Help me decorate and furnish my new home please

[tranquilitygardens]

It is a newbuild so rubbish paper thin walls warning.

I would like the colours to be modern, light, bright and to run in a theme, I don't like orange or green, but don't mind aqua type shades.

I was thinking of having cream tiles in the hall, kitchen, dining room and tiny downstairs wc. There is also a tiny study downstairs and a living room 16 x 12, that leads into the back garden by double doors with glass, there is no other light into the room, the doors are the 12 bit! The door entering the room is the opposite end of the room on the edge of the 16 bit of the measurement. There are no features in the room like fireplace etc. I may be able to apply for planning permission in the future to put in two small windows on the blank 16 wall as it is on a bit of a corner as the next house has a drive and is recessed further back on an angle so not overlooking anyone, of course subject to planning etc.

The back garden is tiny, which I am happy about. I want no grass, low maintenance. I was thinking of having some raised beds next to the boundary on one side, and maybe incorporating some paving in a chequer board patter with herbs in the gaps as a design feature some where, we need somewhere for dining and a trampline needs to be located in this postage stamp.

Cureently I have very old outdated furniture, so I can reuse some, would like to replace for definate the dining set and sofa.

all ideas gratefully received.

[tranquilitygardens]

Have I scared you off?

[Mammonite]

With that big straight wall in the living room could you have a bank of cupboards/bookcases/TV area like you see in the Ikea roomsets but can never fit into a normal sized house?

Light colours are good. I was at my mum's house at the weekend, her taste runs to pastels and very light colours and although I wouldn't copy the exact style, her rooms are much lighter than ours.

[tranquilitygardens]

Mammonite, that sounds like a very good idea for the living room, I have not been furniture shopping in so long, and I will take a look at Ikea, there is not going to be a need for a fireplace, so I see your point about how to make another focal feature on that long wall.

Was it you that reported the deleted post? I never thought you would get anything offensive to that extent in the Property/diy section!

[BettyBathroom]

You often get retailers trying to sneak in some free advertising in this section and these posts will be deleted. Advertising needs to be paid for - how else would we be able to enjoy Mumsnet for free!

Good luck redecorating - am currently in the same position, a whole house to be decorated is overy overwhelming. Little Greene have a good paint card which takes you from a pale shade to a darker shade, might be useful if you want colours to tone from room to room. Or I think Dulux do a similar thing with their paint cards. I've stuck to white and pale grey - it won't set the world on fire but should be easy to live with.

[tranquilitygardens]

I noticed a pale grey with a pale yellow wallpaper I think it was in Laura Ashely, that I thought would be nice for a feature wall, I quite like the idea of trying something new like that for a room like the kitchen, as I have cream accessories, and you could have some nice light yellow or grey bits and bobs.

I have to go and have a look at homebase and see if they have the paint cards, and see what combinations go, as you suggested.

I have been dreadfully boring in this house and downstairs is all cream shades, and upstairs all white. I had bought some paper for feature walls in a few rooms, and I only did the downstairs wc in the end.