Biggest Thank you to everyone who has commented and given me such good practical advice for updating my little front patio/porch area. Before I depart again and forget to update? This is how it looks, I am probably at a later stage going to work out how to add a wider sill as suggested, however it does look so much better than before. Such timely advice has given me the motivation to get it done. I have left the roller shades on one side just to allow a bit of privacy from the neighbours and wind/sun. And one day will swap the large couch for something more suited.

all heaters and stoves should have very specific installation instructions including distance above the stove to any mantlepiece and i suggest you start with advice from local suppliers and then confirm with specific written instructions from each manufacturer that you can usually find on line...There are a number of heaters that have wood fires that are designed to be inbuilt in a purpose made wooden frame so hopefully this can be done inside your opening

@cloudyhaze I don't, because it doesn't exist yet! Currently under construction. We have a cedar-clad studio which has weathered awfully, so we are going to attempt to use some kind of wood stripping solvent to restore the colour, and then oil. For our cedar/colourbond we are aiming for something like the images below: cedar cladding on the back, colourbond for the upstairs and around the sides of the house that don't get much traffic.

Personally, I'd paint it white....it could be difficult to get the frame to match the windows if they are different woods, and it looks like your vanity is wood too?? (hard to tell from the little bit that's showing in the pic) So you could end up with 3 different colour woods in close proximity to each other, so I'd play it safe and paint it white. Just my opinion tho:)