As the appearance of the garden has a modernist style with the straight lines and concrete furniture how about a Mondrian influence and add a bold strip of blue? It is a pond and with the right shade it could look really relaxed and contemporary. My daughter's suggestion is a chalky lilac!

Hi nikki. This post has my creative juices flowing. The vertical space you have in abundance is seldom seen in regular interiors, and I will impart some ideas that I have implemented in commercial spaces. The bookcase is an amazing idea, it will not only solve a storage problem, but will add instant personality and style to your space. Bookcases don't dictate a style, so they are timeless and seldom date. They can be interpreted and styled in many ways so they have flexibility most other pieces do not. The flatpack bookcases come in many sizes, height and widths, so using this to advantage, I would measure the wall to the right of the door, and then mark that distance on the left side also. This is the area I would shelve! Only I suggest full height for maximum effect, and designer conviction! Floor to ceiling, in smaller widths is often featured in your trendy mags, Milans furniture fair loves to set up bookcases that emphasize space and light, the higher the more dramatic and the more customized they appear. Flat pack shelves mean you could afford to do this, and cleverly sort out your best fit scenario. I would even punctuate some of your bookshelf backs wi your accent colours with smaples of wallpapers that feature your accent colours. Places like masters offer free samples of them, or you could even colour photocopy prints offline. Simply temporarily set them into. Backs and display your face objects in these ones. The remaining wall left without shelving, upon entering the room, I would either paint a colour, or line it with horizontal timber planks. ( engineered flooring planks) are cheapest and most effective as their surfaces can be cleaned easily. This will add major wow factor and lengthen the wall visually, it will also clear the entrance sufficiently and allow the bookshelves even more effect. I myself would mirror this section of wall, which would be expensive, but would open the space dramatically, and look super clean. Just remember to leave a shelved area open for your tv, and forward think for another objects like lamps of entertainment units that may need housing. Lastly, depending on your style, I would track down an old painters ladder with cross bracing on eBay etc, and paint it black or turquoise. Lean it (fix it) against your shelving or even blank wall to tie in your amazing new library. Good luck!

This is where the kitchen is going to be. Where my husband is will be counter top at that height. with a big wide counter top to sit under. on the back wall double door fridge a metre gap. 2 wall ovens then a sliding door where the ladder is. A scullery. Behind my husband to the side of him a sink the cooker then space. Where the big flat plank is on the ground (ish) will be the movable island. you can see a taster of the stone wall which will be on both sides of the entrance hallway, the flooring will look very similar to this http://carpetdiscounters.co.nz/product.aspx?product_id=441 . You may note the steel next to my husband on that side. it also needs to be treated. Thank you very much

Without knowing any more info , I'd say its near impossible for anyone but you to know what colour/s to choose -- do you want the house to blend in but have its own style , or do you want it to stand out ? What colours are your main furniture items and even kitchen etc ? For xxample , if keeping the beige walls , how about doing the eves and gutters and garage door in a tangy ( bright , but not glaring ) orange -- this would work with the existing colours and not require a complete repaint . BUT if your kitchen was mainly various shades of , say , green and teal , and your lounge suite and duvet covers were mainly blue hues , that may 'feel' funny , clashing with the exterior ? Of course , blue and beige exterior may not work with the brown aluminium , as youve recognised . Another option ( a bit hard to tell from the pictures ) is that a light grey ( repaint the beige ) with mid-charcoal base boards may work with the brown aluminium , then a bright colour on the gutters and front and rear doors to suit -- anything from sea blue to bright yellow , orange , red , even white or off-white would probably work .