Top down bottom up blinds? They come with an aluminum coating too (to block sunlight and thus heat). In our bedroom we installed 2 roller blinds on top of eachother. Both white. One translucent for privacy and one to darken the room. It was cheaper that the dual layered (cellular) blinds and I did not want foil. Not sure if you'd have the space for that (we insulated the walls from the inside, so our window frames are quite deep).

Hi Rachael, Your asymmetrical house form is a very strong visual element and sits very well in this bold and rugged landscape. On the other side of the house from the entry door, the windows and doors are grouped and aligned to create a secondary relationship between them, which pleases the eye and works within the strong form. On the side with the entrance door, this doesn't happen. The scattered size and positioning of the woodstore, windows and doors do not work together to lead the eye to any particular place, nor do they relate to the form of the house. As a starting point, something to draw the eye to the entrance to invite people in will create a secondary focus. Because the house is a very strong form, you want to work with it or complement it, not try to create something that tries to outdo it. You also want something large enough to provide shelter both to keep people from the weather and to make it seem visually welcoming. You have a few materials already in this building, timber and stone, that you can use that will provide a contrast to the corrugate wall but will also make connections with the other parts of the building, and make the shelter become part of the whole rather than look like an afterthought. I would look at creating a porch form with enough visual strength to draw the eye and also try to tie in a few other elements to reduce the scattered look.

You DO have a steep slope to deal with! The tree roots will help stabilize the soil and make a mudslide less likely. If you cannot mow the lawn safely, terrace the area (think Machu Pichu) into garden beds for flowers or vegetables. Do you want your children to play on a grassy area or on a man-made surface? Be sure that the play area has shade during the hottest part of the day. Best wishes.

I'm about to begin a long awaited renovation and alteration and I'm seriously considering using black leather flooring planks throughout, except for the bathroom areas. YES I know it's likely to cost an arm and a leg but putting that to one side, I'd like to hear from anyone who has actually had leather flooring. Did it wear well? Did it scratch? If it did scratch, did this detract or just add to the overall look? What were your findings on cleaning the floor? Was it as warm and quiet as you expected? Would you purchase a leather floor again? What else would you advise me on using a leather flooring product?