I have recently upgraded my kitchen keeping original layout but now have a very tired original cork floor. I love cork tiles, but the discoloured tan/orange just doesn’t fit the colour scheme, would the new painted ones wear as well? I enjoy the warmth and the quietness of the cork, would the expense be warranted, or should I simply opt for a vinyl planking look.

Hi. Choosing an exterior colour is so hard. What do you think? The darker blue In the first pic or the lighter duck egg blue in the second or perhaps even the small patch of very dark blue On the two weather boards in the second pic.

I'm surprised no-one has commented . The logical answer is a Royal Blue rug , as everything else is blue or purplish tones . But then , blue to me is a colder colour , and you are just adding to that ( and the sameness ) . So I'd try and go a bit abstract , and go mainly Royal Blue but , depending on what you can find in shops or on-line , have some purple , some red , some orange , either in patterns but my preference would be to try and get something more abstract , more random . It would add colour and warmth , but with mainly deeper blue hues to reference everything . BUT you do know that a rug will collect every crumb and bit of fluff and stuff off your shoes ? So if that is a hassle , how about going for warmer coloured terracota tiles ? More work , more cost ( probably ) but it may help overall .

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