I suspect that the ground floor had a hallway previously, I would be tempted to reinstate a smaller version hallway but not as far as the staircase with maybe another inner door and create room for coats shoes etc to be stored in this area. This will create a cosier seating area near the window. I agree with others that a sofa across the room near the stairs would create a more workable lounge with maybe a dining table behind. I would certainly keep the double doors maybe a bi-fold version to give more space and install doors to the open shelves to unify the kitchen.

Like the inset with the shelf. I've put that 'inset' into all my showers and it works great but hadn't thought of the extra shelf. Love the tiles but don't love wet rooms - don't like getting a wet bum when using the toilet and that's what seems to always happen!

So, a few thoughts on the bathroom. Sorry, it's a bit of a read, but I have tried to keep it as short as possible ;) 1. I would not choose to spray paint the fixings/armatures, mainly as it would not work (or if, be costly), but also because spraying them gold would make your bathroom even more yellow-y; the cool silver tone of the fixings actually sets off the beige somewhat. So what I think you'd want to do is counterbalance the yellow with another colour, as someone else pointed out. This could be in the realm of blue, as it's complimentary to yellow and will balance it. But I think you could also balance the beige-y-ness with more white (or cream), as found in the ceiling. Which leads to the 2nd question. You could have some paneling put round the bath, there are aqua panels and suchlike, but I would advise make sure a really good tradesperson does the job, so you get it expertly done. It does not hurt to get some estimates and opinions in, to get an idea of what it would cost you. This also leads onto - 3. as it really depends on your budget, how much you change in the bathroom. If you are planning long-term, I'd say it's better to spend a bit more and do a proper makeover, but if the expense would not be justified, stick to a few amendmends to make it comfortable for the time being. You could think about changing the bath for a walk-in shower, for instance and have the floor re-tiled, or finished with another material in a light colour, which would free up space and also balance out the surrounding beige. This way you could also have more storage beside the sink area. If you don't want to loose the bath, you could just have the floor done, I'd say that tiling would be prefereable to painting it - or you could lay vinyl or some other flooring; either of the flooring choices should not be massively expensive, as it is only a small area. 4. Handles can be changed, but I could also suggest changing the whole unit. You could also swap the mirror cabinet for a wall-hung mirror, which would alleviate the awkwardness at the sink (I've seen that so many times!) and instead hang a bathroom cupboard next to it - possibly also open shelving. 5. As to 5. that depends what you'd want to use it for and would require a bit more in-depth analysis. 6. See 1. I would recommend very light, neutral colours, accented by some lush green plants - they always make everything look nicer! But it also depends on your personal taste and what colours you like. As mentioned before, blues and teals would work well, look for something cool in tone to counterbalance the warm beige, but also trust your gut feeling if you see something you like the look/feel of, as it will probably be right for you! So much for now, I hope this helps a bit. Good luck and feel free to get back to me if you have further questions :)

Texture brings warmth and takes away that laboratory office look. Wood, stone, marble, glass and silks, linen, cotton. Even some synthetics like perspex.