Kind of funny really how many people would feel exposed and would not want to use the bathroom. The more I think about it, it's a bit like a public restroom with stalls (as stall walls rarely go to the ceiling or floor and have the added issues of gaps between the wall panels and doors -- which thankfully we won't have!). Regarding the humidity control issue, I should have clarified this is only for a toilet and small hand basin (not a full bathroom with shower). The main room on the other side of the proposed toilet is our dog whelping room where we will have young litters of puppies (when we have them). Further down the hall, removed from this room, is our training room where there are likely to be other visitors but the proposed bathroom would be quite removed from that area. It would be wonderful to find more windows like the ones that are up near the ceiling! That would certainly solve the issue. I'll have to scour the demolition/restoration places.

You could reverse the layout of the ensuite, and have the door to it through the walk in wardrobe (so you would only have one door coming off the bedroom). If I were you, I'd consider swapping the positions of the ensuite and wardrobe, so the current ensuite door becomes the wardrobe door. That way you could move the bed to the east (right), and you would have room for a seating area in the north west corner of the room (as your bedroom looks huge!). I'd also add a window on the small bit of north facing wall in that room; you already have corner windows in the living and another bedroom, so you could match those in style. Personally I don't particularly like the current layout of the main bathroom, although I can see the reasoning behind it (i.e. vanity at entrance, toilet hidden behind wall, window above bath). I think it might work better if you put the shower in the corner where the bath currently is (i.e. beside the toilet, opening to the west), and the bath on the same wall as the vanity. You'd have to move the window, of course. Alternatively, do you actually need three toilets? You could remove the toilet in the main bathroom, and you'd have room for a freestanding bath and/or a bigger shower. You could consider stealing a bit of space from the kitchen to create some storage at the entryway. I'm not sure where your garage will be, but it's really handy to have a designated place at the point of entry for all the stuff you tend to dump when you first come into the house (schoolbags, coats, mail etc). Overall, I think the layout is pretty good, but you could potentially lower the build cost by making it all a bit smaller. It's really worthwhile taking the time to figure out just how much space you actually need, and where you need it. For example, if it were my house, I'd take about half a metre off both the east bedrooms (so the house is shorter from east to west), plus I'd make it smaller north to south by slightly reducing the size of all three bedrooms, and making the kitchen a bit smaller (so the hall cupboard lines up with the back wall of the small living room). But your priorities may be completely different from mine!

If you have a small, dimly lit bathroom, you aren't alone! Often throughout the 60's and 70's it seems as though bathrooms were an after-thought to the general house design, and not considered to be a valuable use of floor space. That view has changed thankfully, and beautiful bathrooms are now one of the best value-adds in a home. As a general rule, investing in bathroom improvements will not only add to the value, but will also enhance your enjoyment of living in the home, and improve saleability should you decide to sell. If you do have a small bathroom, don't despair! There are always options to make better use of the space, introduce additional light, and just add a touch of luxury! The use of glass and light colours can greatly enhance the sense of space, and modern Solatubes can not only introduce excellent natural light where you need it most, but also come in models that provide ventilation, and LED lighting once the sun goes down. If you have mains pressure water, consider adding a rainhead to your shower. The inclusion of a built-in shower niche shelves not only look great but provide a neat spot for all your shower supplies. If you currently have a shower curtain, chances are it has caused you despair at some point or another. A low-profile tiled hob with a glass door will do an excellent job of containing the water (especially ideal if you do want the rainhead!), and you will never have a wet, cold, shower curtain clinging to you again. Some comments from our wonderful clients on this project; "The job is now completed, and we are very happy with the result. We have been enjoying a lovely new shower, bathroom and toilet. I would recommend Wayne and his team, especially if like us, you can’t be bothered with project managing a whole lot of different contractors in order to do a renovation". "...there were no hidden costs, and I think all contingencies had been thought of before the quote was sent, which was great for us that there were “no surprises”. Thank you so much Alex and Chrissy! Before: After:

Hi Joanna, It really comes down to three questions that you will need to ask yourself; 1. How much can you afford now 2. How patient are you... 3. How much maintenance do you want to provide Screens will give you an instant effect and won't require any ongoing maintenance and they would provide a more modern aesthetic to your space. They won't help to soften your space though, and as you have a lot of hard surfaces I would certainly recommend you look at trying to achieve this. You could achieve this by growing some climbers up the screen or by planting planters in front. In terms of colour, I would go or a darker one as this will contrast well to your existing surrounds but darker colours tend to disappear into the background visually, so it won't feel as cramped. In terms of cost, i'm not sure exactly how large of an area you need to cover, but they can get quite expensive. Prefabricated screens you can get from hardware stores are the most cost effective but are limited by design and colour. Custom ones are more flexible but will cost around $900-1500 per 2m H x 1m W panel, plus labour. As for plants, here is where the patience comes in.... If you can wait for the plants to grow in, this will provide you with the most cost-effective approach if you get the plants young. However, you can scale your decision to suit your budget with either small, medium or mature plants. Medium-mature plants are likely to cost less than getting custom screens built and installed, whereas small plants might cost the same as a pre-fabricated screen choice. Plants will also soften your space, but will also require the ongoing maintenance and without a strict schedule, you may end up with a similar problem with pests like your Portgegues Laurel. Gardening and garden design are all about weighing up your priorities vs your ability to compromise against budget, patience and ongoing maintenance. In answer to your question - It's not about what I would do with the space! You need to live in it (and pay for it!), so make a decision based on what you are comfortable with now and into the future. Whatever you decide, any change to your garden is worth the investment! Good Luck! Martin City Botanics