Hi Hilda - I've looked at your photos very carefully and I understand that you need very hardy furnishings to withstand the fun and mess of dogs and children! A couple of suggestions I can think of that would help - How about moving the lounge you have along to the middle of the wall and bring it out from the wall so that a bookcase or shelving for toys, books and magazines can be put there? Also the coffee table is really big for the space, maybe a smaller round table that is child friendly (no nasty sharp corners). If your budget is big, a new leather corner lounge in beige leather would look fantastic ! I have dogs and kids and I have a WHITE leather lounge that really stands up to them! The area needs a rug. Don't forget that animal hides are HUGE at the moment and you might like them as you live in a farmhouse. As for extra seating, I think a couple of chairs either side of the centered lounge would be excellent. Think TV chairs that are very comfortable. Milan Direct is also a great source of furniture at reasonable prices and you can order online and have it delivered no matter where you live in Australia. Artwork is very personal but you need a big piece above the lounge and it would even up the TV on the opposite wall. I think green/beige or blue/beige/black geometric might be the color to introduce in cushions, artwork and rug - but you'll have to experiment - remember to look at the colors with the curtains open and closed as light plays a big part in how the colors will look in the room before you commit to buy - You are going to have so much fun making your room over! Good luck - Di Thomas

This looks like a pretty good start but keep in mind that you already have a lot of hard surfaces (tiles floor, stone benches etc) that are going to bounce a lot of sound around that space. The big trick with open-plan living is to try to keep the ambient sound levels muffled and soft. Make sure that you put nice soft felt floor protectors on the feet of everything – you don't want to hear each time a chair or stool is dragged across the tiles. Don't even think of adding a glass-topped table to the mix – every time a glass is put down, a plate is shifted or cutlery moved it clinks and bangs (not to mention that they are the very devil to keep spotlessly clean and shiny and if they're not they look horrible). A timber table does not have to look 'woody' or clash with (or match) the floors – timber can be painted or stained and there are some very classy looking laminates out there that are easier to live with than glass. As others have said some rugs defining the zones within this large room will help to soften both the look and the sound, as well as introduce some colour. I also find the spacing of the pendant lights rather clunky – try spacing lights across the island rather than stringing them out across the full width of the ceiling.

Hi Lesley. I haven't really looked for suggestions from Houzz as I wasn't certain if they'd be anything from Melbourne. I do have an idea where I'm leading towards. It's in my attached photos with the wooden table and cream chairs. It has a modern retro look and breaks up the red colour scheme I'll have in the house.

Thank you all for your lovely ideas! I had thought about another rectangular planter box with some tall plants but it is pretty hard to grow things in that spot - everything I've tried so far except the indestructible Frangipani has died. But definitely need to change out the big round pots. Love the idea of the pebbles too - I do like a serene Japanese type theme, so that would work. We have pebbles in a bed out in the other courtyard around the back and they are great, no fuss, and look good after years of just sitting there. And thanks for the feedback on the fence colour - I wondered whether dark would be right of if it would be too dark given the drab buildings behind... but I guess they will all blend in a bit more then, and if we get a white table and chairs then it will be a bit of a pop. I certainly love the colour of green leaves against black or dark charcoal. Thanks so much to you all!