Thanks for the photos, they help clarify your situation. A few points. The front wall, going by the brickwork, is approx. 700mm high. You could get this down to 600mm by sloping the lawn or garden slightly. Doing this should be fine and then you can pass the construction off as complying and replacement of existing wall. I'd assume the garden in front is part of the council nature strip in which case you can't move forward. I can't see neighbouring front fencelines so it's not obvious. Often there is up to 600mm between the boundary and the footpath but not always. I think there would be too much gabion. Contact a landscaper for a comparative price with sandstone. Obviously it's cheaper if you were intending to build the gabion yourself. The driveway is quite narrow. Widen it towards the lawn, not the boundary. You need to leave that narrow garden for softening of the fence in particular. A picket fence along the front should look fine in white, if that colour appears on your house but the paling fence should not be white. If you are doing a major reno of the house then the landscape items would be best left until the major work is complete. Then you can consider the landscaping in relation to the new look of the house.

Hi Rose, You won't see them on display at any company as I designed them and instructed the window manufacturer how to make them. They were made by Stegbar windows based on their standard Georgian windows, which are normally powder coated white. I instructed to make them in powder-coated black but to exclude the vertical divisions. I think that most aluminium window manufacturers should be able to make them - but none of them will have them on display. I don't think that they would look very effective if you were using double glazing. This project was completed over 20 years ago (yes I have been in the business that long!) so I hope that the window manufacturers are still making Georgian style sliding doors! Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

I have got the sample pots and I’ve painted them on large cardboard, it’s more the benchtop I want to blend in nicely, as well as splashback. I know I won’t find the exact combinations, would be nice to see one or two of the colours to get a more visual idea. They aren’t the popular ones like lexicon and all the mainstream dulux whites. So the bricks have all been removed, and under the bench is just going to be the same as the kitchen cupboards. The brick pier has been Gyprocked. Do you think a smoky mirror splashback will look good?

I was thinking of options , and basically Kates sketch would be along the lines of what I am thinking . Just some obvious things -- you have a chimney -- do you want that in your Master ? You want doors off the front Den -- no matter what you do , that will cost reasonable $$$ , as you will have to alter the framing , maybe electrical , as well as obviously cutting through bricks . Could 'just' having screens and maybe even a small roof creating a courtyard in front , using the existing front door and probably creating a better entry experience if done right , be better than that ? Same with things like having an external door from a laundry/mud room ? If that was important , personally I'd incorporate that as part of the new addition at the rear -- its way easier to design framing and walls with a door included , as opposed to modifying a 60 year old building . Basically , we could question every room , and that is what the designer should have done . Without asking , I'd come up with a totally different design , but it would be what I would do , and maybe wouldn't be what you want . And as far as adding upstairs , again personally I wouldn't . Engineering wise its difficult , matching styles is difficult , and cost will be quite a bit more per metre than adding on the rear , but you may feel the advantages outweigh the costs -- only you know .