Hi Ni, I just thought of something....did you say you planned to do the stencil motifs on the window wall? If so, I am thinking they will be mostly hidden by the curtains. I wonder if it might be better to stencil the long wall that is on the right side of the room when looking toward the window. I could see this being a pretty backdrop to the prayer box (I think that’s what you called it?) and your wood cuttings. Then maybe the opposite wall (the one with the kitchen doorway) could hold a large piece of art?

I am so happy to see you here! I will have to go back and see if i can retrieve my posts... thought I would make them into a little book for my daughter, with photos. Quick run-down on the bathroom (not travels, no time) - The kitchen has a rather elegant sliding door with beveled glass panels. Painted white, since this was the original colour. GD's new bathroom has the doors I had picked earlier; i thought of polishing them but decided sprayed automobile paint (on a resin primer) would wear better. Especially since it is such a small bathroom, and she is so splashy. I have this finish in my kitchen and it has lasted 15 years now. A tad chipped here and there, but only needs a wipe down once a week. Same finish for the balcony doors, also split like the bathroom. We have a new wardrobe, a study table with built-in shelves, and a small chest of drawers for her odds and ends. I want to re-tile the tiny balcony, more as a little statement. Currently we are looking at Portuguese tiles, though I did think a mosaic with a funky cat might be nice. Let me see the costing. The room will be painted a neutral adobe, with bright white woodwork and an off-white ceiling. This means she can go wild with cushions and covers. Other changes in the flat; We have changed the glass in the master bedroom and living room from small cramped panes to a single pane for each section with a 1" bevel all round. Doubles the cost of the glass, but looks so elegant! The air-conditioning is being re-located. The compressors were all mounted in the bedroom and living room balconies, which looked terrible and meant the balconies (very narrow, only 30" deep) couldn't be used for anything. Not even plants. So they are being moved so that the compressors can be mounted at the rear of the building. two down, one to go. Now we can put in some nice plants, fishtail palms etc. The kitchen counter on one side came out intact and will be reused elsewhere. I am planning overhead storage, cupboards, and a draining cupboard for plates and glasses. Right now there is no dish washer, though a place is earmarked, but for now I will put in a cupboard with steel racks for cups, glasses and plates, all hidden behind pressed glass doors. This is all in the planning stage.... Pictures in a little while, they are mostly on my ipad and don't transfer well to the mac. They come without numbers... so I have to rename the or something. Somebody tell me how to do this!

Unfortunately, I do not have a photo for you and have been unsuccessful in downloading my sketch. I think I can explain better what I meant. Your window behind the bed cannot be centered behind the bed and presently looks a little awkward. To remedy this, I suggested framing it with wood trim and creating another "fake" window alongside of it also using wood trim to frame it. Both the fake and the real window would get two rows of louvered shutters, a top row and a bottom row. Obviously, the lovers on the fake window would remain permanently closed. They are there only to give the illusion of another window. The shutters on the bottom half of the real window would remain closed, but the louvers would open to allow light and air. The top shutter could open to access opening and closing the window but most of the time, just have the louvers open for light and air. You will have created a bank of window that your bed could be centered under and I think it would look nice. I would use a headboard with wood or metal spindles that allow the light and air from the real window to pass through, yet give you something to prop pillows against. I must say though, if you did not want to do this, I love the recently added photo by Anne dee with white drapes, gray walls and some framed pictures that really help balance the awkward window. That was a beautiful room and looks a lot easier to accomplish than my idea. From your photos, I am not quite sure you have enough wall space to do it exactly like that, but I am sure you could experiment with the concept and come up with something lovely based on that idea.

11' across x 14' can be a decent conversation zone. You have a nice window without too many privacy issues - good natural light, nice view of tropical foliage. The higher ceilings seem to be one of the things that will help the room feel larger - here's a completely different approach for you to consider . . I would instead make the beam a feature - wrap it in stained wood boards (that match or just a 1/2 tone darker than your entry doors) to make it seem a real beam - the small beam that comes out to meet it might be painted black and some faux black bolt heads and plates applied to get it to feel more rustic industrial / loft - afraid a fake ceiling is going to look cheap. The wood and black above will work with the off white walls. Consider instead of texturally painting the tv wall - let the "canvas" of all the walls stay uniform if you want this to feel large. The back wall is not the best for television anyway, if you want the room to feel large - the wall to the left of the door - (no window there, eh?) is the right place for a large flat screen wall mounted sort of center in the room (that appears to be the non-operable side of the double entry, typically unused) . Do a narrow console table underneath with drawers and lower shelves for the cable box. That can also be your laydown space and the rest of the room starts to live larger. I would run a large sectional in the beam recess area with the short end coming back just to become a lounge under the window (hang a stained board on angle brackets as a custom sofa shelf on the wall in the recessed end to fill it and provide a place for drinks) - the "beam" will make seating feel sort of sheltered there. It will work together . .you have a good long run nearly 8' there. If you want the room to feel big, a long sofa with a turn so many can gather for conversation is the best approach. Split the power for the television into two (easy 1 hour of electrician), patch this wall and hang wall mounted black iron sconces above the sofa back at two locations designed for the length of your sofa. Use a round iron and wood table at the sectional and a pair of great, small scale modern chairs facing the window set on the opposite wall. Consider a large scale modern abstract over the back of the sofa, and a gallery of black and white graphic photos framed in natural wood with black mats around the television on the tv wall. To the left of the window, hang some black iron hooks on a wall mounted wood board. With the wood, white and black iron, select your accent color carefully - neutrals for the main pieces - maybe some saddle leather for the chair pair. Color only in art - play off the green and white outside