Adam Would you consider all trim white including gable and door surround with a deeper grey gloss for the door frames? I'm thinking red, although lovely with grey, may be too 'hot' with the yellow bricks. There is a great green in Wattyl paint called 'Mangrove'. It has grey in the mix yet shows depth and character. That colour would be complimentary to the area you live in, with all those lovely trees. Enjoy. Let us know what you decide.

Different manufacturers have different track and sill details. You need to contact the manufacturer of your doors and get a drawing of the section of the sill and track, as well as ask their advice. I would be carefully considering how much water will reach the door frame when it pours with rain (how much protection does the eave offer). It also depends on the existing structure (if you are renovating) and exactly what you are cutting away to lower the door frame. You will run into issues if you have to cut out the edge of an existing slab. I suspect that it is not as simple as you hope otherwise it would be done all the time. So much potential for things to go expensively wrong if you don't plan it carefully to the millimetre. You can see in this photo it is not your standard track, and that a grate to drain water runs parallel to the door to minimise the risk of rain water being blown in. I wouldn't part with any cash until you have worked out all of the little details. It is a general rule of architecture that if something looks flush, clean and seamless then somebody has put a lot of thought into how to achieve that result, and the tradesmen involved have been much more careful, precise and taken their time to get it perfect. All of this costs money.... Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

Hi friendly Kim. I've just looked at your profile to see if I could find your photos. I noticed you have them on a new post. I now understand, you already have a full alfresco area under the main roof, and vertical sun blinds, and also have noticed your fan, as you mentioned. The roof extractor fan may help remove the heat. I was also thinking if you had some tall lush plants along the side where the pull down blinds are. This would stop the sun, but allow the air through. But, sometimes we just have to move inside. This is why solar passive orientation of our new homes is so important. Hope you find a solution.

Sounds vaguely like our house - original 60s layout of living at front, then kitchen and dining opening to patio at back. Two extensions in the 50 years since have added a new kitchen and sunroom at the back (including a few steps down here and there) so there are now two living areas and extra space (where old kitchen was) that we've recently converted into a study nook and bar. For previous owners the sunroom has acted as alternately an informal sitting/reading room, and a family room with TV, while original living room at the front was the 'formal' lounge without TV. We have young kids so set up the sunroom as their playroom as it opens to backyard, and front living room as a more standard living room with TV - and have hopes to add a fireplace at some point to cosy it up. I would think about what times of day each area gets the best light, and what are the activities you like doing at those times of day - then structure the rooms around that. Alternatively think about the gatherings you have with people and set one up as a more formal area (or for evenings?) and one more casual (for daytime?).