wish you had a picture...as for the design dilemma i have a few off the cuff ideas 1. if you own cats then wrap pole with goo sturdy rope (color if rope is neutral. goes with nearly all colors). the cats can use this as a scratching post 2. Can stack terra cotta pipes around pole then place wine bottles in them 3. Place a table around the pole. make it a bar, coffee bar or just somewhere to sit. Easy to do. Round table (thrift store or craigslist buy) cut in half then cut a half circle on each half then connect table around pole 4. attach hangers on the post and then use it as a coat rack. clothes rack if in the bed room Just a few ideas. Suggest you send before and after pictures in so if others have the same dilemma. Good luck with it :)

Re plate licking, we were in a fish cafe shop in Carnarvon west Aus, plastic table cloths, etc, the food was amazing, my husband licked his plate and the cook/ chef rushed out of the kitchen and hugged him. As for me I have known to lick a plate but not in a restaurant as yet. I also love getting in pjs in winter as soon as I get home from work and have had a walk and shower. 5pm a good time to be in pjs in winter.talk to my cat like she understands (she actually does) sleep with the cat next to my pillow. It is good that we live in a country where we are all a little bit insane.

Thanks Mel. We'll see what we can do to make the rumpus enclosed - it's probably more of a "man cave" at the moment :) Grandad had a dining table in his current place (which is bigger) and got rid of it because he never used it. He also wants more bench space than he currently has. So, this was a deliberate choice rather than a compromise due to lack of space. You've reminded me now that someone did warn us earlier in the design process about the back and forth between wardrobe and bathroom becoming annoying over time. We don't currently have an en suite so it feels wonderfully convenient for us by comparison. However, that feeling will change if we realise it could have been even better. We did have the en suite off the wardrobe in some designs but have been warned this can lead to dampness in your clothes no matter how well ventilated the bathroom is (especially in Auckland's humidity). Would love to hear people's experiences of this configuration - good and bad. On top of that, there are lovely private bush views to the south so we've tried to make the most of those.

Hi, I think that you should consider all the other furnitures in the room (bed, bedside tables, desk chair etc.) as well as the room color and deco you already have. If you want to create a unity every pieces has to be connected somehow. Maybe you could take a picture of your bedroom :)