Bravo to all these amazing creative minds. I hate wasting stuff that still has life in it. By the way, though I have read that some pallets are treated with a fumigant which is toxic. Generally, make sure pallets are stamped with “HT”, which means they haven’t been exposed to chemicals (at least not in the treating process.) Avoid unmarked pallets or those with “MB” for methyl bromide. Well, if anyone wants some really nice, bargain 2nd hand windows we just pulled out of our 12 y-o house to make way for a sliding door, and you live around Melbourne Australia, please check them out here: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/112070272414?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649

I don't think I can move back in with my parents..and once my kids are older I don't think they can live with us.. I have had my mother in law stayed with us before ..2 days at a time was fine then she came to stay for 2 weeks ..after one week I moved out ..we were fighting all the time ..me and hubby..in the end I left him a letter explaining why..because I didn't want him to have to take sides lol my dad didn't talk to me for weeks for loss of face..my parents asked me when I'm older and what happens if my son's wife did that to me? I'd never expect my son to choose me over his wife..lol may be it's me I've seen plenty that I wouldn't wish on another female.. my kids have all been brought up to be independent ..they are also very strong willed and stubborn as..so no thanks we've worked hard ..the rental we just bought is for them when they are older and have jobs I'm kicking all of my three kids out into the rental lol I want time to go travelling ..peace and quiet ..

Hi Zoe, what a lovely space, great neutral floor and curtains, your lounge and dining set perfect, I think you do know what you like just look at the photos you have posted, the only thing missing in your space are the personal bits and pieces. Take all of the above photos with you to Kmart and use them as a reference to purchase, good thing is you can change them if you feel it doesn't work. Your room really needs lights/ lamps, are you able to fit a hanging lamp above the table, what type of ceiling lights does the apartment have The other big thing is the entertainment wall needs bulking up, you need something taller and wider this can be made up with a couple TV height(Taller) cabinets on either side of the current TV, the speaker system needs a home and arranging, Kmart is bound to have something, or check out Salvo's etc they often have those old Pine timber entertainment units that old TV's sat into. With a light sand, white wash and a sealing coat they come up a treat Love your rug but it's a bit small, in the meantime I think I would line up against the lounge so it's not lost. Good advice Nelson Interiors, love Kmart and Bunnings to help with stretching the budget, Zoe don't over look Buniings for furnishing your room, work benches etc also make great TV stands and side boards, they also have a large lighting section cheers

Thank you everyone for your responses. I’m still undecided - I have a few weeks to consider what to do. The bench top salesperson showed me some photos of the few people who have added a small amount of benchtop stone to add some height (and it’s always because of a busy 60 x 30 patterned tile that the owners want to keep perfect) and in her words it looks ‘dicky’. Not least because the tile sits flatter against the wall than a 2cm thick slab of benchtop. It leaves a pronounced lip of 1.5cm where tile meets benchtop addition Then there’s the safety concerns mentioned above about flames near stone which I had not considered. Big reader - I love your maths but I’m only 150cm tall. Even with a low bench and oven height of 94cm (my oven’s lowest height setting) plus 70cm of tile between the bench and overheads, the cupboards are already 14cm above my head. This barely makes them usable for me even now! Adding another 15cm instead of the 10cm, while looking lovely and keeping the pattern intact, means my short-arse self will have real difficulty reaching anything safely. Every cm counts when you’re short! But I do appreciate your input!