Many suppliers will put dry clean only on their curtains (including the custom made ones) to protect themselves from people mishandling the fabrics and if there's a block out backing on the curtain then this might not be washable. Linen will shrink if you put it into a hot washer or dryer but as Julia has indicated linen is a beautiful fabric to use if you do the right thing by it - if your wanting linen for the block out use a fabric backing rather than a linen that has a coating and make sure that the block out fabric can be separated from your linen fabric (curtain makers will hate it as it's a nightmare double handling, but if you're going to spend a lot of money on linen and for them to be made, it's not unreasonable to request this.

We used Bunnings flat pack shelving in one of our walk in wardrobes, I'm pretty sure it is Melamine and it is fine. There have been a lot of advances and improvements to these products over the years and they aren't the cheap nasties they used to be. Ours are a matte finish too so look much nicer and classier than a gloss. Have you asked the joiner for a sample of just what he is thinking? This should give you a good idea. Check out Bunnings flat pack products too. You could use just an MDF and paint it, but that is more work and the paint can chip or wear off on shelves. Unless you want to go to the expense of having all solid timber, you will find most products are MDF coated with a timber veneer or a product like Melamine. Going on what I have, and I know Melamine was used internally in my new kitchen cupboards, I don't think you will have any problems. If you are having shelving, do ensure you use adjustable shelving too - it is such a bonus in areas like this when your needs can change over the years and it is so easy to just add or subtract shelves or adjust the height. The wire systems are OK for some things but over the years the plastic coating cracks and breaks off and you could then have difficulty replacing the baskets. You are also more restricted with sizes.

A friend of mine used slices of tree trunk, bark attached. The rounds looked fabulous and were placed just right for stepping from one to the other. They may not last forever, however they should be okay for a few years and would look fabulous in an area of trees.

When you are building a deck, it’s critical to look at the materials that can be used for a deck subframe. This ensures that you have a stable base that you can depend on to be structurally sound and last for many years. There are a few different options, so understanding the pros and cons allows you to make a more informed decision. Find out more