Hello :) We have now plastered and painted first coat of white paint.. now deciding on the type of tiles.. we like the idea of Moroccon style tiles on the floor.. but as the bathroom is pretty narrow.. having a feature on the wall is a bit akward.. Our bathtub will be on the right and toilet under the window (same position as old layout) as all plumbing is already there. Unsure whether to have a concealed cistern toilet unit which can make the area look neater.. But I can't seem to find a good quality looking concealed unit (floor to under window measurement 98cm) width available is 50cm..or should i just go for a standard normal toilet. On the right after the bathtub we will have space for a double vanity sink unit.. opposite wall have a vertical stainless steel radiator... Unsure whether to go for a towel warmer or a vertical radiator? The bathroom will not have underfloor heating. Room dimensions are (length 335cm width 125cm) Any design ideas etc will be appreciated. Thank you X

We had a similar problem. Had two rads and two plinth heaters, but they weren't working properly and we were freezing. Had the plumber in and he adjusted them and now we're toasty in a matter of minutes. Get one plinth heater put in and plug in a small electric coal or log effect stove ( cheap enough) to bridge the gap. If your windows are thermally bridged have you thought about contacting the window installer to complain , about the problems you are having? The builder, too , as he should have ensured your extension was properly insulated. The suggestion about thermal lined curtains that pull right back during the day is spot on as it will help insulate the room and the kitchen will be warmer in the mornings to come down to. Finally the door is essential as both the hall and front door area are most likely sucking away any warmth from the kitchen area, especially if there is a stairwell. I now think if I was doing mine again I would dig up the floor and put in underfoot heating but this is way too disruptive to consider now. Best of luck.

The biggest problem with this question is that it's all so deeply subjective. That said, I used to live in an ex-council maisonette in London, and the way I dealt with it was painting all of the walls in bright colours. I had turquoise in the sitting room, yellow hallway and stairs, a pink bedroom, a lime green loo... but I tied it all together by painting the skirting boards and coving throughout the property in bright matt white. The skirting and coving was very simple and had been put in retrospectively (albeit not by me) - in fact I think the coving was made of some sort of polystyrene, so I imagine it was incredibly cheap, although it didn't look it - and I think it made a huge difference. So I'd certainly consider adding that, as it makes the room look more "finished" instead of the cheap standard that council flats usually aim for. For me, this was transformative. As I say - it's so subjective. But although it's undeniably a faff to paint a room, remember that it's also cheaper than buying new furniture, and easier to replace and start again! For what it's worth, I now rent out that flat and recently had it painted in a neutral off-white colour, with new grey carpets. It looks smart, but not nearly so characterful as it previously did. Like I say: subjective. But the important thing, to me, is walking into a place and it immediately feeling like home. Be brave and paint those walls ;)

Hi, I have 2 sets of bifold doors, one at 3.2m the other 5.5m. Somfy RF blinds inside which work really well using their remote controller. This summer though has meant the sun coming through the glass has created so much solar gain…green house effect that our large family room is around 35C. My problem is that my bifold door frame is just 35mm from the underside of the roof eaves so there is no room to put external roller blinds with cassettes to be able to keep the sun out. The only solution, other than changing the whole roof structure, is to have external quality ceiling hung curtain rails which are only 24mm in cross-section and hang pergola type UV resistant curtains which would need drawing each day and tying back at night. I know this will work but its seems a bit clunky and the curtains would need taking down from autumn to winter. Any other suggestions please? By the way this would cost around £600 to £800 self installed.