a floor plan would make it easier to make suggestions

Bed 2 and 3 and lounge face dead on north

my suggestion is based on your last drawing but i've tried to stay within the framework of the existing rooms (plus the verandahs) so that any new beams inserted to take the place of walls will be at natural divisions between the spaces...i've also added a full bedroom at the front of the house, instead of the void and there's still plenty of room for another full sized bedroom/study at the back as well as generous walk in storage and a great sized kitchen and dining area although i think you'll prefer a larger space for upstairs al fresco (with the outdoor kitchen under the old verandah roof) and an open area extending out to the edge of the downstairs alfresco roof with optional stairs down to the backyard..it's a very generous house and some new windows at the front will give the house a fresh new look as well

Thanks heaps everyone especially oklouise for your ideas, I will take everything on board.

can i now suggest leaving the verandahs intact because it won't reduce the liveability of the new plan...removing the walls between the kitchen, original dining area and living room will cost enough and makes a gorgeous open plan room with direct access to outdoors on both sides. The substantial savings would be much better spent on modernising the front facade, updating bathrooms, new kitchen, painting, new floorcoverings, lightfittings etc etc etc

I like this idea a lot better then the first, where the optional study is would it add more value as a study or void or extra living space. What do you think?

value is only added if it costs less (including your labour) than the profit you expect to make so i can't see the point of creating a void and the study was just a means of using the verandah space if you decided to take down the outside walls...Leaving out the upstairs study (you still have another downstairs) will mean keeping the generous upstairs foyer, linen cupboard and all it's walls intact. There's space for some nice furniture in the foyer and keeping the wall and double doors will help restrict drafts and noise between the living room, stairs and bedrooms and with the double doors open the foyer becomes part of the living room for big crowds Upgrading the double doors to internal sliding doors would be an improvement and losing the study adds enough space to consider adding a fireplace??

Thanks again okLouise

glad you like it, good luck with whatever you decide

Any ideas of colour schemes i could use?

floor plans i can do... but colour schemes??? choose neutral and add extra colour with a bright front door (turquoise??) and furnishings, Antique White USA painted walls and white ceilings throughout, gloss white architraves skirting boards and doors (if they're old single core timber doors consider upgrading to solid core...more expensive but well worth the quality feel and replace any dated foyer and entry doors with modern painted glass panel doors) Timber floors for kitchen dining, living and upstairs foyer, light (grey?) carpet in bedrooms and stairs (DIY floating timber floor is tedious but rewarding and gives an extra layer of sound insulation and you could use the savings to add new curtains and blinds...good quality DIY flat pac white kitchen cabinets and stone counters should save enough to cover the cost of new stove etc Keep the original brickwork and tiles on the verandah floors: invest in some generous potted plants, gas barbq and outdoor furniture for verandahs (upstairs and down) and, if you have any time and money left, remove the arches across the front ...but, more importantly what about the bathrooms, laundry and downstairs rooms... we can't stop now??

Thanks again everyone on your help, by taking into account my budget and everyone's responses: I will do the following

Exterior

Keep the original brick facade

Change exterior colour scheme to add a modern look (Woodland Grey) and a medium grey colour and even a pale grey for some areas

Keep verandahs back and front and the arches as well

keep verandah tiles but new railings and front door and maybe even new outdoor lights maybe wood panelling on the verandah ceiling??? ( your thoughts)

Under the front upstairs bedrooms remove rose garden and plant a tea tree hedge with Buxus box hedge as the border.

Interior

Downstairs new big white tiles in foyer and plasterboard dark bricks throughout downstairs

Floor coverings that are carpet include (stairs, hall, bedrooms and lounge) same white tiles as foyer in kitchen and meal area.

New open plan gloss kitchen with caesar stone bench tops

Bathrooms are federation styled ( 18 years old) so maybe just new vanities and shower screen and new grouting or professional cleaning ( your thoughts) ???

Style throughout I think should be classic modern to tie in bathrooms and a broader market. ( your thoughts)

Colour scheme

Neutral tones

walls (caramel cream ) ( your thoughts) ???

gross white skirting boards and doors throughout

carpet ( light grey or cream-ish) ( your thoughts) ???

However not sure to paint windows or buy new windows in living areas and bedrooms and the other windows just paint them ( your thoughts) ???

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Here are some colour schemes and ideas I think would tie everything together.

What are your thoughts?

in response to your decisions: glad you're keeping the original brick and verandahs and the arches, yeah!! don't attempt to paint the alum window frames just clean frames and glass and add fresh new curtains and blinds..Greys with the dark brown tiles and windows looks good with a big splash of colour for the front door, off white and white for internal walls, ceilings and trim, not caramel. Verandah tiles look too good to rip up and new railings probably need to be higher to meet current legislation. Add classic new light fittings and probably some extra power points, don't change verandah ceiling.. add some wall lights, paint the wood panelling inside and plasterboard all inside exposed brickwork...i prefer timber floors upstairs but white tiles are OK if you can match the existing when the walls come down (consider continuous floor coverings in the kitchen/dining/foyer and living room with a great big floor rug in the seating area for a more streamlined look ......if you have white floors, keep the old timber trim and the future vintage 80's look, Light Grey carpet for stairs, upstairs hall, bedrooms, study and theatre, tiles for rumpus, laundry, front entry foyer and consider replacing all shower screens, toilets, taps, shower fittings and add new vanities, lights with heating and ventilation to the bathrooms and add a long bench with drop in sink and space for stacked washer dryer to the laundry and consider a mini kitchen/bar with sink fridge microwave along the laundry wall of the rumpus room OR the theatre downstairs (think self contained granny flat)...add some more BIG plants to the front garden (local nursery should be able to advise best species)..i assume you meant to include your sparkly new kitchen (BTW some of the old cupboards could be recycled with new counters in the laundry, theatre and storeroom (mancave?)..it's a great house and will be even better with a classic modern refurb..good luck

Wow thanks so much oklouise

Yourfull of knowledge, wisdom and good advice

glad to have someone to share it with..

