Thanks for asking.. I am so happy.. the house was so decayed so we decided to rebuild the same look of a 100 year old cottage but move all the living to the front for the river view.. so happy we did it and went for light grey and white and yellow.. so pleased and we have people in the park comment.. we could not go any bigger because of council and flood zone but it makes it special as it is. Some pictures I just took.. I took a picture of the outlook so you can see why it feels just right.. still work to do as in the gardens and just finding the right plants to put in as it is full sun. Will ask for help on that one too to make it feel cottagey but not block the view. Thanks again for asking. Karen

Smiffy, good to hear from you, we have all been worried - Houzz wasn't the same without you. Best wishes for a speedy recovery, rest and take care of yourself. Lots of love and mush!

From your drawings I leaned towards squaring off the arches but seeing the house IRL I say keep them. Being raised from the road and the way the house is perceived to sit into the land, they look great. There is a graciousness to the arches which you don't often see in houses of this era, I think it because they are not uniform. I would look at the Spanish Mission style homes in Palm Springs for inspiration and keep the roof tiles rather than go colourbond too. You can still do a version of beach just more Spanish mission hacienda style!

Hi Belinda, Wow, you have a beautiful landscape to work with. Definitely, take a look at what tropical plants could handle a full sun position. Some low maintenance plants that won't obstruct the view where the sandstone is, Justicia Carnea (nice and bright), Acalypha and Coleus. Of course for a high impact and stand-alone plant you can’t go past a Frangipani tree or an Angels Trumpet. Good luck with it! Richard