Thanks OKLOUISE, I think we will go down the suggested route. IKEA was not much cheaper for the desk once installed anyway. The IKEA handlefree wardrobes will come in much cheaper than the alternative but look pretty good for what we want and will leave a space of about 5 cm at either end of the room after allowing for the skirting boards, which is just enough to clean occasionally. I just need to check that IKEA's shade of white is not too dissimilar to the deck colour I want and then I should be good to go. I am hoping the floor is not too uneven as that could cause them to have gaps between? (Any ideas if that is a problem?) My only other worry is that IKEA white laminates used to turn yellow quickly, but I am hoping they have improved on that front in recent years. Thanks again, your advice is always good!

Will look much better white BUT! Having done this to big old sliding doors and window frames in an apartment with more ‘steps’ in the frames there are a couple of things to watch out for. Sealing - as mentioned in another post is essential, if the wood is stained then the colour will come thru to the paint. I did this just as the manufacturers were getting the water based enamels right and have done several recoats since. Agree that Zinsser are great paints, I have used their wall and ceiling paints everywhere, cost more, are a bit more ‘drippy’ but also have a sealer component and actually do a real white that doesn’t yellow. They also last really well on the wall. When you transform to white - especially if you are thinking high gloss EVERY defect in the wood surface will show up. This adds to the charm or is a problem, depends on your perspective. I dropped back to a satin finish on wood trims. There is only so much prep you can do, sometimes it is easier to fix the obvious dings and then do another round after the first coat of white, after the sealer. This is harder to explain - but you can end up with a dark line around each window pane - because the glass is sandwiched between two pieces of dark coloured wood and the ‘inside’ of the wood shows through the glass and you notice it from across the room. I painted slightly onto the glass, a few millimetres to achieve a fully white effect. You only notice it if you look closely. Fly screens - wooden fly screens have the same ‘edge effect’ metal flyscreens are a bit easier to paint. They all look significantly better in white than the dark wood - in my case the two sets of sliding doors have very wide frames. Depending on your skills and patience you may want to get a professional. I am about to replace the south facing repainted bathroom and study windows with double glazed UPVC tilt and turn with white frames - no more arctic bathroom, jammed winder, condensation or mould. These are now made (licensed) in Australia so only have to pay for shipping from Vic to ACT rather than from ‘overseas’.

good health and enthusiasm can achieve whatever we need and i feel that small habits like leaving pegs on the line and having a rod for hanging fresh washing in the laundry are both great time savers and help me feel more organised

1. Noise cancelling walls, if you have children, no matter where they are in the house, you can still hear them. 2. Space and or everything has a place, some people thrive in chaos, most don't. Have a drawer where you stuff things in so its out of your face and clean it later. 3. Surround yourself with inspirational things, some like posters with words, some like sculptures, books, games. Whatever motivates a person to get in the zone to do what is necessary in these rooms should be highlighted somewhere in the room if not everywhere in the room. 4. A clock, should try to limit yourself and set time frames for things so you know your on point. 5. Keep it a toy, food, junk, washing free zone. Don't have these things in this room period. 6. Calendar, planner something to get your task management on point. 7. Quality Electronics. Don't compromise as they date rather fast and this years computer will be next years paperweight. Buy something that can be upgraded with just parts for a few years. 8. Lighting, you need to make sure you can see what your doing, most people are on computers or laptops or an ipad these days, but old school still use pen and paper so having a desk lamp for night time or windows, solar lights during the day are also good. 9. Plants, we all know they help keep the air blah blah blah, but good oxygen means better brain processes. 10. If budget permits, NOT IKEA FURNITURE, its been done a gazillion million times and it still looks the same old boring blandness as it looks in the catalogue.