Hi, softyjane. You have a very pretty sheet set, and seem to like pink, so let's begin with a fresh coat of pink on all four walls. If someone can build you a little shelf to sit in the window, you could paint a basket, too, and put all your small items in it. Your food tray would make a nice picture background in the window. Then, some hooks on the right wall to hang your bags from will make things a bit roomier. White trim at the window will make it seem bigger, as well. If someone can do carpentry work for you, then you can create even more space by raising your bed high and making a loft bed with it. then you will have room below to put whatever you like - a chair, a desk, shelves - and place a curtain or bead strands in front for privacy. This is just to give some inspiration - yours will look special to your likes: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5lDtTj0CQlo/0.jpg Hope that helps, and that you get the bedroom of your dreams!

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!

Tsilanko, I would always recommend professional installation where needed. But what I am doing here is suggesting that WHEN you are planning to build or renovate, to consider how your plans will affect you in 20 or 30 years time. Split levels are very hep when you are young. A kitchen 3 steps down at 30 is rarely a problem, but might be a hazard at 60, or, as Marjie1059 suggested, if you break a leg. ... All my parents' homes were terrible for old people. They were forced to move to a bungalow in extreme old sge because the location and design of their home was more suitable for an active young couple with a large family than for an elderly couple with stroke disabilities. I would not want to move again, so my present home has features built in that make ageing in place simpler. Mostly small changes, like grab rails, and lever handles on doors and faucets. A major disability suddenly suffered requires major changes if permanent. I did look at this because it came up in the discussion, but if you look at the heading, Planning for Disability, it means just that. Plan ahead so you don't have to make expensive changes later on. But thank you for your advice, yes, major changes are not in the DIY domain.

The butterfly drawers would be sturdy enough for grains and cans. I would just make sure the drawer glides are able to hold the weight. I usually look for Blum hinges and glides, they've usually held the best for prior projects. Lazy susans are usually what I love to use for corner storage. However Lazy Susans with a center pole usually cut down on storage space and can be cumbersome when trying to get items in and out. I love the ones that are mounted to a fixed shelf with no center pole. If something falls off it's just like reaching in the back of the cabinet shelf. Plus with the fixed shelf your able to store heavier items like mixers, pots and pan. Magic Corners I find to be awkward when trying to store items, and most you can usually just fit smaller items in the compartments. And the one complaint I get from them is that the glides get sticky over time. If your still wondering what options to go with, find a local kitchen showroom and try them out. Open all the options your looking at and see what fits your lifestyle and habits.