Bravo to all these amazing creative minds. I hate wasting stuff that still has life in it. By the way, though I have read that some pallets are treated with a fumigant which is toxic. Generally, make sure pallets are stamped with “HT”, which means they haven’t been exposed to chemicals (at least not in the treating process.) Avoid unmarked pallets or those with “MB” for methyl bromide. Well, if anyone wants some really nice, bargain 2nd hand windows we just pulled out of our 12 y-o house to make way for a sliding door, and you live around Melbourne Australia, please check them out here: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/112070272414?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649

We recently double-glazed our entire house. Our north side is mostly windows, floor-to-ceiling, for the passive heating (we live exposed at 1300m in the Snowy Mountains). The windows cost $30+ (we had some converted to double-glazed sliding doors). This winter the temperature outside might not often be getting above 5C and obviously drops big at night, but with our storage heaters the temperature inside is at least 20C. When we switch the fan off the heaters overnight, the temperature might drop to 17C at the far, coldest end (whereas last year the coldest inside we got to was 6C). Double-glazing isn't the only insulation need (good wall and roof is important), but for our needs it has made this a comfortable, cosy winter house. We'll have to wait and see what summer is like though.

While the laser cut screens look amazing they are not particularly good for sound proofing, I like the idea of ether a sliding or pocket door if you can cut the area open to the floor otherwise plantation shutters would be easy simple and able to open or shut depending on use of the room, someone else suggested a solar skylight or even a real skylight if you can afford it as the light is then all natural, to me a curtain looks like a cheap solution and I don't like that idea at all, you need a high end look not a short cut look as I think the curtains would give. Hopefully all the ideas here will help you decide what is right for you.

We decided against, because we were buying a Tesla battery with solar that offsets our aircon use... as well as powers everything else, so we put our money there instead. To be honest, we insulated well, and we don't use the aircon much at all. It's on three or four days in winter, and maybe 10 days in summer, and not all day, at that. On for an hour or so in the morning to cool or heat everything, and then maybe another hour in the afternoon. We are in Adelaide for climate reference. I like to hear what's going on in the street, so I know if the neighbours are in trouble, or what have you. Our bedrooms are not at the front, so noise isn't an issue as our street isn't busy. It's a big decision! Good luck.