Hmmmm.....lamb chops with lemon/oregano/garlic marinade, grilled haloumi cheese, big fresh Greek salad with crusty rolls and a nice cold rose' with fruit platter for desert........who's coming?

You are kind to say that, Julie. Hubby also washed and polished the floorboards in the two rooms we decided to retain. They look much better as well. This has been fun project; don't quite know what I'll do with myself after it's completed! :) although, in saying that, there is the garden here to keep us occupied...!

Great to hear that you have had a good experience in an unpopular neighborhood. Our first home was an ex-army house in the extremely unpopular South Auckland of New Zealand. All we could afford then... and we lived there happily for seven of eight years. We loved our home and our initial neighbors, many of whom we are still friends with. But as folk moved on and a rougher element moved in, break-ins began happening, clothes stolen off the clothesline, plants, pots, ornaments, swing sets and even a trampoline! It was no longer safe to leave a door unlocked let alone open. The crunch came when youths began to harass our children walking to and from school simply because they believed it was their right to take what they wanted (uniform and shoes, food) and trying to force them to buy drugs, We moved on. I guess it comes down to; is it just an unpopular demographic area? or is it a rough area, gang related residents, drugs on the street etc? The question does not stipulate why an area may be deemed unpopular. I said above to choose the better area and this is what we did second time around, we live in a preferred area of a demographically unpopular rural town in Otago, NZ and love it here. We have renovated and will be mortgage free in our retirement. However we would never again live in an area unpopular because of the crime rate.

Beautiful work. Love the detail like the marble on the book shelves. I came across this in a search for how to put colour in a kitchen and this is a stunner. All the colours and textures are coordinated well - easy on the eye unlike some colourful kitchens. Love the wallpaper choice in laun and bathroom too. This kitchen seems to have come under fire for not being a cook's kitchen but it would work for me and I’ve been a pro cook in my life. That wide island is fabulous.