Hi everyone, we have moved in! We didn't manage to paint before we moved and think we will go for a staged approach - above the wood panels first in a warm white then decide on the panels. I'm having a bit of trouble working out what kind of sofa to buy and how at arrange the lounge. All furniture except coffee table temporary in photos and would love some ideas!

Hi pjfee2...thanks for your ideas. Have to admit I have not given the reno in MT much thought this summer, here!! Actually been finishing our beach house re-build down here and a bit 'reno'd out' to be honest. BUT we head back in just over a month so it’s time I did give it some serious thought, so your comments very much appreciated. Already got builders organized so that’s a start LOL I love the idea of adding stone on the outside to the turret part – but guessing that is as far as the budget would stretch. The siding is in good shape so need to stain it to work. Love the idea of pulling a color from the turret stone to do this. Will get a stone that has some of the log house gingery color in it and then stain the newer part of house a tone of this?? So far I’m sure we will · Rebuild the deck to run across the front of the house and form the roof over the front door entryway · Make the entry way wider and mud room inside bigger · Replace the small window to the bathroom with a door off the deck, matching the French doors. · Replace the tiny window in the turret with a longer one. · Cover turret with schist or stone cladding Not sure about replacing the windows under the deck. Added a picture of them from the inside. This living space is the hardest to figure out how to furnish in this house. It has quite a lot of light from a large window on the left wall - out of this shot - and across the back of the room through a wide door way to the room at the back. Thinking of opening up this wall? And from the inside they seem pretty well balance? Big problem in that room is that there is not a lot of places that we can use to create a sitting area. Need to get a couple of sofas in there and push them around to see what will work. It has 4 doors leading off and as you can see large log posts dotted about!! ANDd a stairwell going down to lower level and garages. Not a lot of space to play with. OK time for another coffee...its 7.30am down here!!

@thinkforothers, Ha-ha that's so funny about your American trip but yes I use the duvet as a top sheet. As for getting the dooda back into the cover, I have a pretty simple method and it doesn't take allot of effort nor does it include being swallowed up by the duvet in the process as you said ha-ha..... but there is a bit of back and forth around the bed. I flick the duvet open onto the bed, I grab the one corner of the doona head up towards the respective corner and pull the duvet back towards my hand a little too and place it down, repeat on the other side, then I grab each top corner seperately holding the doona firmly in the corner and pull it up to the headboard, whilst walking back to the end of the bed I lift the cover slightly, allowing the doona to get further swallowed up by the cover, then I'm left with slipping either corner of the doona into the duvet. I do up the buttons then holding the bottom of the duvet, I flick the cover, towards the headboard, so that the doona edges forward in the cover and even flick the doona on both sides of the bed left to right and vice versa and it's usually perfect. Its very easy doing a single doona by again spreading the duvet over the bed, grab the doona corners, one in each hand, walk them up to the corners, lay it down then pick up the dooda by the top corners and shake a few times just straight down, even stand on a safe stool or on the bed and you will usually find the duvet with eaze it's way down with just the bottom corners to slip in and again voila!!! Unfortunately, when I bought two of my duvet sets from Ezibuy, I bought NZ king which is a bit wider that an Australian king size and I didn't know that at the time and I have a bit of slack on the sides but it doesn't cause any problems and what I mean by this is, that the doona doesn't slip all the way to the left or right, it does stay in place. Hope that explanation was clear, I should do a video ha-ha Cheers, Barbara

I agree with havingfun, thicken the supports and have something growing trailing up them. I didn't even notice there was a pergola until the close up. Right now it blends in too well with the house color, consider painting it a different color. I don't know your usda zone but classic climbers for a pergola include clematis, wisteria, grape https://www.houzz.com/photos/santa-ynez-valley-mediterranean-porch-santa-barbara-phvw-vp~2485412 or go for a modern look You can also hang string lights, planters or something from the beams. Also agree lighten the front door.