You should have a professional installer in your area take a look at your home so you can discuss what end result you are wanting. You may need to use an engineered wood. This is still an all wood product and is much more dimensionally stable than solid wood. This is a huge advantage if you are in an older home or in the midwest where humidity levels can drastically change from season to season. A solid wood will cup or curl if humidity and moisture levels are not managed. Your installer should do a moisture test before installation to make sure the installation does not fail. All warranties will be voided if this step is not taken. Also, your transitions will need to be considered. Is the new wood floor going to butt up to tile, carpet, or vinyl? The height difference in the two products will need to be taken into consideration. You will have a greater selection of thicknesses in the engineered woods. Engineered wood should be several plys, all wood. If you choose a solid wood, the hand scraped versions are fantastic for a high traffic area with children. Hickory, Red Oak, most Brazilian Species, and even Bamboo are hard enough to take everyday traffic and still look terrific. Good luck!

hello bonnielynn75 and THANK YOU! your comment put a smile on my face re the red on the interior side of the door. It IS red on the inside as well, he insisted on that when we purchased it. no one here has it red on the inside and I wanted it to be white on the inside. do you see my dilemma?;) I agree with everything you are saying, I suppose this is the reason why so far I was not 100% sure about the black for the door either, although I like black...Agree, there is too much wall and I find the house to be looking a bit 'bland' and would like to change that. I LOVE shutters, but read somewhere that you never put shutters on wide windows, so got unsure about that, too...but perhaps just the one as I stated earlier. Would the color on that shutter be the same as the door (if I ever settle on a door color)? Unfortunately window boxes are not an option as we have quite a few cats and they may be used as litter boxes;) please don't tell me to get rid of the cats;)... Regarding the stoop (entrance) : we need to add another step (made of cement) on top of the existing step: it was removed when the new door was fitted. We were thinking of putting slate tiles or something dark to match the roof, if that makes any sense.... It is porous cement so unsuitable for painting, I think. What place in Ireland did you visit, we are close to the Irish Sea in the country surrounded by sheep;)...

Melissa, when I said footboard, I meant this. It has a portion of the bed that extends beyond the mattress edge. You posted a bed that had something at the foot section of the bed. By platform, I mean a bed that has a hard area and only a mattress on it. Like this. It does not extend beyond the edge of the mattress, but does not have a box spring. It is also lower to the ground. The picture you posted was a high profile bed and box spring. It was not on a typical bed frame. A standard bed frame, used with box spring and mattress looks like this. Virtually invisible and does not extend out beyond the mattress/box spring set. That being said, I'd recommend you get a headboard that is not too big for your space. Neither in height or depth (distance from the wall). I would also not get a mattress frame that extends beyond the size of the mattress. Sorry to have not been clear before.

Dear Éilíse Sullivan, the mahogany wardrobe looks like a great project! The image is too small for me to see the details of it; it looks like has glass/metal door at the top part and design details on the draws. If you send me a better quality image and with the door closed I can visualised it for you in any other colour you like if it helps. Replacing part of the furniture (glass) with solid panels covered in wall paper or fabric, using decoupage for the inside of the drawers or muted colours on the outside and brights on the inside ... are all possibility depending in which room you want to place it and what you are going to use it for. Are you going to do it for yourself, just for fun or to sell/present? I would paint the back panel in a darker colour, also the inside of the wardrobe part and all the horizontal and vertical straight lines to frame the different units: draws, 'open shelf' cabinet at the top and door. I would go for wall paper on the inside of the draws, something sympathetic with the darker tone on the back panel ... the handle can stay or be replaced (I need a closer look); they can really give a wist to the furniture if changed. For the choice of colours ... it really depend on where it goes and what you want to do with it. The room's images you posted are quite different in style. You could try to 'blend' the piece in to the room's design scheme by choosing complementary colours or go the opposite and bring in a bold statement. I like bold statements! I found this link with fab images that may help you see how a furniture with more details then a plain one will looks once painted: http://www.pippajamesoninteriors.co.uk/2011/design-post/a-guide-to-shabby-chic-furniture-painting/ Also have a look at this company https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jay-Co/100811059987662?sk=timeline it may inspire you to take a different direction! Have fun and please post an 'after' pic when done, really curios to see the final result! Elena Jackson - Interior & Design