@baretta11...you made me laugh heaps! You sound down to earth and no fuss...I like that. My walls are all natural timber, curtains cream, some pink in the bedroom and bathroom with pressed metal rather than subways...a bit older style but painted pale shell pink. Yes real hardwood rable, decent sized cooktop...I imagined the tomato sauce but could not imagine these young people even cooking that! Decent 6ft 1924 bathtub all reglazed...the whole bathroom is reminiscent of the inside of a shell...used to live in the islands so a few shells for decoration... "Old Fashioned" never dates! THE BLOCK will date very quickly and even become non finctional....but there's the money so let them play. The wooden bathtub got me...couldn't wait to see if it had been made from a solid lump of wood...but Oh No...the bottom is glued.....one day the people below will have a shower where they don't expect! Then how will that be fixed and who will foot the expense? No thanks! "Grandma Chic" is a big joke for me too. My Grandma was always classical and simple and always looked lovely..."Little Old Lady passing by...". At least what 'we old fashioned ones prefer is founded on substance, substance lasts a lifetime and then some. Some places are dateless as are some dress fashions. All this renovating and decorating is fun to watch...even thechildish antics and the bare faced lies...don't know how they do it, I'd be out of the game very quickly! Looks stunning but wonder what it will look like, say, in about 12 months...and I don't think God would be at all prompted to save them from some of the folley.....but it seems to be a temporary world with temporary fittings....I'd rather live in the past in my solid old house that nothing has managed to destroy in 94 years...it will outlast me...and then some developer will come with paper and glue and put up a block of temporary units....Reminds me me of the three little pigs somehow...or the Cheshire Cat and Alice.. .."Which way should I go from from here? asked Alice. Cat: "you can go either way...they are all mad. " Alice" "But I do not want to go among mad people". Cat: "Oh you can't help that, everyone is mad here...you're mad and I am mad...". Alice:"How do you know I am mad?" Cat: (who by that stage had become partly invisible) "You must be if you are standing here talking to me!" Enjoyed the exchange baretta11 Parla Italiano?

I have not read all of the above. It must be tempting to render and paint the fireplace but if it is decided to work with it then maybe you can find your colour palette in the bricks. The new grey carpet will give you a fresh neutral but grey can be very cold. you might need a bit of warmth in the others colors chosen for walls or soft furnishings. If you extend the tile base in front of the fireplace that will give another opportunity to introduce more impact with the tiles. There are always lots of gorgeous tile options. I am loving some of the Moroccan looking styles.

Hi Kristy as your dining table is going to be not only in close proximity to the kitchen but running parallel to the island I would decide whether you want pendant lights over the island or a pendant(s) over the dining table. One area or the other needs to be the feature in terms of your lighting. If you have both then each loses its impact. Downlights with surrounds that are as close in colour to the ceiling colour as possible so they 'disappear' are ideal for general lighting. Put them on dimmer switches. LED strip lighting along the kickboard of the bookcase or the kitchen island could be gorgeous and create ambience. Wall lights that simply wash the wall with light or throw patterns on the wall are lovely and as already mentioned, table and floor lamps can be a major decorative feature in any space. If you'd like more information, I've written an ebook available in the iBook store. Bright Ideas for Lighting Your Home by Jenny Williams https://itun.es/au/on5e_.l

Hi there Victoria, Just trying to add a few more ideas, with a separate Pantry/Landry cupboard (this can easily be ducted and when the doors are closed very quite). Fridge and appliances all along the wall, the island can be what ever size you would prefer. It would also be nice to have a computer desk next to the kitchen by the window. I would also prefer the living area off the sliding doors to the alfresco area Bedroom 4 could have full height sliding doors coming together at the corner this can be close off or left open for times when extra space is needed for the family. And built in Wardrobes in the master would work best, just have something that blends in and looks special.