hey everyone we have finally moved and we got the sofa bed. It is fantastic. I'm still unpacking boxes and trying to sort through things but I think the layout works as I can enjoy views out to my yard while Hudson plays. Thanks again for your advice and help.

Hi , I did a major repaint of my kitchen when I moved in last year (this is the second time I've done this in a home). From salmon pink doors and tiles with plastic pink handles, it has transformed into quite a lovely kitchen with crisp white benchtops and doors, retro aqua blue splashback tiles and chrome hardware. I didn't paint the floor tiles because it is not a good idea, it won't last. And I think in your case, the kitchen floor will not look as bad when you take care of the cabinetry and countertops (and appliances - don't forget the sink, this made a huge difference to my kitchen which had a horrible stained "white" fibreglass sink and plain tap). The only regret I have is that I was convinced instore by a staff member to use water-based enamel on the countertops and this was not a good idea as it marks and stains at a feather's touch and I am always scrubbing it with magic erasers to bring it back to white. Just use oil-based enamel, preferably gloss, and it will clean up beautifully. It will just yellow in about 5 years' time, which isn't an issue if you're not using crisp white like me. Step 1: remove all handles etc. and sand back the melamine/formica surfaces and vacuum up all dust. Wipe down all surfaces with methylated spirits to remove any other dirt and - especially - oils. Step 2: Undercoat all surfaces with White Knight Grip Lock Primer (keep this stuff on hand, it is magic and can be used for a million things). Give it two coats preferably. Step 3: Paint doors and cabinetry with a good quality high gloss acryclic. You can use oil-based enamel too, but it's easier to work with acrylic. It doesn't really scratch unless the cat tries to jump up above the cabinets and claw its way back down when it misses - in other words, don't run knives or screwdrivers down the doors and they'll be good. If it scratches, get a small artists brush and touch up with your leftover paint in the tins. It takes two seconds and is as easy as to do. Step 4: paint the countertops with an oil-based enamel. Clean up with turps. Do two coats and use a good quality brush. Give it a good few days to dry, a week is good if you have the time as it hardens in this time and becomes very strong - so put your camping gear and laundry sink to good use during this time! Step 5: put on new handles and hardware, install new sink and appliances and enjoy the makeover. For the tile splashback, follow the same steps, making sure you give them a good sand. You can use gloss acrylic here too. It will scratch if you knock it with a sharp object, but again, keep the touch up paints and a small artists brush handy. In your case, because the splashback doesn't go all the way up, I'd also consider chiselling the tiles out out and using a panelled splashback from somewhere like Ikea or Bunnings or a store that orders Laminex panels. They can be pretty cheap, and although not perfectly beautiful are a lot more attractive than those tiles. If you can save the tiles (the tile glue is probably old and brittle) and sell them, someone will love them on ebay! And even re-tiling with some cheap/chuck out tiles isn't difficult or expensive in that space if you are at all handy. Splashbacks in burnt orange or red would blend with the cream and floors. Other alternatives for the countertop (particularly if you don't want to patch up the gaps from the older, larger stovetops and sink) is to put in an Ikea or Bunnings (or similar) cheaper benchtop. I have also tiled a benchtop before and this worked really well with the added benefit of being able to put hot pots straight onto the benchtop. Don't use low end wall tiles. Use a stronger tile so they don't crack. Again, with your oh so brown floors, if you stick to lighter colours for the cabinetry (eg. antique white or cream) and a more sandstone-ish colour for the benchtops (or match the cabinet colour to the benchtop so you don't have to paint it and set off with the coloured splashback), the floors won't look as bad. Also, you can put a floor runner along the length of the kitchen hallway (in front of the oven/fridge area) if everyone in the house is generally steady on their feet and don't tend to trip over everything and this will break up the brown beautifully and you will barely notice the tiles. All in all, it cost me about $200 for the paint and equipment plus handles, sink and big shower tap, but it has meant that I am delaying my kitchen reno for a number of years, as I really like the kitchen now and everyone comments on how great it looks. None of this is hard to do. As a female, I have no problems doing all this myself as long as I have the time from work. But my father was a painter for 40 years, so that's why I can get the scoop on the best paints etc. to use on these projects. Good luck! PS: Don't let anyone tell you to whack some fancy paint on the doors and it will be done in a jiffy - it will peel off. Sand and grip lock prime - this is essential if you want it to look good longer than a couple of months.

I'd go further , and be more brutal ! Right now , you have white walls , off white leather coaches , off white floor tiles ( in a lounge area -- cold , cold , cold IMO ) and a grey jute type rug . Do you dislike colour haha . DON'T go for blands -- go bright and big , again just my opinion . Hard to tell the wall sizes between windows , or what the rest of the room looks like , but how about this -- -- A couple of leafy plants around a metre tall , each in a suitable gloss glazed pot , matching colours in red or maroon or yellow or orange . -- A solid wood coffee table -- I'd buy a well used $10 one on an auction site , with chunks and knocks and worn corners . Varnish the top , paint the legs and cross bars in a mix of 50/50 paint and turps , to almost make it a stain . Go with a similar red/orange/ yellow as pots , BUT not a match . And when you are done painting , but before it is dry , add more paint so it is then 66-75% paint , and dab and rub some on using a sponge . -- Get a BIG picture -- 2metre by 1.5 . Similar but different colours to the above . Can't find one you are rapt with ? Go with close , get any left over coffee table 'stain' , and dab it on , streak it on , rub it in circles . Say you use orange , get some test pots in apricot and mid yellow and 3 shades of red . Repeat with them too , and/or thin them and suck them into syringes , and have fun squirting them across the picture . In other words , make or at least modify your own work of art original ! Theres nothing stopping you there either -- how about painting some small random offcuts of ply and gluing them on ? One or two bits of aluminium or stainless ? A rusty bit of tin ? A knife and fork ? Make it into a 3D multimedia piece ! ALL the above -- $1000 tops and a couple of days of fun !

Hi squirrel30. I ended up, on a professional's advice, having the whole bathroom stripped and redone. It actually worked out cheaper than any of the seemingly more innovative solutions. It seemed a shame to discard a lot of stuff that was in good order, but to get the result we wanted it proved the best approach and I'm delighted with the result. We had the floor pulled up and replaced with 600 x 600 textured grey tiles and 900 wide tiles in the shower with a grate at the end so in a very, very large shower we have only 3 grout lines and they are dark grey. We used slab tiles on the walls in the shower with dark grey grouting and 600 x 600 tiles elsewhere. Again resulting in very few grout lines, and no glass at all! I posted pictures of the main bathroom at Bathroom reno done! Thanks for the suggestions | Houzz AU The ensuite looks similar but has a twin vanity and larger shower with a tiled nib wall rather than glass. I'm still interested to know more about microcement but I can't get anyone to answer inquiries. I've responded to a dozen or so ads but nobody has ever bothered to contact me. Not sure I would trust a supplier who is that disinterested in potential customers!!