I control my whole house through X10 with Arduino and it works fine - for me. I would never consider it "rock solid" however, but I don't need it to be.
Why not?
The "1/2 house" problem was solved for me with a $14 repeater/phase coupler. As for dimmable CFLs I've yet to find a decent CFL that works with any standard dimmer.
I don't get what does "1/2 house" means for you. Can you describe that problem?
Having said this, I never recommend X10 to 220V countries. The modules are 4X more expensive, so the "not rock solid but cheep" rule doesn't apply.
They cost at least 30euro <.< What can you advice me for 220V countries?