How many will live in this house: ... how many bedrooms do you actually need now and in the immediate future; ... how many people do you need to have sit at your dining table for each family meal. If you are living alone and/or with a spouse or significant other and have no children at this time, seriously consider just focusing your budget on remodeling the downstairs only. Consider beginning the remaking the conservatory so that it could be used as either the master bedroom or as a formal dining room later. Is the glass roof level or vaulted? Could you add a wall of patio doors instead of a single door that opens inward so that even if later you changed the roof or added a glass ceiling for warmth it could still give you plenty of light and a view of the garden. What is that odd exterior space between the conservatory and bathroom -- is there anything in that space (such as heat/ac or utility connections) or could that space be enclosed and become a part of the interior of the house. Is it wide enough to become a back stoop so you could have an exterior door from the kitchen to the back with a covered walkway there rather than needing to go through what is now the conservatory? Is the wall between the lounge/living room and the kitchen a weight bearing wall? Could you remove it and replace it with some version of a room divider cabinet and then use the part of the lounge/living room on the other side as a dining space, creating a modest sized "L" shaped great room with living, dining and kitchen? You should have at least a toilet and sink both upstairs and down. Logically, you could take a part of the back of the larger bedroom for a bath between the two bedrooms (and, perhaps, put a walk in closet on the other side). Until you do build an addition to your home, you might not need a tub/shower both upstairs and down so you could put it where it is most convenient for how you want to use it -- such as: if prefer your tub/shower near your washer and dryer and they are downstairs, you'd want your tub/shower there. For storage, go vertical. Tall chests of drawers and cabinets are going to give you more storage per square foot of floor space used than low wide ones. Choose smaller furnishings and appliances as they will make your space visually appear larger. Make what furnishings you buy do double duty: ... A two drawer filing cabinet can provide storage and serve as a living room end table or a bedside table. ... A storage ottoman with a reversible lid to enable it to serve as a coffee table can serve three purposes. Keep us updated; pics please. Good luck on your project.

I did also read about the Window Tax - it make sense to explain why I have so many blocked up windows. I think I do need to put a window back in on the side above the front door or at least give the impression of a window or similar - looks too plain otherwise. I think on balance sticking with just the off-white looks best and most in-keeping. The pic above has the window put back in and it does look much better balanced. Could I maybe put the window in with some obscure glass (or maybe mirrored glass) but have it blocked off on the inside? It would make very useful in-built storage in the bathroom.

Hi Teresa, APT Renovation here. We are a design and build company and would love to give you a free consultation and be a part of this exciting project. If would like to view some of our previous builds you can head to https://www.aptrenovation.co.uk/our-projects/ or give us a call on 0207 223 6417 and we can start helping with your project. I trust you will have a great day further and hope to hear from you soon :) Kind Regards, APT Renovation Ltd

Wild card here, but could you experiment with a stained glass effect on the balustrades. Couldn't find any decent example but maybe something modernist and simple like the patterns below. Could also spray paint the silver to a black, bronze or burnished copper or brass? A more expensive but more hard-wearing option would be to send of the handrails to be powder-coated by a professional sprayer.