I thought it would be, but it's not too bad actually. we door knocked the area to see who would sell, and this house said yes.. so that's why I'm trying to figure out if it's worth it. I would definitely open up the windows. Does anyone know how much even one window would cost... say on the top left combing those 2 windows into 1.. I have no idea. Just a rough guess? The house inside is actually an awesome reno potential.. they built 2 sides of the house in blueboard (I think that's what it's called) for an easy reno... but those windows at the fronts aren't so that's why I"m trying to get ideas..

If you want it to recede into the surroundings use a dark colour such as Woodland or Monument. Use it on walls and roof. Using it vertically and horizontally would add a nice feature to it when up closer. The hardwood for trims, architraves, etc. would look fantastic, in particular if they were kept oiled rather than left to go grey.... A light colour would mean the dwelling could be cooler in summer perhaps but shading from tree's may work just as well. If a light colour was used it would stand out from kilometres away.... not ideal at all.

The issue is not so much the cladding material, but rather the articulation of the extended building form. This could be a simultaneously exciting, interesting and sympathetic extension utilising shingle cladding that wouldn't necessarily reference Hampton's. If there's anything too Hamptons going on here it's the small proportioned windows with the external shutters that give it a bit of a "dollhouse"popped on the top look. You've got a stunning beautiful home frontage, but the extension form is kind of sticking out/up the back and the fenestration looks out of balance by being perfectly symmetrical. Federation architecture is not symmetrical like the Victorian era predecessors, rather it is an asymmetric compositional balance that in your case should be recognised and countered appropriately with the design of the extension. When selecting appropriate extended cladding material it should be working towards texturally balancing the building and being complimentary overall. Professional recommendation you revisit the articulation of the upper extension, at the very least loosening up the fenestration with more glazing and potentially a more complex roof form with a smaller projecting gable (offset) as a reference to the frontage. The cladding choice becomes less critical, and shingle texture that ties in the roofing texture could work well. Weatherboard is bringing something new in, and if you go flush panel without a more contemporary design and articulation it will look wrong Good luck PD :) www.pauldistefanodesign.com

" .....there has to be a better design " - that's why I'd love some input here! The 800mm gap under the box gutter will hold storage, the toilet, the 'european laundry' and the wardrobe for Bedroom 3, so certainly not wasted space. It will address all the storage needs, and will enable the garden-facing side to be quite open. No - pergola timbers are not preexisting - extending new ones from the new roof will be the primary shading device, and can have anything added to them to shade them. The box gutter enables the extension roof to be pitched upwards towards the west, creating a higher ceiling, enabling some kind of opening above the bifolds, to enable hot air to be expelled. Not that my own finances are the business of this discussion, but if I can get to lockup stage with my own cash, I can apply for a bank loan for the fitout. I'm not sure of your own experience OKL, but preliminary quotes for lockup stage were around the ballpark I'd mentioned earlier. I'll upload an updated floorplan soon :-)