Thanks Chookchook, but in fact the house is terribly designed and there isn't much choice. We have a single living area that is approximately 6 metres x 4.5 metres. The north wall (long side) has a bank of French doors placed centrally, with clear wall space of 1 m on the east and west ends. The east wall (short side) is a full wall of built in bookcases over cabinets, built around a doorway into our entry hall. The south wall is approx 3.1m long, and clear, currently holding artwork. The rest of it is a triple width doorway into the dining room. The west wall is the fireplace with wood heater insert. Mantle is 2.5m long and 1.1m high. There is about 1m clear either side of the mantle that currently holds wall sconce type lighting. The television, a rescued 50 cm old school CRT-style beast, with accompanying ugly digital set box top and DVD played sit in a pine corner wall cabinet in the north west corner. We have a horrid, old, modular lounge suite in the south east corner. It covers all the cabinets below the bookcase between the south wall corner and the doorway into the entry hall. As farmers only just starting to financially recover after 12 years of drought, and our kids finally finishing school and heading off into the real world, I'm just starting to find enough cash to paint rooms. Re-finishing the timber floors is next on my list. But in the mean time, the boys think they deserve a flat screen, and in reality, they do. But how?

The next time I decorate by a colour of the year will be the first time. Don't hold your breath. I have nothing against this particular colour but it doesn't work with all the things I've collected over the years, and I am not about to discard carpets bought after hard bargaining with dubious merchants in Istanbul or Islamabad because they don't "go" with a paint colour that someone voted "colour of the year." In its place, I think the colour would be quite nice (better than this years choices, certainly). It's just that my place isn't the right place for it.

If you have long dinners, they are not particularly comfortable. I gave away a set years ago. Ok for quick meals.

Hi Gioenne. Not really. We purchased "advanced" Lilly Pillies for along the back of the fence. They're about the same height as the fence (1.8m). We've also been keeping the interior blinds partially lowered / closed. At the moment, we don't have any outdoor furniture so privacy while relaxing or entertaining outside hasn't been a big problem. Once we have purchased some outdoor furniture we'll re-evaluate the situation depending upon how much the Lilly Pillies have grown. With all of the other "new home" expenses, we'll probably just entertain in full view of our neighbours!