The Green Antiques Idea book "Decorating with Chinese Antiques - Design the Ultimate Beach House" has some creative ideas about how to achieve a fabulous East meets West design which gels modern design with the inclusion of numerous antiques (some even painted bright colors as suggested by Blawnox Upholstery above!). http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/29094412/list/Decorating-with-Chinese-Antiques---Design-the-Ultimate-Beach-House This might not be the style which you are seeking, but similar mix and match old and new concepts can also be applied to many other style homes - see for example photo's from the Dream House project (a 7,000 sq.ft. Frank Lloyd Wright inspired prairie house which from the outside looks much like the world famous Robbie house). Completely different from the beach house example above, but nevertheless merging the old and the new in interesting ways. http://www.houzz.com/projects/594005

There is contrast between the traditional furniture and the focal point of the floor which pops, draws attention. I would recover the sofas in cream colored soft fabric - suede. I would leave the curtains grey, and put down a large neutral area rug. The edges of the room would show the pattern of the floor. I would color the wall and add texture to it, but not too dark as the room will appear smaller. Add a picture and put a nice plant holder, large vase in the left corner of the room - an oriental-style vase. Or, a cream-stripe fabric on the sofas. You could go soft or bold in this room - depending on your taste.

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!

The amazing thing is that you have the luxury of approaching the architect about these issues. Laminated glass should address the security along with any alarm or security system you plan on installing, though the laminated glass may have size limitations. Regarding the waterproofing you should contact the architect, contactor and waterproofing subcontractor, or see about hiring an independent waterproofing specialist who can detail and warranty the condition. As a design consideration, make the lower area a garden or gallery or sculpture area and upper should be all glass. Maybe a garden roof there too if accessible or visible. In any case looks like an amazing place!!