@Rachael It's a dilemma, isn't it?! Our house in the bush has ended up with anodised window frames and galvanised iron cladding (i.e. silver that will dull to grey) with a Monument roof. The view is huge and I think the black window frames - while I love them would have looked too urban and have framed the view too much, if that's possible. The view is so big we wanted to look 'through' the windows and their frames. Also, as I said above, dusty exterior window ledges would have driven us nuts. However, if I were in an urban setting, I would have gone for black windows and the dark roof if my views were more intimate. Good luck with the decision making ...

Another idea i have seen in a few old timber houses, and that works really well is to move the kitchen from this large room entirely and create a more modern galley kitchen in a sleepout. You could consider fitting in a kitchen with a long bench where the archway is on that little annex room in your second picture. Or some other space entirely. Don't feel bound to use the rooms as they are currently being used. Old houses were often not originally designed with things like a kitchen and a bathroom and so yes they were often tacked on hodge podge and don't often work. Also we like more open plan so find the area of the house that will be easier to open up and is on the right side of the house to catch the light to create the lounge area. Even if that is opening up 2 bedrooms. I really don't think that matters if what you are working with is just barebones timber spaces. I think your colour scheme is a great choice. Its classic and will show off the bones of the home nicely. The trouble with these larger kitchen rooms is that they just aren't as functional, even though there is more floor space a lot of it is wasted. Sometimes you can end up with more functional storage and space by using a smaller room like a sleepout or enclosed verandah. You can use an awkward sleepout space more productively and gain an extra room when you remove the kitchen, and the added advantage is you can slowly build you new kitchen and still have somewhere to cook in the meantime. With the new kitchen built you remove the old!

Gal will go grey (mid to dark grey) over 12 - 18 months. Initially VERY bright. The energy absorbed changes accordingly, from sub 5% absorbed to ~35%. Zinc maintains brightness for longer, though still suffers some dulling. Say 5% to 15% over time. This can be avoided by coating with a product called 'Sharkhide' metal protectant, used to stop aluminium boats oxidising. For there reasons many councils will not allow zinc or gal roofing (visual amenity, reflection issues), while making the houses more prone to requiring summer aircon at the same time. Surfmist Colorbond starts around 9% absorbed. If purely for energy reasons, a light colour might be the only option. If going dark, I would suggest at least doing the 'less aesthetically important' sides and rear in a light colour. Your call. If you go all dark, ensure you have good roof space ventilation for the summer that can be closed in the winter, and lots of well installed ceiling level insulation. Spray foam is more reliable over time than batts, see Spray It Solutions or similar (they have the Formaldahyde free Canadian Icenene foam).

Like your choice of grey. Is the house well insulated? If not, you said you didn't want to sheet the ceiling rafters but it would help with cooling inside if that is an issue. I did a similar house in Mt Tambourine, replaced the first metre of timber decking that had been weather affected and then clad the underside in corrugated iron to let the water runoff but keep the ground floor verandah dry. You will have to get an engineer to check out the load bearing before you replace decking with tiles. Then the tiles will need more cleaning than a timber deck. Don't paint your brick, do all your improvements and then take stock. Painting means creating work for yourself or employing a painter. Every time I render I put an oxide in the cement, its fiddly but the results are worth it, never have to touch it again. Try to make a feature of your Front Door as it is a nondescript at the moment. Two nice pots with plants or hanging baskets either side, paint the door in a contrast colour to make it stand out. Good luck and enjoy the journey.