My partner & I bought a fishery with 2 lakes just over a year ago, the entire 10 acre site was very neglected, but we have renovated the lakes so that the anglers have a wonderful experience in beautiful surroundings. Our dream now is to renovate the house, reconfiguring the property so that we too can enjoy the beauty of our surroundings. There is also an acre of garden to landscape, we have many ideas but ideas on where to start would be fantastic

Absolutely echo comments above regarding raising the soil level around the tree, a big no no as it will mean at best the tree will struggle and fail to thrive and will probably eventually die. Decking is a good solution if you want to install a seating area around the tree, with planting around it to soften the edges. I would maybe look at a composite decking as it will mean less maintenance and will not become as slippery as timber in a shaded area, also if going for a contemporary look it can look very sleek, especially if choosing a grey or even black. You could also add in some lower growing shrubs, herbaceous, spring bulbs etc and create a edge of woodland feel to this area, which would have interest and create a lovely view, whatever the time of year. What ever you do good luck.

A few years ago we couldn't find a rug that wasn't patterned or the right size, so we visited a local family run carpet shop who made any carpet you like into a rug by edging it. Crucial Trading do this too but pricey. I think a darker gray than the walls would look fab, and then add more colour with cushions and throws. Good luck with finishing your beautiful room.

Hi Rowen, I can't quite identify the knobs/handles in Claire's images (and there are quite a few others in this thread!), but we may be able to help source what you are looking for. We have a variety of hadle suppliers, but one of our favourite for "cup & knob" in a variety of lovely finishes is Crofts & Assinder - crofts.co.uk - a really great, British company with some lovely designs and finishes. Have a browse of the website and see if any are close to what you seek. If you give me an idea of which is the style you particularly like, happy to try and help. Handles are so crucial for the final look of a kitchen - we do tend to get a bit obsessive about them ourselves! John Caldicot Kitchens