Heating and cooling: I suggest insulation is a necessity. We have a log fire in our lounge room, but one has to sit quite close to it to get any benefit from it. I usually have a throw rug, plus a cat on my lap, and often one next to me. The heat rises , so your upstairs area will often be toasty warm, but the downstairs area will be cold. In Sydney, depending on if you are coastal or further inland, it may or may not be a problem. Consider something like underfloor heating, perhaps? That is what we are going to look at when we renovate. Or, you could try a ceiling fan which is designed to blow the warm air down - depending on the size of your void, you may need more than one. I have a fan, but I am not convinced it does much.

To Nicole K..OOOOOOH That sounds really classy! Why didn't anybody come up with that earlier on? I don't drink...but just for the decorator touch, if I had that fridge and that space, I'd get the calssiest alcohol shelving and fill it with the most elegant bottles available......suppose the real thing would cost a mint...so I'd hunt for the bottles and fill them with the appropriately coloured liquid...food colouring dye and water ought to do it. Maybe just one real bottle....my brandy for the upset tum. What a good idea!

I like the design - how it takes the opportunity to add extra light. I prefer the glass all the way through & upstairs to continue that void feeling. Depending where the windows are upstairs - it would make the most of those window views (rather than bring in a baby cage 😂 - I get that)

Hello, There are lots of options and it depends on your budget and the style of house you are going for. I would really encourage people to consider this element in the overall design rather than just look at it as an 'add on' to the building. Definately agree with Macyjean in that you should try to keep the sun off the glass in the first instance. Once the heat has penetrated the glazing, ventilation or artificial cooling is the only remedy. Internal curtains and blinds have limited impact. If you can keep whatever external treatment you use away from the windows by a small amount that would be good to encourage external air movement. If louvres or shutters are too close to the window, they will trap the heat which will ultimately go through the glass. They also limit your ability to open those windows. In Brisbane I used fixed timber slat screens that were 50/50 solid/open and about 500mm away from the western facade and windows, which also had glass louvres to keep the air moving. Maybe not necessary in south Victoria, especially in winter. I also used various coloured glass to give an awesome effect in the evenings. This could work nicely in your dining room. Consider larger roof overhangs on the west to delay the afternoon sun coming in the higher windows. If you want to maintain all the view to the west, louvres can be be deeper so they can be further apart to reduce afternoon sun but if they are not adjustable, the sun will come directly in at some point as the sun passes by and lowers. This will be earlier in the afternoon in summer if the louvres run vertically. Another option, depending on the space you have, is to grow climbers up a separate frame outside the building. If it is deciduous, the sun will get in for the colder months. This is a very old tried and tested method if you look to mediterranean homes. Even concrete screens can be incorporated. If they are away from the wall by a little bit, they will absorb the suns heat and radiate it away as the evening temperature drops. These can be a standard product or something custom if you budget extends to this. Corten steel screens with laser cut patterns are pretty popular at the moment but these would have to suit your house style. Good luck, C.