You have a very nice size foyer but to me there are just too many things and too many styles going on. The cabinets look very contemporary, the fixtures and furnishings are more traditional and the stained glass in the doors adds another element. My thought is that you may want to try to simplify a little. If a more traditional look is what you are going after I suggest that you embellish the cabinets to give them a more transitional look and possibly consider replacing the brightly colored stained glass in the door and sidelights with simple clear beveled glass panels to give it a more classic updated look.

Your question to an outside kennel, it will need to be tough. A GSD can chew almost anything , I think Canberra weather is way too cold to have Manny as an outside dog. Buy a extra large crate and keep him inside. Crate train your pup, they will learn to toilet train quicker there is a lot of info out there to google. GSD's need to be part of the family or there can be behavioural issues. Are you renting? is this the reason for the kennel outside?

After great thought with the advice given & other researched sites, we have decided to not render our bricks. :) We have begun re painting our pergola from dulux lexicon to taubmans coffee cake - very similar to our window trims. It's a neutral stone/beige colour. We hope to paint our garage doors & gutters monument & probably the facia trims in coffee cake. Fingers crossed for it to look ok. Thanks again.

Hi How2Girl, I appreciate your follow up! The Reece document is good - thanks - I wish there was something concrete in the Standards though. Worth notiing is that a shower over the bath needs the same wall-sheeting details as if it was a shower base. Also wall framing in the bathroom needs to be done to AS 1684.2-2010 Residential timber-framed construction - Non-cyclonic areas (Which the James Hardie 'wet area design book' is based on) Very frustrating that the Australian Standards are not readily available - ie FREE- or at least, latest copies at local libraries. How are we meant to build to standards when they are inaccessible. Another factor in determining the overall quality of the Australian construction industry Also what I've found frustrating in this instance is that other trades in my small town are unwilling to agree that the work is of very poor quality - there is an unstated 'brotherhood' at work. So Im going to have to engage an independent Building Certifier, probably from out of town. Of course,the cost for this will come off the builder's fees on a pro-rata basis for below-par work