Just a quick note to thank you all for sharing your thought, ideas, experience and time. I especially want to thank Bluenan and decoenthusiaste for being with me through the all process for the last 6 months or so..., just wanted to post few photos of the results (https://www.houzz.com/discussions/any-ideas-for-final-touches-to-this-living-dinning-room-dsvw-vd~569586) as I feel it is not only me who created this space but it is your creations as much as mine. It may not be perfect or according to the the "Rules", but it is Me and my family. Each and every piece was chosen by me in different parts of the world and each one of them has a unique story behind. I am very pleased with my space. I love it! I am very blessed. .... and so I am off to my new project now... Back to school.... that's really going to be hard ;) Thank you all, once again.

I would use the same flooring throughout, give your separation of spaces visually with decor and I love Vancouver Day from C2 paint I have it all through my house in different strengths, very neutral so almost anything goes with it.

I would use plants to brighten the space. The hardscapes are all good, they just look a bit naked and grim. It can be hard to make a space pretty but usable for the kids too, but its not impossible. You have a lovely sitting area to enjoy. Plant some lovely feature bushes in that gravel area. You don't need to completely hide the clothesline, but having something pretty and showy in front will create a boundary and the eye will be drawn to the plants instead of the washing. If you can't plant into the soil there, some large size pots will work. Maybe some medium sized (1-2metre) ornamental trees in pots, like citrus, a weeping ornamental cherry, or bay trees, moptop robinias are nice too. They will be compact. You could cluster some pots of herbs underneath or plant them and let them ramble a little. Herbs like thyme and rosemary and lavender will suit the gravel area and the heat and be hardy with kids playing around, the odd bike falling on them or crushing underfoot would be quite okay. bulbs in pots or planted around the edges of the lawn are great value low maintenance and hardy colour. You can get great seasonal variation in your view then. Online bulb stores like tesselar and garden express sell bulk landscaping bulbs at very reasonable prices. You can get hundreds of bulbs for $30-50. Bulbs are great hardy plants that won't be killed by the odd soccer ball either. The flowers may get knocked over or the leaves, but the bulb is safe under the soil. Cheap and cheerfuls like nasturtiums are good value colour that will self seed every season. Also, plant some very bright flowering shrubs behind the soccer net and against the far wall. Maybe some hibiscus? You need something to catch and entice the eye, plant some large flowering shrubs with larger or bright flowers or foliage you will be able to appreciate from a distance.

Hi All, Apologies if this has been done to death but I currently have a very dark dining room due to an extension that has been built to the rear of it. The kitchen has relatively more light so I was hoping to borrow some light from the kitchen. I am a bit nervous about fully bringing down the wall between the kitchen and dining room as I would like to preserve the entity of both rooms if that makes any sense. Question is any ideas or photos of the below ideas that can help me decide between the options I am looking into: (a) knock down wall fully (b) knock down half the wall to create an arch (c) add a sliding door between dining and kitchen? Below are some photos of the house.