How are the house plans coming along? I'd suggest planting trees and making a living wall so you have something beautiful to look out on instead of a 40 ft wall.

Place a piece of furniture in front of the window that is the same size or larger as the window opening.

I dunno, do you like this (from our recently remodeled livingroom w/open entry area? Like Kah says, the easiest place to start is from color -- at least that's what my designer wife did first.

A rule of thumb is that the distance between the house and a eucalyptus should be 2/3 the height of the tree. So if the tree is maybe 45 feet, you'd want the house to be a little over 29 feet away. As well as any new root growth that could affect your house, cutting into a root system compromises the stability of the tree. Also, even if the existing roots are deep, driving over the area with heavy construction machinery could compact the soil enough to affect the health of the tree. That's not to say that you shouldn't try, just be aware in case it becomes necessary to cut the tree down later. Good luck and enjoy your new home!