Linda the image above uses a pediment type of scenario, and creates a recessed gable, however with one side of your home having a parapet and the other, a floating gable without a soffits, I think it wouldn't work. I think the strapping i showed yours easiest and most effective as it won't look like fixing an error. As for no shingles, they are my first pick, but very particular and you lean either way, I'm for them, but only real ones, not the fc product ones which have wrong proportions all round. I could only suggest using a batten arrangement in the same way as your gable, otherwise the lining boards look best. These can be sheets, so fixing would be easy. It would tie in with your porch roof being lining boards too. The main thing for me is that window awning, put architraves to the exterior of that window frame, paint it the dark blue colour, to conceal the white window, that's why I suggested white timber details, to make sense of this error.

This is just like our Mediterranean house in Canberra. It was rendered white which never cracked or got mould on it, though I would prefer it to be done in a modern colour like our current home on the Gold Coast which is a rich sand colour with a heavy bagged appearance that has faded from a strong dark sand. With beautiful dark patterned orangey tiles all outside that reflect their colour on the walls during the day it is quite magical. Roof tiles also spray painted after being re pointed. I suggest you amplify the lovely quality of arches and don't go for what is trendy. But go with colour scheme for the house design. At our entrance there is a built up garden courtyard feature with wonderful iron gates and a large water feature in the courtyard that the lounge room looks out to and has the French doors that also opened onto the courtyard garden. Commence the courtyard wall to the left side of the steps and create a flat area at the gated entrance where we had a north single gate and a west double gate. The Pines were planted on the outside of this courtyard wall and gave extra privacy and blocked the westerly afternoon sun. The house always looked impressive, yet was just a simple presentation.

Interesting project there........when you're dealing with extending immediately from an existing building there are usually two ways to go....1. blend/extend seamlessly so that there is essentially no indication of any additions, or 2. separate/distinguish clearly between the old and the new. It's usually reflected somewhat in the floor plan as well. There is also a spectrum within both of those categories on how it can be done and whether its deemed to be done well or not so well. The issue I see with the facade articulation resolution (on your drawings) is that it is arguably neither one nor the other. The window/fenestration articulation is an issue because there's no confident consistency or sequence to the proportions of the new glazing areas. If you want "timeless" then you need to pull it into line with a particular style, either remain faithful to the reference/traditions/scaling/proportions of the original, or if that is either challenging or not providing the functional outcome sought, then consolidate the style/breakup of the extended windows to be visually contrasting yet balanced/controlled against the original. It's a similar story with the materials, it needs to all balance compositionally. Usually the decisions in this area come down to how best to balance also in conjunction with the roof form. And getting to the roof, this is again similar in that it's not ideal to mix & match gable and hip forms unless there's good reason to do so or you feature projecting gables out from a primary hip composition like as in cal bungs. I think you'll find it would be a better outcome to confidently work with one or the other here. In this case the existing primary reference is the gable form and this could be really be made the defining building form feature, but you need to decide upon how you articulate the gable forms - it's like there needs to be a clever/clear approach/language developed with some contemporary material to express the garage gable full height so it reads as the single material, rather than being broken up with the garage door and the gable infill - if it was a hidden door and the form finished more consistently the whole thing would look classier, professional and more elegant. There is super potential here to get this right and look amazing. I think the layout is all OK but some harder work is required/deserved on the facade, street presentation and form resolution, which obviously you are aware about since you've asked the question......possibly here, less in more ;) PD

To my eye the only thing your house lacks is floral aspect in the garden. You have some lovely foliage but florals make a bush block come alive. Some beautiful grevillieas will bring birds, moonlight is my favourite as the white florals really lift a landscape. Leucospermums are dramatic and come in sunset colours that work so well on bush sites. Pandorea are a native vine that's extremely fast growing popular with nectar feeders and comes in a huge range of colours. The flowers appear in massive sprays in early spring. Would look great on your porch, Unlike wisteria it won't harm the structure it grows on and is easy to chop back. I really love the sunset one. But they range in everything from pure white to deep red and many bicoloured like this one. And for a light, airy bush with some different try the honey lace myrtles, the bees will love them. In the darker aspects of the yard you can tuck brake fern in those spaces to bring them alive and make the site appear more lush.