I would be filling in your arches with beautiful windows

I like Philippas Ws Idea of exploring the rear option. Its better bang for your $ buck. Subject to some structural and engineering investigation. You can also look at introducing a first floor trafficable verandah / alfresco area. This will make the first floor more connected with the rear Tennis Court and mimic the current cover provided by the ground floor veranda. Enjoy

HI Nick,

Pleased to see an update on your plans.

The more I think about your home especially its scale and the back of the property I think you could get some inspiration from looking up Hamptons style on the houzz search engine.

I think you could recycle your kitchen as the cabinets are actually a good shape and lend themselves to the Hamptons / shaker style look. New handles and splash back with vintage look subway types - again look at Hamptons style.

The lighting looks like it could also be improved.

Use some soft pastels in the grey tones and introduce some subtle colour. I would avoid pure white and go for trims with a hint of your broad wall colour.. Cut off the knobs on the stairs as they are immediately raging and think about painting the stars.

I quite like your brick features but think they may look better painted - not something I would usually do. I like the idea of using some shutters and this could be done to update your verandah. The inside of the verandah could be painted also.

Your vanities may be able to be painted in the Hamptons style and a new basin and tap added. I would add some strength to the pillars on your back verandah to give a more stable look and to develop the back area. Have a look and see what you think as having a style to inspire you can make it all work together much better and help you to make decisions. You don't have to be salve to a style but it does help.

Hi Nick not sure how far you are with your updating, we have a builder near us that had a house exactly like yours and did a makeover, I can take a couple of photos if you would like, he sold it to the local pharmacist and moved next door and made that house over too He kept the Archways.

Hi Oklouise, your last drawing looks great, would you consider swapping the kitchen with the dinning area to give a larger opening/view to the verandah. this would also join both outdoor and indoor kitchens having them on the one wall, like the sit up to the open kitchen window.

Hi everyone thanks for your ideas and input. Just to keep you in the loop, we haven't started on the renovation yet as we think, for the kids sake next year would be better for them. siriuskey if you could send me some photos of that renovation in your neighbourhood that would be great.

the position of the kitchen would have been determined by trying to keep within existing rooms (to save demolition and restoration of existing good ceilings and keep plumbing and power etc intact) and i like to keep the kitchen mess a bit around the corner out of sight but there's no obvious other reasons not to swop kitchen and dining but it would be best to post the "Dilemma" again when ready to start renovating because there's sure to be other ideas that may suit

would be happy get photos for you Nick, this builder rendered the walls, I think that the newer renders come with colour?,he will know I'am sure. He is near the beach and also added a look out which gave him ocean views, good to sit on your hands for awhile before starting Reno's as your idea's change

Hi Nick I took a couple of shots today, phone camera wasn't performing very well so here goes. The wall colour is a pale grey green and he had the concrete roof tiles sprayed a soft grey, the new owners installed the solar panels. I will try to see if I can get a copy of the plans for you. The wall to the right has an enclosed swimming pool behind it.He used timber slats the house has been rendered inside and out

Hi there Nick, looking at your photos you look like a modern hamptons family which is lovely, do you live in a warm climate.

I did like the photo you posted of the open plan living and think that you are on the right track with interior colours

I have marked out how I would like the first floor, I have moved the kitchen to the end wall to line up with BBQ outdoor kitchen, plumbing for this would have easy access via the garage below.

The white tiles look lovely and hard wearing for the entrance foyer and Rumpus room, the stairs in timber due to the amount of traffic even continuing in up stairs foyer kitchen dining living,

Carpet in bedrooms and downstairs theater.

Kitchen in white but possibly Shaker style white doors these are very popular.

Using existing sliding exterior doors if possible from kitchen.Dining to verandah, I think this ceiling would be best kept white to help reflect light back indoors, the tiles appear to be in good order but you might consider changing these along with new upstairs flooring

Some where for a laundry shute would be handy, actually a Dumb Waiter so you could move the laundry with ease both up and down!

The roof painted a soft colour, grey/white or off white, the verandah railing could be the same colour or you could do glass. The builder had a very different style of house to what I think you are wanting.

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Love the photos Nick my choice for upstairs at least is floor boards (with sound proofing) Love the dining light, my favourite. check out (Toorak by Webb Brown Neaves) for beautiful flooring etc.

I have just taken a couple of photos in our street, we all face onto a canal, the big one is like yours, except for the giraffe driveway Uh!.

The one next door is a smaller 80's red brick that the owners re did approx 15 yrs ago, the colour is lovely, the house is lovely, the changed a lot of the interior and added the garage walls and window trims are the same colour withe the roof and gutters a slightly lighter colour in Colour Bond. The front door I really love and think it could work for your entry for extra light,here goes, my camera is playing up again

Thanks siriuskey i love the render too, what colour is the render?

Charlestown in Newcastle NSW, 15 minutes drive to the beach and the block itself is elevated.

I will check, you are in our part of the world 1 1/2 hr away