For me it’s maximalism. Lovely in a quirky cafe or boutique hotel but at home it would give me a headache. I like a restful house and so yes quite a lot of it is grey! Not battleship grey or anthracite but bluey or greeny greys. Concrete floors. Depressing, cold, ecologically not great, look unfinished. Plants very high up. How do you water them? Walk in wardrobes even if it means the bedroom becomes tiny. I’d rather have a bigger bedroom with wardrobes in it, than dress and sleep in tiny spaces. Uber industrial. There’s a reason we usually hide cables, conduits, vent ducts...because they are ugly. Buying new furniture and accessories very often to have an “up to date“ look. I see all these instagram pictures with everything brass, mid century, wood, rattan, green (today’s trends) and I wonder what has happened to all their grey, painted, silver, shabby chic items from 5/10 years ago. And what will they do with today’s items when the look swings round again...

Using half height shutters on your windows sections may look awkward since you don't have a break in the glass like you would on a sash window. Leaving the shutters always on the glass will reduce the light substantially, even with the louvres open. Because your window is all curved, with five divisions, you will need 5 Roman blinds. You could get over the farff of raising and lowering each blind daily by installing an electric remote controlled system. Light loss would be minimal if the blind pleats are on the small side. What about using pleated blinds like Duette or Plisse by Luxaflex on each section. They stack up very tight to the headrail and come in a good range of colours. Teamed up with a pelmet (4-5" deep) of a patterned fabric, you'd have maximum light and night-time privacy.

I'd steer clear of painting the walls, and in any case not without discussing first with your neighbour (assume that is the neighbour's property?). If the neighbour did allow, it would be very easy to span a pergola-style structure between both buildings, and from this you could have a retractable sunshade (see below link). This could provide a much more intimate space for evening dining/relaxing, especially in early & late summer when its a bit cooler. You wouldn't need to purchase or build an independent pergola, just the shade kit, which you could suspend from a decent timber frame between both buildings (of course Party Wall Act comes into play and you would need the appropriate written permissions from your neighbour). http://www.tuin.co.uk/Sliding-Garden-Shade-Awning.html?productid=17374&cat=334&utm_campaign=googleproductsearch&utm_medium=googleproductsearch&utm_source=googleproductsearch&utm_term=Sliding+Garden+Shade+Awning+3m+x+5m&_fpts=1462771551?gclid=CKK22Kap0swCFdZAGwodi6MBuw

In the Summer the countryside is almost unbeatable. The walks, just the beauty of it all changes your whole perception of the world for the better. There are downsides though. We live down a narrow dead-end lane with only a handful of houses but it's not as quiet as you might think, what with walkers, who think no pavements mean it's ok to walk 3 abreast in the middle of the road, horse riders who use their high position to look over your fence and have a nosy, 'sat nav says so' idiots (FOUR signs at the end of the road that tell them to turn back and they STILL carry on) and cyclists who think that because it's the countryside they can ride at high speed around winding bends and look disgusted that someone may be walking along the road. Also in the Winter it can feel isolated and lonely, with frequently flooded lanes and virtually non-existent public transport. A car is essential, deliveries unreliable and amenities non-existent but even with all the negatives there's something about looking at a stunning view that can whisk all your cares away in an instant. I've attached a couple of pics of MY view so you can make up your own mind