I think it really depends on the style and look that you want to achieve in your house - you should never give someone the advice to use wallpaper without knowing their design aesthetic. With that being said, I think that wallpaper is a lovely touch in older heritage listed home, because you can add the modern touch through it to the home, depending on the pattern.

Hi helendyjak, New colour for 2017? Trends are interesting. I encourage clients to chose colours they love and then I specify a range of those colours to match their space. Trends are great but if you follow trends when painting spaces they will also date quickly and in architecture that can become very costly and wasteful. Now having said that; trends - to answer your question... spaces are filling up with teal (more last year) and shades of green with links back to art deco. Your comments on colour making space smaller are interesting. Did you experience that? I like to get people to start using colour in small transitional spaces so they experiences how it makes a space feel more intimate and makes all the items in that space "pop". It might make the space feel smaller (this is very subjective as bold colour tends to be) the room is still physically the same size but it might have more personality with the bold colour (again subjective.... :) Thanks for the input. Much appreciated.

Alenka, thanks for sharing those photos. How wonderful. When I moved up to the Macedon Ranges I swore I didn’t want exposed brick or wood paneling. I’d only lived in Victorian, federation or cal bungalow houses in Melbourne, though I appreciate mid century modern design. Then I fell in love with and bought the house in the photo (but hate the light fitting). Even though our family circumstances changed and we had to sell I still love the authenticity of the materials, the attention to detail and the connection all of the rooms have with the outdoors, including main bathroom and toilet. Really bad orientation though so it was cold and dark and very hard to heat in winter. Cool in summer however. Our new build will draw on some of the best aspects of this house, and will include internal recycled brick walls in some rooms for thermal mass and interest, indoor outdoor flow and courtyards, raked ceilings etc, but 8 star energy rating and oriented to take advantage of northern light. I love your house.

The stained glass windows seem to be at odds with the exposed brick, but probably match the original part of the house. If the stained glass windows are giving privacy from an overlooking neighbour I would keep them, and work to make the brickwork more like the original part of the house, so it seems less incongruous. This could be done using a traditional wet plaster or solid plaster technique, which you would need to complete befor your gas insert fireplace is positioned. I would finish it of with a traditional timber fireplace surround and mantle piece, which would be the focal point of a more contemporary room, but link in with the original architecture. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls