This place has great 'bones', not sure if you are planning to change the layout or expand any rooms.

Thanks Dytecture - expanding the rooms might be a bigger project for now. see the current floor plan

Not sure what you mean by floating floors--laminate?--but they don't look bad to me. The things I would consider first would be eliminating that AC on the wall in the living room, and reworking kitchen/dining/living, perhaps knocking out that wall, expanding the kitchen a bit, and shifting the dining area more toward the living room, making it a bit more open.

Hi Groveraxle - Correct with floating floors, i meant laminate. I agree the AC has to go.

Hello Samsune. I think the floors look pretty good, though I think I'd want to replace the skirting boards -- with white, maybe, or whatever trim colour you use for the room. They look a bit thin and sad. But if you are replacing the floor, you could go in any direction at all as the room is very much a blank slate (fun!). Look at Houzz pics and see what you like, then I think it would be easier for Houzzers to help you refine your ideas.

I like your sofa and I like the colours in the cushion on it. That kind of combination could give you a lovely, cool, breezy feel to the room -- if that's what you'd like? Your "brief" is pretty wide open at the moment, and I see you don't have an idea book. Can you give us a better feeling of what you're attracted to?

Great space, bring those white walls to life

Oh, my 360. Now I'm a much more conservative sort of person. Samsune, do you like this? I got it from http://artdata.net/contemporary-living-room-interior-designs-in-elegant-decorations.

Thanks Rina, I'm still new to this forum. I like the ideas so far. Reason i'm replacing the floor is that the laminates were not installed properly...too bouncy and the laminate quality is very low. I will look for ideas on the site and add them to my idea book.

In brief, I want to lighten the rooms. I find the current floor shade is darkening the rooms.

I think one of the keys is knowing what is outside those windows/doors? If there isn't a patio and a view there now, how about creating one? Getting rid rid of those window treatments you can expand the room and increase light. If you give that info, plus where in the world you are located, I think I can help with some more. It is common that people don't mention their locale but whether you are in Florida, the dessert, the mountains, Long Island or the south of France does help in giving the contextual cues that help make your home belong in its environment.

Do I know about badly installed floors! I'm chasing down a contractor who left me with a life-threatening floor disaster -- and a promise to fix within three weeks -- a year ago. She's so skipped. Forget the law, I should have got my Sicilian in-laws in. Actually, they're not Sicilian. I lie. But almost.

So, yes. Are you thinking of hardwood? Tiles? A good laminate?

Oh dear, I may have offended Sicilians. Mi dispiace, Siciliani. (Forgive me too if that's not right, my Italian's gone to pot.)

Rina - I might still go laminate but a better quality. Stil getting quotes for tiles vs laminate. Hardwood is a bit out of my budget - but I am yet to rip out the existing laminates to see what they are hiding.

Good point, about what they're hiding. But alas, it's seldom anything wonderful. There are glorious laminates available. Do a lot of research! I wish I could afford one of them. I'm thinking of ripping up my terrible floor, gnawing the glue off the concrete, and painting it purple with yellow stripes. If I can find the time (clients gnawing at my vitals) I'll do some research too and post possibilities.

Laurence E Fosgate - i'm in Melbourne Australia. I will have to take an outdoor picture another day as i'm not near the property.

I was thinking of replacing the large lounge window with sliding Doors as there's plenty of space outside to build a Patio. Like you said, it's hard to visualize with no photos. The outdoors are a low priority for now.

I once had the privilege of being beautifully hosted in Melbourne for several days. I love your city. I love mine too, but you lucky fish, you! Laurence: Melbourne has really hot summers, cold wet winters. I was there in spring, lucky me. A very classy city.

Well said Rina. We normally get all five seasons in a day.

Coldest I've ever been in my life was a July in the Dandenong Ranges.

groveraxle - I feel your pain. It's one of the coldest spots in winter but the best to be in summer.

Groveraxle, you know of the loveliness of Oz, then. Now me, I was in the Yarra valley in glorious spring weather. Lucky lucky lucky me. Sorry all, enough of the digression.

Yes, Travisinteriors. I like a taupe with grey undertones.

PS, though, I'm not sure I approve of faux fireplaces. Samsune has said the AC is going. Yay!

Travisinteriors- I like the color you've recommended. "taupe with grey undertones" . I think it's definitely the color I was looking for. Maybe medium taupe.

I'm no fun of fire places, prefer a central heating. AC definitely going out. I might mount the TV on the wall

I think you should mount it low, eye-level. Although I know there are many of the male persuasion who would not agree; they like it to dominate the room. But who wants to sit with their eyebrows reaching for the sky?

Thanks a lot guys..now I have a starting point. Cheers

Although the outdoors patio may not happen for a while, the planning for how it will re-orient the room has to be put in the equation now. I think having doors to the space and creating a beautiful landscape as a focal point tells a lot about how to decorate the room. Perhaps folding plantation shutters would be the only door treatment since it would give you a whole range of light possibilities. Melbourne would be the type of environment where outdoor living (with the aid of a portable fire pit) would be a real option. Ultimately, when you entertain, people will flow in and outside.
Next your floor, if you go for something really attractive you will be well on your way to an amazing space.

If TV going on AC wall. Get a long tall buffet, for TV. Use the whole wall get a big screen. Big TV are very in. And has nothing to do with rm size. Furn could float in room.

P.s. Like your floors. Hard to maintain with the very dark color. But nice.

Laurence E Fosgate, I found some photos showing the backyard

Even though that is a fairly small space you could put some decorative trellises just in front of the fence with some ever flowering vines on them. Install a paver patio between them and the windows you hope to transform into doors.. You could also have the wisteria trained onto a pergola that would create a little shade for the patio as well. Some beautiful potted specimens/flowers and a couple of attractive outdoor chairs and you would have created a beautiful "picture" to act as a focus to the room. Additionally you have extra space for entertaining. Obviously the reason the previous owner obscured the window was because there wasn't much to look at.
By creating a "view," you change the dynamic of the room as well as getting the light you want. Actual light will brighten the room like no change of floor would.

I agree with the idea of pavers, I'm already thinking of mixing it up pavers and softfall material for one side of the backyard space. On the lounge facing, I was thinking of decking instead of a pergola with one or two triangle-sail sun shade.
i'm not convinced on the trellises. The ones I've seen appear to take up space. But I will search for ideas. I get your reasoning of how much the outside will affect what I do for the inside - my number one challenge will be to get more light inside.

Take a look at this cabinetry, it would look really nice on the living room, it is a modular design so stuff can be moved around.