@mcom_ie, I have said in many other posts that I'm a neutral kind of girl but more and more I'm seeing colours that drop my jaw like your picture of the entry. Would you mind telling me what the colour is on the walls and the skirting boards and door if that's different. I planned to stick with very neutral colours but this colour is quite stunning. I also plan to have timber floors but don't want the paint to take on a yellow glow from the flooring. As for your original question on this post, I agree with Sophie from Interior Decorating with her suggestion for a bench seat but not a chair in the corner, if you look for the right bench that's not too wide, it shouldn't be in the way but otherwise a narrow hall table or hall stand as suggested by SophieHicks would look great to If you have a little hurricane running around, a simple outdoor cane/ratten bench seat will withstand the rigors of your child and look quite smart too. In time as your hurricane slows to a gentle breeze, you could put the cane bench outdoors and replace it with a bench just like that pictured in Sophie's post.

I proudly identify as a Canuck. We also have the Vancouver Canucks hockey team. Alberta has a place named Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump. There's also Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which can be a tongue twister to some and a Shubenacedie, Nova Scotia. We have an Ottawa and a Nottawa. A Dildo, Newfoundland. A Vulcan, Alberta with shops that sell everything Spock. And a Blow Me Down, Newfoundland. Someone from BC is a rock dodger and those from Saskatchewan are stubble jumpers. Mick Jagger, when he played there, went into fits of giggles every time he said Regina, the capital city of Saskatchewan.

Sounds like a very stressful situation! If there is absolutely no way the builder will allow you to change things (even if they did, I imagine they would ask you to foot the entire bill of pulling the tiles down and replacing all water proofing in addition to new tiles), I can make a few suggestions for improvement. Firstly I would suggest replacing the tiles above the vanity with a white mosaic, a patterned or a textured feature tile/strip. You could also use this same tile to replace the vertical feature in the shower. There are some beautiful shapes and sizes available to choose from. Secondly I would address the grout situation in this way: Floor - dark colour grout & Walls - Light colour grout. Lastly if it does not prove too difficult or expensive, maybe replace the tiles below the vanity with a plain white tile (could be similar size). Good luck and I am sure once you have a lovely mirror up and some crisp white towels, it will look just wonderful.

Don't paint the ceiling and don't rush into extending until you have lived in the house for at least 12 months so that you understand how it works with the seasons and the extremes of temperatures. Landscaping is always after building work - as most tradesmen don't respect your plants. One of my clients said that they should be called treadsmen after her garden was trodden down! Look carefully at your lighting options, especially wall sconces and uplights to make the most of the beautiful timber ceiling. Once painted it can never be re-instated back to a timber ceiling easily. While this is your new home you are not going to live their forever. If you paint your ceiling the next owners will curse you, and wonder why you vandalised such a beautiful and expensive feature. If after 12 months of living with it you still hate it then consider a subtle lined finish, which will work with the original architecture of your home, but won't conceal the beautiful grain and character completely. Best of luck with your settling in process and learning to love the beautiful character of your new home, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls and Dr Retro Virtual Visits