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

Those bricks are fabulous! As the room is quite big, it risks being quite dark with eastern (morning) sunlight, especially in the later part of the day when you're likely to be using the room most, so I'm throwing it out there to go a lighter colour! Possibly a lighter grey but even better an oat or wheat type colour? It would reflect light better in the room and would work beautifully with all your earthy tones, and whilst it could risk looking busy with so much texture and pattern, this could ensure it still looks fresh looking but allow the interesting patterns to be noticed, rather than crowding them out. And I like Sirius' suggestion - a nice substantial sofa though that isn't too visually heavy or chunky. And whilst I'm a huge Ikea fan, I don't love their sofas in terms of comfort (apart from maybe the Ektorp), I would probably just invest in a pretty good quality one now, rather than wasting money (and landfill!).

Have you considered having it custom made to your design? There are numerous designer/craftsmen in Sydney for example.

Problem with chase lounge is that it is all at same level. It is much more comfortable to have ottoman slightly lower than seat. There are other pros and cons to each