mforr - It's funny you should mention that, because I just looked at the map of queens, trying to remember the name of the highway that went thru a friend's neighborhood like that .. and I think they renamed it! There used to be an "Interboro Parkway", and now it's called the "Jackie Robinson Parkway"! Wikipedia says it was renamed in 1997 .. who knew?! "The Jackie Robinson Parkway is a 4.95-mile (7.97 km) parkway in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The western terminus of the parkway is at Jamaica Avenue in the Brooklyn neighborhood of East New York. It runs through Highland Park, along the north side of Ridgewood Reservoir, and through Forest Park. The eastern terminus is at the Kew Gardens Interchange in Kew Gardens, Queens, where the Jackie Robinson Parkway meets the Grand Central Parkway and Interstate 678."

This is really becoming very interesting Linda, maybe things are different here too. Take for example when I called people to quote on my bathroom renovation - the first two guys I called were loosely described as builders in that they had served apprenticeships and were qualified carpenters (or chippies as we call them). They would take on any structural work in a home, even do extensions and build completely new homes. They do all the basic structural work and then, in our case, call in licenced plumbers, electricians and qualified tilers. If new walls are necessary, as was the case in our ensuite, they will call in qualifed plasterers to do this work. The third guy and the one we used described himself as a bathroom renovator as he was a qualified tiler but he had years of experience to do basic building work as well and then called in other trades. He even used a specialist demolisher to gut the bathrooms as they had all the tools to do the work cleanly and quickly in one day. All the tradespeople have done courses and apprenticeships and are licenced and if you have any sense you don't use anyone without checking their licence first. For this reason, I would consider anyone, like Sir David and Kutchie and even yourself with your vast experience to be able to advise on structural issues that are pretty much black and white and things that have to be done for correct and safe building practices. On the other hand, designers or decorators, no matter what their qualifications are only giving an opinion on furniture style, colour schemes, furniture placement, etc, things that aren't black and white but are a personal preference thing. I note many of them come on strong with colour schemes having absolutely no idea of the climate or lighting or aspect in a room that can make a huge difference to the finished result and it really surprises me that as professionals, they always miss this. When dilemmas are on structural or building issues, I never comment simply because it is something the average person would know nothing about - the only time I have commented is when I have had a similar problem and I can state how it was handled and the result, successful or otherwise. Decorating, on the other hand is something anyone with an eye for detail can join in on and these are the dilemmas where I feel the Pro could be intimidating. It is bad enough when they come back with the "I'm a pro so I'm right" without having a "Read my Title" attitude as well. As far as I am concerned there are no REAL rights and wrongs in decorating anyway where building practices are another thing completely. I'm glad you got a Pro anyway, we certainly value you here.

What a great big room. The ideas are endless. Not sure if you live in Melb but I would get professional help. Honestly it doesn't cost a lot and you have peace of mind. For the painting go to any paint store, even Bunnings. They have the ph nos for a paint colour consultant. (I went with Dulux) but most Paint companies now have colour consultants to come out for a fee. The consultant comes out for a fee approx.($150) but that was for a few rooms. Then if you buy their paint, the price of the consultation is deducted off the paint you purchase. So really the consultation is free, if you choose their paint. Freedom decorator consultant works the same way. Can't remember how much (no more than $200) and she gave me great ideas. If you buy anything from them, again it's deducted off your purchase. There is no commitment with either paint company of Freedom to purchase from them. The advantage is, you can have the amount spent deducted from purchase. Honestly it cost saving and you get professional advise. Win Win situation. We've built 3 times and painted the house myself, and I have been so glad I did the above, with both paint and furnishings.. Plus I do up my own furniture, (most bought at garage sales) so I only purchased what I really wanted from Freedom, the rest 99%, I got from op shops and did up myself. But the ideas are helpful. Honestly, you need to know what decore you want in your room? So they will work around that. If your unsure, they will look at the rest of the house and work with your ideas. I like French provin. So I worked around that, Just to give you ideas you don't have to spend a fortune. My bedroom is also huge. Haven't took photos all-round. I redid all the furniture in both rooms. The above cabinet was brown stain which I painted white. GOODLUCK

Thanks very much Houzzers for your professional opinions...very valuable...had this old house been a family house now as it originally was.... and something possible to totally renovate. It is almost 100yrs old and all timber and quite small and compact...its a miner's cottage in the country. It is impossible to reconfigure anything here....I changed the functions of the rooms to suit my lifestyle and my home based art occupation. I live alone here, as no family. The bedroom across the hall from the kitchen was the original dining room.. but I did not need it as that..Makes a great bedroom for me ...8 steps away from bathroom and separate toilet (like an ensuite) five steps from the kitchen for midnight snacks, direct access to the eastern sunroom (? bedroom 3) for the morning cuppa looking out over the creek at sunrise.. The 'lounge' at the front of the house' was the master bedroom, the largest room in the house..(.11.6ins x 12ft.)...perfect fro my art Studio...and the odd visitor if not using the veranda... right at the front door. The idea was to have a 'public' area with access to the toilet and kitchen on one side of the house and a 'private area dedicated to my bedroom and lounge ( the room with the fire place) The layout I created functions well for me and my lifestyle...I probably should have explained. The kitchen is the same as it was except for access to the northern veranda which I had built on. (Imagine how cramped without it!) I realise that this is not the usual layout for a home...but all I wanted was ideas to make the kitchen more comfortable for me...and maybe a couple of visitors occasionally...(art student groups enjoy the spacious veranda for lunch and talks..Oh and the plan is not to scale!) Apologies I did not explain what and how this house is used for...and am really grateful for your professional ideas....but not a case of making the house into a family home. The separate toilet is perfect... Could easily be made into a whole new/extra wet room if I wanted and needed. Somebody else can do that. Your perception of the house as it was was spot on...I feel a bit embarassed that I did not explain very well...just need a bit more room in the kitchen and seemed that there was nowhere to steal that space from...You have both made me look more closely! The toilet at the back is directly behind and shares a wall with the stove recess! As it is, the separate toilet is perfect and private...but...there's a lot of wasted space there at the back of the house and the room with the WM...I'd say about 10ftx 10ft in all if the toilet were moved to the existing bathroom..quite possible.. without changing a thing...there's room and good cross ventilation....although I'd not really be absolutely happy about it...hate bathrooms with toilets! The WM and HWS could be incorporated in the larger kitchen. No problem walking straight into the kitchen from the back door. An inconvenience would be that workmen and odd jobbers would need to walk through the kitchen if they needed the loo. Overall though...maybe a good solution to get a bigger kitchen. I have no idea how to work that out but you have given me inspiration...so thankyou! Could even get a nice new compact range out of it and a side by side refrigerator! Oh My! So...even with a little sacrifice in the bathroom.....SUCCESSFUL ADVICE! Thank You both..heaps! Regards and many thanks! Robin