Kelly - at the top right of your comment is a delete and edit button. Just click the delete on each duplicate and it will go away. I love white curtains in a room, they really add freshness. For a lounge room though I would use a sheer fabric that is more structured and heavier than a normal sheer - if that makes sense. If you use a double track you could then put a thermal lining behind the sheer for privacy at night or for keeping the sun/heat out. It will also keep warmth in in winter. I take it your artwork is in red and black and assume your lounge is black? I'm thinking green would be a good colour to introduce into your room. Post photos when your furniture arrives and we can take it further from there if you like.

Real timber floors will always provide a more luxurious feel to a home. The longer timber floor boards have a completely different look to the manufactured engineered floor boards, that are all short lengths. As Floor sanders we are often asked to repair and re sand engineered timber floors. This can prove difficult at times as product lines are discontinued or the sizing changes and we are unable to find replacement boards. Sometimes during a home renovation a room may be extended and the owners wish to continue the engineer flooring into the new extension. This can cause major problems to the building budget when a matching product is no longer available. Engineered floors are a product worth considering in certain situations. Just make sure that surplus boards are purchased for that unforeseen mishap or for when the wooden floors require floor sanding and polishing or floor repairs in the future. Installation and Floor Sanding Engineered Timber Floors

When my own home was rebuilt in Christchurch I used wood vinyl flooring in Rimu colour. It works fantastically in any wet areas like bathrooms and kitchen and laundry (washing machine overflows! No problem). It looks so real and wears extremely well. The colours you can get are amazing and it clicks together. I currently also work in the flooring section of a home improvement store and having looked at how the different engineered floors are made and wood laminates and bamboos, I would say that if you dont have the money to spend at the highest level of engineered timber dont go for the cheapest. The wood grain is printed on and any moisture will kill that floor. Bamboo is a great option as it solid banboo. The engineered has a 3mm or so layer of the actual timber. It can be re-sanded lightly if it scratches. Personally I would go with the wood vinyl planking again. Looks fantastic.

Hi Newbie. That's such a good question. They both have their pro's and con's. Laminate can be easier to maintain on a daily basis because it doesn't show scratches as easily (from furniture, pets etc) and it's really easy to wipe clean. BUT- because the top layer isn't actually a wood veneer and it's thinner than engineered boards- once it's worn you can't repair it. With engineered boards you can sand them back and re stain (how many times you can do this depends on the thickness of the board you buy- thicker the board the higher the cost. If you have furniture protectors under dining chairs, and ideally rugs in the room to create a finished look, you will reduce scratching greatly on engineered boards. Engineered boards are nicer to walk on IMO, also warmer in winter. Laminate can sound hollow, even with an underlay. Laminate can also be slippery without a slip resistant layer. Engineered boards are more expensive and much harder to lay. If it's affordable you won't regret engineered boards for long term repairability and/or re sale value. Like everything in interiors it all comes down to budget- and the laminates are getting much better these days. But they will never have the prestige of an engineered board to a future buyer if that's something that could be of concern down the track. I'd recommend going to showrooms where you can see both options and walking on them- especially with bare feet. Hope that helps :) Fiona Jack www.fionajackinteriors.com.au