once I've finished the final coat. :)

we had a similar dilemma with satin and polished stainless steel and once installed the effect of the combination is much better than expected as the little touches of shine add some extra bling so i suggest that the combination of your satin and polished nickel will be gorgeous but, given the choice, i would have the mirrors in the satin to match the taps..look forward to seeing the finished result

Hi Innessa - that will entirely depend on how large your space is / the overall length and width of the current space., where north is, where any views are and where the big areas of glazing / doors / indoor / outdoor garden is!! We always try to prioritise indoor-outdoor flow and north light in an open plan living space and work backwards from there. Especially for Canberra's cold days, catching sunlight into the space is essential. Having said that, there are some minimum dimensions you need to work backwards from too - if the kitchen is at one end facing into the open plan space with dining/living, you need minim 1.6m-1.9m for a walk-in pantry tucked in behind the kitchen, about 2.5m width for a kitchen including island bench (more if you want a deeper island), and min 6m from the front of the island to the end wall for dining + living - more is preferable. How does that stack up with your existing space? Don't forget to post plans and a photo - and look through all the Pro images on Houzz for design ideas!! Good Luck.

I love what you have done with your renovation. I am very partial to large open plan living spaces. My only suggestion to this room would be to have 3 couches instead of one couch and a single chair. Situate one facing the tv and two on either side facing each other. This will define your space, encourage guests or family to talk and give a cosier feel to that area. The down side to large open spaces as mentioned by others are cooking smells, noise, heating and cooling costs. If the homes large windows are north facing with large eaves or shading for summer, the walls, floors and ceiling are well insulated and you have a well sealed home.This will dramatically improve the feel and comfort of this lovely home with out having high energy costs. I really hope your enjoying your new space.