Hi colourgirl3, You have good bones to work with there. I would caution against a dark colour roof - maybe Colorbond Gull grey instead. Often you can get good articulation with dark colours for gutters (charcoal) and lighter colour for fascia boards (Gull grey) and a darker grey for timber posts and features (Dulux 'Asteroid'). Greys will work with your existing face brickwork and window colours. If in doubt go to your local paint centre with a digital pic of the house and see if you can get them to give you some suggestions on their computer program or do it yourself by downloading one from a paint website.

Jessica Craig, I thought you might like to know this. When my daughter was a baby and I took her for swimming lessons, I met another wonderful Mum Wendy and her daughter, Sophie. Sophie's father had recently passed away and so Wendy was trying to adjust to the hand that fate had dealt her. They had not long purchased their house too. We have remained very close all these years and I can report that both Soph and Wendy are a force to be reckoned with. Sophie (now 15) is a talented singer, is doing well at school and has oodles of personality. Wendy is studying online and working towards fulfilling her dream of one day writing a children's book. The house has been renovated and is a very warm and welcoming home. It has not always been an easy road as single mum for Wendy, but it continues to get richer as the years move by. I hope that in some of your harder moments, this may bring some small level of comfort to you.

I had similar thoughts as robandlyn -- how will any alterations work in with the rest of the house . But unlike most comments , I actually think some of the features are worth keeping -- the yellowish stone has a certain style ; and even if its only kept for decoration , I like the wood stove . As a really cheap first step ( basically , if you don't like it , you have almost convinced yourself to replace , so you'll only lose $200 ) I'd restain those midbrown doors in a Japanese black -- basically a black white and light gold sort of vibe . I think that will emphasis what I consider the positives , but if you hate those features , then a rebuild is called for haha ! If you do like that change though , then see what else you like and don't like -- personally , I'd fit a bit wider and more modern 'bar top' / servery ( the lower bench seems okay , I'd get rid of that whole rounded end upper piece , maybe go charcoal or even a charcoal marble , sticking with the black/white idea ) . And update the microwave etc , and new bar stools is a perfect chance to bring in something modern but also add some colour -- maybe black tubing frame and maybe orange or red padded seats .

Hi Jani, Lovely spaces in the home you have bought. Initially I thought it was too much brick but it is quite well balanced with plenty of white walls and the accent timber ceiling. One thing that sticks out to me is the white trim between the carpet and the brick. This should not be needed and a simple transition between the two materials should be implemented. I would stick with a light carpet and the colour depends on what your furniture suits. A light grey might freshen up the space but a soft beige tone would be fine too. You are unlikely to change the carpet again so be really comfortable with your choice, especially if you decide to go with a bolder colour. If you decide on something darker, you will need more lighting. For window treatments - I'm not a huge fan of them unless you need them for privacy. Go with a roll down blind or a simple natural fabric curtain, like linen or silk blend and make sure you hang them from the top of the wall, not the top of the window. If you can get away with it, a plain white or other soft coloured sheer curtain. I quite like the idea of laying a tile or stone floor strip the width of the gap beside the fireplace, as previously mentioned, all the way from the front door to the kitchen and keeping the living and dining spaces carpeted. However, I would hesitate to install more slate and it would be problematic to mix something new with the existing slate - unless you plan to replace that too. I am a huge fan of terracotta tiles. I know they polarise peoples opinions but they work really well with timber and white with other neutrals and natural materials. There is a reason they have been around for centuries!!! They have to be the authentic terracotta though, not ceramic. You could lay them over the whole entry, living and dining rooms (and Kitchen) and just have large rugs for the rooms. Depends on what you like the look of. Lighting - why not look at using some narrow black tubular pendant style fittings. Or something that has a bit more impact but not fussy. C.