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!

As hatetoshop suggests, paint the front doors in both entryways. Here are examples of some blue doors that look good with tan siding. Agree that it's worth enclosing your garbage cans somehow in your other entrance. Replace your entry light fixture with something modern along the lines of the light shown below. Find a nice large indoor/outdoor rug mats that coordinate with the painted doors--tan and blue for both entryways. Try Overstock.com Get some big pots in the door color and coordinating colors and line the entryway fence with some tall plants suitable for your climate to break up the wall of white. Can't tell if you've got any soil in front of the wall where you could put in some plants instead. Inside your fence, clean up the yard then plan some landscaping. So that you have something nice to look at from your kitchen, hang some plants in colorful containers from the fence. If you really want to get fancy, paint some simple wooden window boxes in the blue door color, hang them across the kitchen window, and fill them with herbs and/or flowers if you get enough sun. Or do the same with large planters below your kitchen windows. Put a small colorful bistro table and chairs back there.

There is nothing worse than ceiling-mounted lights--harsh shadows, flat lighting. They are strictly for utility. I would put a large-ish, shallow cylindrical shade on them and put nothing more than a 15-watt bulb in them. Use them strictly for lighting your way as you walk through the room. I agree with Vincent; the chair in the corner doesn't fit at all, nor does the one under the A/C unit (put that one with its mate behind the love seat). And the curtains look smooshed. I think the problem with the bookcases is that they are uninteresting. Did you buy books-by-the-yard? What are all those identical books? They are visually uninteresting. I'd get rid of some of them and get some colorful ceramics/glass/photos. The room is absolutely overwhelmed with furniture. It needs one less love seat. Do you really need all of them? Pushing them against the walls/curtains so tightly just visually emphasizes the fact that there is too much furniture. I don't think a mirror above the fireplace will work. When people are sitting down (which is most of the time), all they will see is a reflection of the ceiling--the plain, white ceiling. Get some real art in there with some color.

Unless buying custom manufactured wood cabinets, you are buying a series of boxes. A 100k euro kitchen installation of an Italian kitchen is one example from my portfolio. Differences are found in the hardware, the door/drawer pulls, weight of doors and exterior finishes. It is about the design, first. In our region, you can knock off 1200-2000 just be sticking with a full depth fridge--but it is design that will make it possible to install full depth and get a counter depth effect. In the Garden Oaks Fine Accommodation residential display suite I needed to prove that a high-end design can be executed for less. Again, it is design that does the trick. The owner of the kitchen above loves the pendants over the breakfast counter. I did not have the heart to reveal the price--$19 each. That owner likes/needs bling so the 14k euro chandeliers (2) in the foyer are a feature. But we get more comments on our pendants--because they are integral to the overall design. Real estate agents have pegged this kitchen at anywhere from 45-75k. It cost under 30k. DYI projects offer the opportunity to take the time that you might not otherwise allow to a designer (hence our need to come equipped with knowledge, contacts and suppliers that augment our services). I recommend drawing from images (Houzz is great for that) to start, then researching suppliers, collecting specs, and developing a document that covers all aspects of the kitchen from lifestyle needs to style to comparisons of product reviews. Whittle it down to an instruction for purchase and installation. Consider challenges such as the dreadful corner cabinet turntable and splurge on solutions that make your design truly functional. You'll appreciate the expense that delivers practical functionality. There are remarkable solutions for the corner cabinet--but my fav is to determine whether that space can become storage (cabinet or drawers) in an adjoining room. When not practical, articulated pull-out stainless shelves are functional--and cool. Undermounted sinks are great for clean-line counters. Well placed recessed lighting (design again) eliminates the need for other fixtures--and allows you free rein to purchase for focal point impact or (my preference) to fit seamlesly into the overall look. Enjoy the journey--have fun!