hi all, update is I have finally found a photo of someones stairs done in Brintons timorous beastie yellow Ruskin butterfly and its made me decide we are definitely 100% going for this as I love it (see attached pics) on stairs and landing... Floor in hall will be oak herringbone parquet, just wall colour to decide and we have bought new tall skirting so colour to paint this also? i have attcahed apic of the hall currently so you can see our front door with stain glass.. As Ive mentioned before the banister and spindles will be replaces with square spindles with an oak top banister and oak end cap - similar to this houzz pic ... So just to deicide on wall colour and new skirting colour... I really like f&b light blue in a hall with oak parquet but I don't feel this will go with the carpet... Kitchen and dining room will be one of the sage shades and lounge Wimborne white and downpipe...

I think it will look great to open up the kitchen and conservatory areas because the area is quite small. However, here are a few things to consider (this is from someone who lives in a house with a similar layout to your existing ground floor). The conservatory faces south and presumably overlooks the garden. Is this an area you are going to want to sit in because it will be beautiful and tranquil? If so, it would be better to keep the dining room in the centre area because you don't need a view when eating (except of the food). Then use the conservatory as a small sitting room. It looks like you have not drawn the plans to scale. The new hallway looks narrow and the new wall will take up space. Make sure if a new wall is put in that you will have enough space for a useable room plus a hallway. Why do you want to access the new downstairs bedroom/study from the living room? Wouldn't it be better to access it from the hallway at the bottom of the stairs. Good ideas though.

I think vertical blinds may spoil the look. How about Roman blinds mounted on the outside of the recess. This would add a softness but also get rid of the echoey feel. The other option is curtains at the patio doors and a matching blind at the main window. I would look for a fabric that contains a flash of the green you've used on the walls to carry it on as an accent colour. Then perhaps add some green accessories to help it all tie in together. It looks great so far, hope that helps. Good luck!

Hello helbel71, A fireplace is lovely.. even if you only look at it! If it's leasehold you may have to obtain permission to do anything especially if it's to have it as a working fireplace.. It would have been good to have negotiated this at the sale point.. However if you can go ahead and unblock the fireplace.. you need to be sure the structure is sound by making sure the lintel is in place and there aren't any obvious signs of struts holding the top of the opening.. You'd see these.. So once you have cut away the plasterboard.. usually you can tell where as it will sound hollow or not as you go. Looking inside with one's phone light or torch you should look up inside the breast facing outwards- there will be a line or brick or usually now concrete lintels are used.. Or you may see struts.. in which case get a builder to put in a new lintel and then you can decide what to do with it.. It may be that it's sound and all in place.. So you can just get to the point of deciding how to present it.. For me it's a swan basket and logs as authentic as possible... even if it wasn't ever lit... Some people might light a candle or twenty but at any rate I always suggest the swan.. Now the next thing is to decide.. Will this hinder you spatially if you open it up.. as you will not have that wall to use or sit things in front.. I also want to suggest situating bathroom where kitchen is and visa versa.. You could have a wet room style shower area with a tiny sink and a wall hung loo.. Plumbing would have to be moved and you'd need to be sure you could do that but - I have seen the smallest shower room in a studio that was about the size of a phone booth! It worked.. then there's more room for cooking and or living area. All depends on what you can do and what is permitted and what is important as for some the bathroom size you have currently might very well be non negotiable.. : ))