I don't mind the current colours although a greys and beiges tend to suck light out of a room, a brighter colour rather than just white will help. I agree with much of what Jill says above, with a few tweaks ... the lighting needs attention. The room needs some interest, colour and texture to create depth. Get a larger rug, more colourful, with organic pattern which draws the eye outward. Big enough to sit the furniture on. Pick up some of the colours from the new rug and get some cushions. A couple of plants would help with texture and add life to the room. I know you are using the mirrors to add light and space but the one under the stairs is just reflecting the underneath of the stairs ... try a colourful print of a pathway between trees for example, to draw the eye beyond the room otherwise it's a bit bland. The TV is just on a stand that is too small and a bit low, go for a wider piece or try positioning the unit against the other wall in that same corner so it is facing the sofas, then the TV won't look so out of balance. If you make the room a bit livelier and interesting the light issue won't be such a problem. Consider pale turquoise walls for example rather than just white and add some artwork.

LED strips for low level cupboard/island plinths have their merits in showcasing themselves, however aren't necessary if the space already houses good lighting from overhead lights or natural lighting. However, using under cabinet lighting underneath wall units works particularly well when the main lighting isn't required and the occupants wish to have a dimmer atmosphere. They can also serve the purpose of providing necessary light for worktops when being used for cooking etc. www.pwjarchitects.com

I would gift it to my son who is buying his first house. It is a late victorian two-up two-down that needs to be gutted and refurbished. It has a small north-east facing backyard. All his money is going into the purchase and he will be trying to do work to the house in his free time as he goes along. He works so hard in his day job and gets so stressed I would love to lift his spirits and help him make his new home into his dream home (ish). Even guidance into knowing where to start and what to prioritise would be helpful. It is a red-brick with rising damp, woodworm, no heating, needs rewiring, new windows, new bathroom, new kitchen....

Wow that looks beautiful, I am jealous of the brick. We wanted a very similar colour brick but the council wouldn’t allow and I didn’t want the red brick so we went with blocks and hopefully crisp render. We started our build towards end of Jan. Double extension, the foundations laid and then had the structural engineer out and final final details drawn up. The ground floor blocks have been laid and the scaffold has gone up so don’t know how long that will take. Our builders seem on track and have said August finish but I think it will be September/October Tani how many bedrooms did you have built and how many rooms downstairs? Also from start date to now what has the time scale been? Xx