Hi Tina, thanks for posting, it is all looking great. Shame about the panelling, but sometimes these things happen for a reason. It is great the armoire matches the doors so well when they are all on one wall, but I don't think you need to have the bed and side tables matching, especially when they are on another wall. My issue with painting furniture, while I love it, is the maintenance. It does chip over time and becomes one more thing to paint. I don't know what the timber is in your furniture but another possible option, especially to give you the coastal vibe is to lime it. To do this successfully, you will need to sand all the existing stain off it and go back to the raw timber. The darker the original timber, the less limed look you will get so bear that in mind too. I did an old bunk bed up that had seen better days, for my grands bedroom. It was a dark red wood, but with 4 coats of stain I got the look I was after which was that driftwood/coastal look. The whole thing looks totally new again. Sorry I can't post a photo as this function no longer works for me. Have a look at the Feast Watson range of liming stains, they have some gorgeous soft colours as well, but they let the timber show through rather than having the solid painted look. It is a very easy product to use, it dries quickly - I did the 4 coats over 2 days effortlessly. The hard work is in the sanding.

Thanks everyone for your comments, they are great! Of course everyone will have different tastes and function that appeal to them, otherwise a designer would have a very boring job!! Its always been on my mind though. I made acrylic also as they were much cheaper than glass, but come with their own issues as they warp, scratch and deteriorate, especially if you use cleaning materials. As for prints, I did this and it is a very fine line. I have seen the most hideous designs, patterns and prints it breaks my heart. Prints can lift off the glass with the glue so be very careful with this process and get a 10 year warranty!! A waterfall image in the shower for example, looks great for the first day and to create impact, but after a month ? Selling a house with one of these gets very interesting as many try to calculate the cost to replace. Again, some will love it and go for it! Just think hard about the impact it has on the house. Also glass splashbacks have some issues with shattering, especially with companies offering inferior glass based on price. So check how your glass is made!! Thanks again and enjoy.

I love using dark colours in the right places and in truth, there really isn't a colour that is true black - that would be a none colour and one that can only be truly matched and equalled by its exact equal and opposite (white) for balance and a striking visual effect - like in this kitchen where plenty of natural light streamed in. When I design my colour palettes using "black" there is always an undertone of another colour to contrast or blend (like in the picture you featured here of the formal room at Rothesay). At Rothesay I used a prominent magenta and blue base amongst 8 other pigments which is why it appears to have a rich depth and acts to highlight the ornate ceiling that we painted in Aalto Gallery white. The trims give it contrast but the complexity of colour reflects and absorbs the red accents in the room. In Feng Shui "black" represents water and can be used in the South area of your home (on this side of the hemisphere) - this can be a particularly soothing effect. I used a near black with a brown/aubergine undertone in this bedroom that was once the place of non sleep and now definitely the opposite is in effect. I love using a base colour in my blacks to punctuate bright colours and jewel like tones - it feeds the soul! After all no adventure can be had by playing it safe - right?

m_mdimond; My constant whippet! Yes change is inevitable. Youth was great! Middle age more challenging, now the dread of what happens as the body slows, bu the mind still runs at top speed! Funny how we eventually become our parents and live with all the things they once complained about: eyesight less sharp, glasses, threading needles a challenge. Oh what we so easily dismissed or took for granted when we were young! Pain at bay to this point. Sad to hear of yours, but fantastic you are still managing to walk your Shepherd, despite it! Dogs keep us centred and motivated. They shower us in love and lack of judgement. My dad had his Jack Russell at his side into his nineties. He was his constant companion and often his sole company for days at a time, other than his twice weekly cleaner. Animals are so special. They deliver their own unique greetings and communicate in such different ways. My life would be so much the less without the animals who have been part of it. So lucky to have had two wonderful ponies and an incredible galloway. So lucky many of my friends had horses too. Horses, dogs and cats are always a point of connection into special human experience and also lead us to new human and animal connections. Nothing wrong with memories and sentiment. I think we feel it even more accutely as we age. Glad I kicked up my heels, as well as keeping those "heels down, legs close to my horses side and and elbows close to my own" for much of my fantastic and sometimes wild youth! I was a pretty good kid really, but do admit to having been a teen groupie, back in the day, wouldn't swap that either. Somewhere here, I believe is my scrapbook and definitely a few photos in the albums. Still like to kick up my heels, too! Yes. Gratitude is vital.