Hello folks! I haven't disappeared, just had whooping cough (yes, seriously!) with a garnish of gastric flu and torn muscles from coughing fits. So that has severely impeded our efforts (hubby's had it too, and it lasts around 3mths so we're not out of the woods yet!) with our new house (which I now describe as semi-derelict before we bought it) and so had no time/mental energy to properly get updated on what's been happening with you guys. Truth be told, I've started reading a few times & either got interrupted (mummy-ness) or fallen asleep, without finishing. I've missed this, but u guys, esp Monica & RoRo have been in my thoughts. Where to start?! I think I've taken in all that's happened in this thread since I went AWOL but might have missed some finer points. Monica, I'm so sorry to hear what u'v been through, with the RTA & the cowboy tiling / wallpapering on top! (& work always picks worst times to intensify - I just started on a Task Force this week, when shd really still be on sick leave). I mean, a marker?! Seriously?! Isn't it common knowledge / common sense to use a lightly applied pencil? Sounds like u r doing best thing by looking at it as a learning experience. Still, he deserves an honest review somewhere. Anyway, onwards and upwards, I'll look at the lounge link when I've finished this post. BTW I LOVE your artwork. Vivacious, bright and deep - is there an insight there? ;-) And RoRo, wow you've got a lot on your plate! We've been so frustrated with being held back on our projects by health, but u have taken on a bigger scale of project altogether, sounds like it's verging on municipal! U guys inspire me. :-) Thinking of starting a thread on our living room, it's the most 'civilised' room of the house so far, but I didn't take the north-facing position into account when I decided on a colour scheme of turquoise, grey and lime. (Doh!) So far I've made some headway on a concept I'm excited by, but it needs some tweaking so it doesn't feel 'cold' with the blue tone of the natural light. Are you up for sharing some of your thoughts on this??? Hope so. :-)

I would probably put in more though. Fairly close to the walls. Have them on different switch from chandelier/pendant above the table. Leaning mirror could be fun. Or a grid of mirrors on the wall. The chimney breast would be the obvious spot for a mirror, but you could hang a piece of art on there too. The window reference was more meant in the sense of that a mirror reflects light and gives depth. It all depends on how you're going to place furniture too. No doubt it will become a very cosy dining room :-)

Thank you everyone !!! Decorator has started - he is doing whole extension so currently painting all the new plaster and priming skirting boards and doors. ‘Colours’ won’t start til Monday and I could start a whole new thread about paint type too ! Ceilings and woodwork all white. I thought Dix blue would be most unpopular out of all of them and I have many.....So clockwise from top left is teal, stonewash, Cooks blue and Dix blue THANK YOU for all your comments

KL, thank you - the red does work with the brown, see picture of what the previous owners had - but the walls in reality are a much darker and 'cackier' colour than the picture suggests. Forzaitalia (love the name, love Italy even more!) You are dead right about the brown carpet sapping the light! We plan on putting a fairly light grey carpet in eventually. The room is quite dark anyway as it only has a small window at one end, and we leave the en-suite door open to get light into the other end. Funnily enough, we are already using the 'coastal' theme bedding that we bought (see pics) The other duvet cover is the same as the curtains. I love the rugs in your first photo, especially the blue one, so may well look for something similar - hadn't thought of lightening the carpet up with a couple of rugs, just need to be careful I don't fall over them when I'm staggering to the loo in the middle of the night! Also LOVE the picture on the wall, have been looking for something like that for ages. Actually, you've clarified things a bit for me - I think I might just go ahead and use a warm cream on the walls, try and get a couple of cream and blue rugs and then at least we can still use the bedding I spent a fortune on! At least it will look presentable for a while until we can afford the huge expanse of carpet! Once again, thanks for the help.