Hello everyone! We have been around Houzz for a while but didn't get a chance to properly introduce ourselves. This is Said from Finite Solutions. We dedicate ourselves into creating the most elegant and functional smart home systems and bespoke home cinemas. Anything that optimise the clients' lifestyles at home and gives them better chances to enjoy their lives, we are there to help! We love working alongside interior designers and architects to implement home technologies that doesn't clutter or obtrude. We would love to help out with any home tech related questions, so feel free to get in touch! P.S: Loving the Houzz! Simply the biggest revolution in home improvement in ages!

They'll never go out of style Tom - NEVER!! Haha! A10) Ohhh I love eclectic style, Maxine, and yes, I mix styles all the time in my own home! I will say, for as easy as it sounds to just throw everything you love into a space, it’s actually one of the hardest looks to do really well – that’s not to discourage you of course because when it all comes together, it’s incredibly satisfying! While it may be tempting to just include everything you like from all different styles together in one space, the resulting feeling will be one of over-stimulation and confusion. So the secret of this seamless integration requires creativity and some self-imposed boundaries. Sticking with a structured colour palette will give the room cohesiveness without making the room flat and uninteresting. Start with a neutral base for your larger pieces, your paint colours and/or your flooring as a means of grounding the space. Pay attention to how pieces relate to one another and how they relate to the room as a whole. One oversized piece is absolutely fine but 3 or 4 will make the room look cluttered and uncomfortable. Despite using mid-century hoop chairs alongside a more traditional chesterfield in my own living room, the backs of the chairs are of similar height to the low-lying sofa back. There is continuity of the eyeline and nothing jars too dramatically. You also want to ensure that when borrowing from different eras, you mix and match throughout the space – having a mid-century console table with art of the same era hanging above it and then a Victorian style fireplace with an ornate mirror in a different part of the room is going to look ‘off’. Take that artwork and hang it above the fireplace instead and perhaps use the more ornate mirror above the console table instead! Hope that helps!

Hi there 81bec. I'm not sure if you've gotten started on the chances to your patch of garden, but if you haven't here are some tips, from someone who also loves low maintenance gardens that are drought proof but look gorgeous all year round..start buy getting rid of the camellia, what ever evergreen is hiding behind it and the red robin..leaving the one plant you actually seem to like, the Cordyline (good choice). Rake away all the gravel and lay down some good compost (after planting, layer over with mulch as it'll stop weeds and retain moisture, resulting in a lower maintenance garden). Next, put a piece of trellis against the side of the porch that currently has the camellia and evergreen and plant a Trachelospermum Jasminoides (Star Jasmine)-it's evergreen, a climber, low maintenance and has dark green leaves in summer with clusters of strongly fragrant white star-shaped flowers and rusty red leaves in winter, lovely. Next, plant a mix of Pennisetum Firework grass and Ox-eye daisies (sometimes called Marguerite) at the back near the wall. In the middle "row" plant a mix of Stipa Tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass) and Echinacea (purple coneflower) and in the front, maybe either side of a wooden love seat, plant Chasmanthium Latifolium (Spangle grass). All are showstoppers year round, low maintenance, drought proof and do well in sun or semi-shade. The grasses all need the same kind of care once a year, as do the flowers, meaning you only have to do maintenance twice in a year as well as a little watering when it's really dry in exchange for year round interest and beauty that will perfectly compliment the Cordyline. Hope this was helpful. If you have any question on maintenance of any of those plants I'll be happy to help.

Well I found this tutorial for making one that might work? It's american but I imagine you can get the same bits here: http://thepaintedhive.net/2017/02/diy-mini-barn-doors-a-complete-tutorial/ Or create something similar to this pic?