I'd like to suggest that the most important thing here is more about who is using the room. If It's a child's bedroom use lovely children's curtains - there's so much around and any pattern could pick up the wall and floor colours. If a guest room and not used often I'd suggest a beautiful velvet or good quality Linen and forbid the little ones from going in to that room!!!!!! alternately a blind attached at floor level could be raised or lowered so the view is still there but with privacy from waist height perhaps. Good luck. Bee

Get the professional sander guys in to repair the living areas and kitchen but don't go too dark with the stain as it will kill the lovely grain in the matai. I'm thinking a couple of tones richer than the timber knots showing in your photo, definitely no yellow tone at all. In NZ stepping on to carpet especially in a kiwi winter is so much nicer than a cold floor board shock!!! A nice area rug for the lounge and you're done.

Hi Michelle - It looks like treated pine to me, and looks as though it has been recently built. If you did nothing it would fade to a grey colour within 6 months or so. This would probably blend in with the house quite well, and you wouldn't have to do a thing! Otherwise I would stain it - there are lots of stains on the market - see if there is one you like. A dark one would create a nice contrast with the house and make the fence look more like a feature. Good luck!

Looking at the bench , I assume that aged look is what you are going for ? How artistic are you ? I'm thinking you'd carry on in a similar vein -- paint the trim in white , but while its still damp ( so within say 30 minutes ) dab on some off-white and even buttery cream , using a sponge , in a bit of a 'rub' pattern . Likewise , I quite like the faded blue jeans look on the sill -- thats a bit harder to do , but maybe a cream base , then thin the blue with turps or water , and also sponge it on , but basically in solid rubs , like you were nuggetting your shoes .