Thank you roj leather and Simon for your recommendations. I like the hanging chair and the almanda creeper on the wall. This will certainly liven up the patio.

dlight76: Are these laminates "floors" or wardrobe parts (eg. you can purchase stand alone wardrobes that are made of laminate+particle board...Ikea is famous for this)? If it is flooring, there may be nothing you can do. I've had many, many painters ruin my cork floors by "cleaning" up with mineral spirits...took the finish right off of my flooring. This happens with some hardwood floors as well. This is a common complaint with paint/clean-up. Please contact the painters and ask what they used - and tell them about the problems with the laminate. There may not be a way to salvage the laminate...unless you replace it. It all depends on what the painters used and what the manufacturer states is the best option to restore shine. If the painters damaged the floor, they should be informed. Please post photos to show us what has happened. This is the best way for us to see what damage has been done.

What a beautiful house, Shahbaaz! I live in a similar house - a 150-year-old colonial bungalow in Kumaon. You have already received lots of excellent advice from better-qualified people, so all I would say is, keep its age and heritage character the central theme. The white tiles do clash, I am afraid ... flooring with terracotta tiles would echo the roof and look lovely. The columns and the arches over the doors and windows are amazing. But I'd say, leave it all chuna-painted - there's a beauty and softness to it. Don't let the painters add too much neel (indigo) in the limewash -- in the hills where I live, they put far too much if I don't watch out and the result is a harsh white. Natural lime has a softer, creamy look.

You can go for hard natural flooring for your common areas like hall, dining and stairs. For the rooms its up to your budget. There're so many choices like wooden flooring, Vitrified tiles. Marble flooring. For the bathroom you must go for anti skid floors which have there own specifications. For bathroom wall tiles market is full of choices .You can select as per your choice. About the colors in different areas, you should choose light and bright colors for your common areas. For the rooms, you can definitely play with different colors depending upon the who is accommodating the room and the interior theme. You can use wall papers and decals to highlight one of the wall in all the rooms.