First I need to say that I've been caught out by old threads too so everybody, it's an OLD THREAD and the poster has already said what she ended up doing. But FWIW I thought your blinds looked good but I can understand wanting a colour change and grey would also be lovely from outside and a nice change inside. I hope you didn't give up on the vertical blind idea only because of the negativity from 'style experts'. We 'upgraded' our front room windows and although I like the appearance of what we have there now I am frequently conscious of the fact that I can't "filter the amount of light & privacy". Vertical blinds are very functional and how cheap or expensive they look is influenced by the choice of fabric, of course as with everything people's personal tastes vary, but the negativity toward vertical blinds sounds like a case of 'Emperor's New Clothes'.

Hi Will, we have the Taurus and certainly love the look. We installed it late winter last year so it’s only recently that we have really put it through its paces. We have a huge open plan area to heat and this does do the job but needs a constant supply of hardwood to keep it effective. i am a bit disappointed at how quickly it burns through the timber even when turned down. it is absolutely cold by next morning and does not provide warmth overnight. it also billows smoke whenever the door is opened though this eventually lessens as the heat builds and the timber burns more efficiently. The firebox is quite shallow and it’s a challenge at times to stoke the timber safely as on occasions the coals and logs teeter on the front edge and it’s easy for them to fall out. We crafted a steel lip to sit in front as a prevention. And lastly it’s disappointing that no matter how much we try we always end up with blackening on the glass which requires daily cleaning. i’m guessing this is related to the abundance of smoke that seems to remain accumulated when lighting the fire and getting it going over the first hour. And yes, our firewood is excellent quality and dry but i can’t help thinking there needs to be a redesign to allow the smoke to travel up the flu rather than remain in the firebox.

It's not a simple debate between what you want/need more or less....understand that this a regulatory thing.........if you are dealing with a building permit then it's pretty cut & dry - as the BCA reads, a separate trough is technically required to consitute a laundry....happy to be corrected in my interpretation in this regard but we have had to deal with this exact issue on a few occasions....... But if you are doing just an under the radar laundry reno/refit (no permit) then potentially you can get away with none, but you'll of course need to practically connect the washer into the drainage somehow, which still requires an isolated trap set-up, that technically will be illegal. No you can't just connect straight into a sewer waste as if the connection fails and their is no water trap it would be hazardous (not to mention unpleasant) to have exposed sewer gas. If it's in a kitchen an can connect a washer to a sink waste (similar) to the dishwasher) then arguably that could be passed. The easiest way is to fit a small trough next to the washer that even if you develop a cover for so you can use the area as bench space. It then keeps flexibility and everything above board/compliant for future resale.....

Further to some previous comments I’ve made over the past few years on various subject matters ; anyone that would like some further detailed information on the subject on sun control window insulation films as an option to consider for improving both heat loss and heat gains through windows ( also referred too as window tinting and / or glass tinting ) , including glass security /glare control / fade protection and decorative glass treatments etc can check out some articles I had printed in the “ The Owner Builder “ magazine no’s 180 & 181 ( Dec-Feb 2013-2914 editions ) It may help those understand a little better the product for those having various issues, such as this present subject matter on cooling methods , in this comment section . As others have mentioned, one product may not solve all their particular problem/s and quite often more than one product / solution may often be required to obtain a better outcome . I’ve found a lot of problems start initially with overall buildings design , orientation and the amount of glass / windows used and their sizes /design and type / amount of insulation used overall . Having been in the window tinting industry for about 38 years now and covering both domestic and commercial buildings , I’ve noticed how the weather patterns changed to an extent that the solutions/ products that may have been available / used some 30 odd years ago ; now have new and updated products / solutions on offer . One can email me for further advice to clarify some issues . Although I’m a Tasmanian based business, I’ve lived and worked all around Australia and spent over 5-1/2 years in north Qld so do have some experience living in different climates .