Like this?

Running cladding in opposite directions gives a contemporary look. Many examples I've seen seem to vary the profile width each. ie. narrow verticals juxtaposed with broader horizontals. You could clad base in a recycled plastic timber-look product or composite timber cladding. (Colour stable and no maintenance). Stone could look fab too. Painting it the Farrier would definitely be simplest. You could do a contrast with the verandah floor and its edge.

Learn Sketchup is on my to do list. I use the IKEA and Reece online tools, which are good for quick mockups to help visualise the space with basic 3D rendering, but they can be a bit buggy and of course only have their own products to work with. I use Illustrator and photoshop for quick plans and mockups too, but only because I have a graphic design background.

Is this the one? I think it's quite cool toned and will complement your grey/white bathroom nicely