" How wonderful it is online that now we can all see what amazing ppl are creating. We always have had amazing ppl making such things, but usually reserved for family keepsakes, or nanas specialty. Put down the iPhone and pick up a craft I say!" ~mldesign0401 Indeed. I'm often gobsmacked at what people can do. And it's great to see the process in pictures. I do spend a lot more time looking at others creations the actually doing something myself! One of the traps of everything shared online. I do love seeing the creations that didn't go as planned too! So funny. It's great that people have the sense of humour to still share their "failures". At the end of the day, there's more benefit in the process of creating right? At least they had a go.

Long ago when I was in high school, we had a sports lesson doing hurdles. I loved it and secretly thought I was great at it. At the end of the lesson, we were sauntering back to class and I decided to show my friends once again how good I was. Now, hurdles must be approached from only one side. If you don't make it over, (from the right side)it smacks down. The other side doesn't move when hit. Well, I approached from the wrong side and had a little too much saunter and not enough pace, so didn't make it over. I hit it hard and the hurdle didn't budge. I was draped over the top in a horribly awkward position. Finger tips just off the ground on one side, toes just off the other side, bottom in the air, school uniform around my ears! Everyone gathered around laughing their heads off. Finally, after much laughter I was lifted off by my school mates. Lesson learnt, don't show off!

I have one of those Monika and I would venture to say that you wouldn't be able to cut it flat because with everything around everywhere having the waved top it would look really odd I think, and I doubt whether you would be able to paint it at least until the development is well over or you could find the developers all over you, along with residents who like yourselves have signed to agree to the covenants. A lot of people enter into these developments because there is a better chance of people looking after their properties however I will say that I am the only owner occupied in my part of the street, and I am forever weeding everyone else's garden, picking up the rubbish blown from the sea breeze on new builders not looking after their rubbish and the renters chucking empty beer bottles where they have sat on the steps drinking and throw the bottles into the garden and I actually water the rental alongside me as our gardens join, as yours probably does, and they refuse to water it. I want my place to look nice and if left to these renters it would look like homeless shelters. I think the tall pots and something like the black bamboo could look really good :)

D'Cruz Design Group Sydney Interior Designers Thanks for your suggestions - much appreciated! 1- We decided against an open staircase, which I agree would be beautiful! But we are still a young family still to have more children and we're trying to minimise any opportunities for children to drop things from upstairs/staircase. 2- I chose a smaller vanity as I wanted somewhere to put in an indoor pot plant, so that space you can see between the door and vanity is where I'm thinking of putting it - that way when you walk in you get a bit of pretty greenery. But I will definitely rethink, perhaps I can go with a longer one and just sit a plant on top of the vanity. Hubby also thinks we won't need 2 basins in there, the kids can share he said :D 3 - Hubby is also against a laundry chute as it only eats into our WIR or ENS. Our Void is our laundry chute haha oklouise: Sorry I couldn't get the numbers showing clearly. We have 2.7m high ceilings hence the steps. Sides of the house is 2m away from the boundaries and we have about 7.5m from rear boundary for the backyard. Yes Study is for working from home yet still have visibility and connection to living space and beyond (the pool). I will have a think about weather we do need an external laundry door or not, given we have 2 doors there. And good idea about swapping the study and laundry, however we do very much want the study to be in amongst the living spaces, and laundry does indeed look very big but it will be our pets quarters, plus mud room & shoe storage etc.