I see this is a very old thread , with lots of comments . I've just skim read them , but I haven't seen anyone suggest anything like my 'top-of-my-head' idea -- I love the wood , and the white contrast , but pretty boring . Whats your favourite colour , or what ties in with the other rooms ? It might be blue or red or yellow or orange or green , as examples . So paint the skirting board and around the door a pastel shade of your choice , and add a small 30cm x 30cm abstract painting featuring that colour as the primary dominant one , above ( or possibly below , or maybe even get 2 matching/complementary ones ) the control panel . One lighting crowd suggested glass shades -- I'd actually go for someothing large but wooden , in much the same shade as your floors and steps , with LED bulbs -- you can get some stunning ones around 80-100 cm in diameter ( sort of a star ball shape ) for $300-400 . Total budget then $500 plus a painter and maybe electrician , unless you DIY .

@ EMILY! Thanks so much for showing us all that you've accomplished...what a big...ongoing job and its not cheap undertaking something like that. Thanks for the tip about the star jasmine...I have a beautiful planting of that.....or rather 'had'...I got a chap in to trim it for me who advertised himself as experienced....Oh Dear! He killed most of the vine by cutting it at ground level! Now its a brown horrible mess up a tall trellis and no privacy. I'm devastated. To make it worse the neighbour sits out on her back deck and calls out to me when I'm out there when before she couldn't see me.....I'm putting up atemporary reed screen...I think....would rather my star jasmine with the blackbirds nesting in it....I know the feeling of not jumping in in case one makes a regrettable mistake. I also had gardenias but once they get sick its not worth all the trouble. I've had to learn heaps about what plants are appropriate for my place and I've made some really silly mistakes too. I've never seen those cut laser panels before and am a bit intrigued. What are they used for,,outdoor lighting? That colourbond fence works really well as a privacy screen! You've done so much and have invested not only your hard-earned money but also your ideas! Hope you have some lovely times in your space.

Hi everyone - just an update on our bathroom. Thank you again for all the suggestions. As all renovation projects go, we started with a basic touch up with tile paint and repainting the vanity; the tile paint was a disaster. To be fair it is very humid in Cairns at the moment, however the instructions were to leave it longer to dry. In the end we have ripped out both the floor and the wall tiles, we have reduced the height of the roman bath to a step in shower (we tiled straight over the shower floor with mosaic tiles). We managed to get a second hand vanity in fantastic condition, are replacing the shower glass from higrove (thanks for the tip) and even got some brand new tiles from the dump shop for $15.00. We thought we would try our hand at rendering and we are very happy with the effect of getting rid of the besser block walls. So for colours we have grey floor tiles, and white wall tiles. We are up to the wall tiles now and very excited about showing you our bathroom renovation which fingers crossed should be finished next week. Thank you again for all your comments. I have learnt a good lesson on weighing up the benefits of using what is existing in the space, to starting again and look for DIY tutorials on YouTube.

Sorry but I would sack the draftsman. He/shes no architect. That roof is a nightmare. I try and think about the function of each room and how you would live in it. The entrance is like a cricket pitch but no where to put the bat and ball when you are finished. You come in from the garage or entry door and you are in the middle of nowhere.. Where you going to put you shoes and jacket. And if you want to use the toilet or wash your hands went you get home you have a 20m trek through the house.?? Don't like the bedroom 1 right at the front door and the doors are all hung wrong. You are going to be walking around them all day. The ensuite is badly sized. Shower to narrow, toilet too long and no basin. You going to be opening that door with dirty hands. Think about the floor space to dry your self and dress/undress. Cavity sliders are a pain. Like you have to open them almost all the way to get through where an opening door you glide through. With cavities also you mostly have to walk into the corner of a room to get in and out (study and rumpus) where as a normal door it 1/2 a step less. Master bedroom walk-in wardrobe is dumb. Draw it on the ground, work out how your clothes will hang, and see how much room you have left. Same for the bedroom 3 and 4 wardrobes..Dumb. What were you thinking with that pantry.. It like 8 steps in then 8 out again. Pantry should be more square, have a butlers sink in it. Be the food prep area, pots dishes etc out of sight especially in an open plan place. Be light and the food perpetration area be close enough to the door so you can converse with the guests or family other wise you might as well have a maid who is not seen or heard. Bed 3 and 4 are miles away from a bathroom. The toilet is probably OK in size, just needs a bigger door. 720 you are going sideways through it. Bed 2 backs onto the shower and toilet. Which room are you going to put your little kid in. Long way from mum and dad.