Hi Deb, If this place were mine I would be going for a timeless Australian look to blend with your native and European plant choices that's durable for our climate. I would start with a portico built over the entry in hardwood with a colour bond pitched lined roof trim all the wood in white. Clad the walls with Hardies weather boards or flat planks, building a wide timber trim around the downstairs window to create a feature. I'd go with charcoal walls to compliment the white trim classic colours that will endure time. I'd clad the retaining walls all with a stacker stone tile that resembles old English mortar less stone walls. Some outdoor lights by Barnlighting Autralia are classics. If you want a cheap alternative creeper over the bricks, be aware that all vines will erode the mortar and attract spiders, yet my favourite creeper for this application would be "ficus pemula" it sits really flat and can be trained as a solid wall. Perfect for privacy. You could pave the entry path with "Millboards" wharf style boards so it looks like a beach path, they will never rot or need maintenance, otherwise you can use concrete moulded timber look planks. Some flax grasses to add to the coastal look. As for this upstairs Windows, what was the building designer thinking?.. There's a couple of choices, you can create one way visibility with white shutters inside or out, line the glass with sunblock film or have some exterior screens fitted outside with laser cuts screens, timber etc or replace the windows and create a more balanced frontal feature with higher rectangular windows. This cladding can take to a contemporary look, coastal look, bush style etc. the best feature of this cladding is the additional insulation and uniformity. Have fun

Dawn Park, you can see the photos that Julie Herbert has posted. The dark ?lilies look like they might go well in it. I’ll go to the markets on the weekend and see what I can find.

if you mean a 60cm wide built in cooktop with separate oven then there would need to be a new cabinet to enclose them so it makes sense to have a new cabinet to fill the whole space now used by the stove and the existing narrow cabinet but don't understand the need for a deeper edge and custom made real stainless steel counter would be much more expensive ...consider a chopping board timber counter and/or contrasting laminate (or faux stainless steel?) for the new counter and surrounds for the oven and door... the challenge will be the round edge on the old counter so could also be interesting to ask the cabinet maker about swapping the rolled edge for a square edge in the new laminate colour or vintage timber edges?

This might be a better angle to see the kitchen. Many thanks Deb