Hi @Lindel, The easy answer to your question e-screens. Can you put screens in front of the windows in the other gabled half of your frontage (where you have the drapes)? - You may not be able to coordinate with the blue screens in the dining room. If this is the case, then you might consider sacrificing them to the cause. It would also open up your choices with regard to selection of fabrics for the Romans. The relative cost of e-screens is fairly minor and will be more than offset by the wow effect of the statement you'll make with some nice Romans, and at the same time provide a uniform exterior projection across your entire house frontage. I'd strongly suggest 'pelmets' with the Roman Treatments. Yes. - It will add to the overall cost but it really would tie it all in. I would suggest you do not have your Roman's and pelmets in the same fabric. There are many coordinated fabrics as options from reputable Australian suppliers. Do the job properly with someone who will custom make Traditional Soft Roman's (as opposed to 'Hard Roman's' aka Casual Romans, Beach Blinds. If not within budget today better to wait; than to settle for second best. Properly lined custom made Romans + e-screens with pelmets, are going to save you on heating costs. (I have them through my own house, replacing some pre-existing verticals and it did make a big difference to my comfort in winter and $$$ saved on my heating bill). Here's an example of a Soft Roman with a single pelmet tying the treatments across three windows together: Above: Traditional Soft Roman Blinds (Lined) with a single pelmet tying the three windows together. Treatment variation: 4 pelmets completing the treatments for 4 windows. Alternatively, depending on the spacing between your windows, three separate pelmets could be used (marginally more cost - fabric for the returns/sides). Personally, I would go for a straight pelmet box for a more formal projection (rather than concave edged pelmets pictured above in your space). Pelmets can also be varied in fascia depth and depending on the height of the window. I would suggest min 20, 25 or maximum 30cm height. Ours look great with 20cm fascias. - Go for 'coordinated' rather than same fabric, to really set it off, along with high quality flange cord trim. You'll find a lot of the images that come up in your 'Roman Searches' from Oz, 'land' you on US Treatment search results; most of which are unlined and tend to have that 'saggy' look. You'll find more images of Traditional Soft Roman's raiding the photo archives of the Houzz sites in Europe. (although there are a number of excellent images here here on Houzz Oz). We recommend Warwick Fabrics, Charles Parsons, James Dunlop (Mokum/Pegasus), Nettex. Jump on their websites, view their collections. In most cases you will be able to order cuttings at no charge. - You'll be able to touch and feel and see how they will look in your home. Don't rush. Take your time as getting it right contributes greatly to the impact and projection of the vision you realise for the overall room. Above: Another example of a soft roman but without pelmets. It suits well in this interior, top-fixed to the ceiling (which would not be the case in your room). The above image also lacks the formal projection (or at least 'transitional') that you need for your space. In the above image, it is also worth noting that when viewed closer-up the head-rail is far more noticeable, and given the proximity of your windows to the dining table, far better covered over by pelmet(s). You will literally 'warm the cockles' of your dining guest's hearts during winter with the extra insulation that pelmets add to the treatment. Finally, this from Charles Parsons via the Window Coverings Association of Australia (WCAA) may prove enlightening: Energy Savings - Window Fact Sheet (via WCAA) All the best and do make sure you post the before/after shots, whatever solution you land on. Nancy.

I'd say it's an easy min. $250K minimum flagfall on a relatively basic/not fancy spec/fit-out in a super good package deal. You're essentially renovating an entire house including moving plumbing, walls replastering, new floors throughout etc....not to mention lights, rewiring etc etc, it goes on and on.......This scope would still cost a builder themselves $150K, not factoring in their own time/labour, paying cash for sub-trades and getting super deals on all materials....and then you could only really potentially roll this type of operation out if you actually have the money in the bank. If you need to borrow then you'd need a building contract which then brings in market rates, profit margins and GST. Take profit and GST out from $150K and there's barely enough left to cover materials alone, when the labour/materials ratio (of a construction cost) these days, particular for renovations is labour being the most significant cost involved.............you can fine tune and perfect a floor plan like you have (which I reckon is pretty good as a plan), but when push comes to shove it always comes back to budget and costs, which is why we always are encouraging people to utilise design professionals who manage the challenge of designing within budget limits. If you separate budget/costs from the design process (rather than integrate it) more often than not it will leads to disappointment and misalignment of your expectations of what is realistic.

Budget Bathrooms Melbourne, my course is through Open Colleges however (sadly) they don't teach us in great detail about technical drawings. We spend the first 13 modules, manually drawing our concept designs, and from Module 14, we begin to learn AutoCAD and also 3D modelling on SketchUP. After I complete the course, I am hoping to look into architecture at University, as they teach you everything about technical drawings however, Kitchen and Home Sketch Design's referral of Arch Draft course at Holmeglen TAFE sounds interesting! Best of luck with your extension of education :)

Yeah I will have to set some time aside to go measure all the rooms, so bear with me. I think I'll need to re-draw the original layout too, so it makes more sense what I'm doing long term. A previous owner opened up the current dining room and kitchen but it means the lounge has 5 doorways and is an awkward thoroughfare with nowhere to put furniture. The kitchen then ends up too visible. I keep hoping the drawing will turn up but it's not so far! My parents are compulsive renovators, so I grew up checking out salvage yards and open houses and worst house in best streets and talking over "what would you do with this space?" We ended up moving like every second year! It means I know I can turn this house around. I don't however intend to do all the hard graft for someone else to enjoy. Its really more of a creek than a river so it's not super wide, so the tree line shades the waterway a bit, but its all gorgeous and green year round. At the moment the windows aren't quite in the right spots. when we reclad I'll open the up more. The bath has a great view.