The next time I decorate by a colour of the year will be the first time. Don't hold your breath. I have nothing against this particular colour but it doesn't work with all the things I've collected over the years, and I am not about to discard carpets bought after hard bargaining with dubious merchants in Istanbul or Islamabad because they don't "go" with a paint colour that someone voted "colour of the year." In its place, I think the colour would be quite nice (better than this years choices, certainly). It's just that my place isn't the right place for it.

Think about a combination of any three of timber, steel, stone and render. main body exterior if rendered needs warmth added with timber, it softens the facade and is an ever changing aesthetic. It's extremely versatile and can be installed in a multitude of ways, to accentuate or compliment your exterior. By the looks of your image, your home is elongated, so to counter balance that proportion I would consider vertical timber battening perhaps to your garage and surrounding area to create an invisible door, making the door apparently invisible being that the slats blend into the entire elevation. Iwould then tie in timber details such as wi does or entry decking for a cohesive look. Consider enhancing architectural elements by playing with scale and application, for example, if you have a long, flat faced design, consider highlighting windows by framing them with bulk framing, or inset the deeper into your framework so they have a nice shadow line or deep set sill. Allow your architecture to extend beyond the build, so in porches, verandas or even screening walls, slats or balustrades, it will look more considered and make the entire design a standout. Hope it helps. ML DESIGN

When I first wrote in August 2017 we got a lot of great suggestions and comments. At the time we had accepted the limitations of the block (easements, tree, solar access etc). It is now one year later and I can tell you we found a way to move the garage to the south-west corner. This allowed us to move Beds 2 and 3 and the bathroom to the northern side. Pantry and laundry between garage and kitchen/living/dining. I think it was all of the comments and suggestions that encouraged us to look at it again from different angles, rather than just accepting the limitations. Thanks to everyone for their generosity! The solution involved working around a lovely tree (it is nice, just in the wrong spot). It is still in the way (council said we couldn't remove it) but we've opted for a long, curving driveway that starts on the other side of the block and weaves its way around the treeline to the garage entry. Not ideal, because a large portion of the front setback will now be a hard surface, instead of a garden. But if there is one thing that designing teaches you - its all about compromises. Thanks everyone. MB Design & Drafting Shara C Nik Star girlguides oklouise siriuskey genkii saragraham76 Andy Pat brizcs Mel N 3D Home Concepts suancol Caro

Hi siriuskey, I agree the bathroom is too far away from the living areas. People will have to trek to the other end of the house past bedrooms to get to the bathroom. I'll think I'll move it back. The high set windows for bathroom privacy shows that it is possible to have a bathroom at the front of the house no problems. Also, the living room space with open walls is just a way to create 2 spaces in the combined area. If you want you can create a more private room by closing the sliders. Just thinking about resale and having more options e.g. one watching tv and the other in the family area. Do you think it would be better being one larger space at 11.3 metres long by 5m wide? Thanks.