Draga, am also in Oz. the big window co s do double glazed aluminium and some do custom colours. Am aware of your desire to recreate the '70s but should keep that to easy change items. You cannot predict the future and may need to resell. Go all out with furnishings, paint etc but tiles and window frames should be more classic.

The plan looks a nightmare - bedrooms facing the street, a tiny internal bathroom with no window to the outside (is that legal?) and a "lounge" that looks like it was meant to be a third bedroom. If the internal walls are stud and don't support the roof you're in with a chance, but I'd say to do a proper job the cheap option is NOT going to work. I'd put two bedrooms where the current family room and lounge are and extend the bathroom into the boot room to give window access, or scrap the current bathroom altogether and use some of the space in what is now the kitchen for a new one. Keeping the WC separate is a good move. If you make the street side the social side of the house you can open it right out and create a big front porch that's a social spill-over from the kitchen/dining area, creating indoor-outdoor flow. Planting (two or three shade trees and some stands of tall perennials rather than a "green fence" hedge) keeps your front garden private yet inviting and stops your front porch becoming a stage set for the street. Good luck! I think you'll turn this very ordinary house into a much nicer place to live!

Hi Matthew we bought an old doer upper that needs refreshing so I was keen to follow your post. We so far painted the front door replaced front letterbox guerney washed the concrete drive and have bought a panel lift door for the carport. We removed all the overgrown trees. Maybe guerney wash your roof , driveway and front steps, thats our next job (roof) and start with the gardens. If you keep the awnings - spraypaint them in a single tone, paint or replace the driveway fence, Remove that tall shrub or trim it, plant a row of plants up along the drive. Great house, like ours you can only improve it in value. Enjoy renovating!

I agree that charcoal would be nice - softer than black Just check that it has a greenish base, as that will work with Woodland grey Use a coppery colour for the front door and follow the theme by using rusted metal pots and mail box, as julie herbert suggested Pebblecrete for the pathways will complete the theme of natural materials, then give the garden some personality by contouring beds and mulching with pebbles and stones in the grey, brown and black colours of the building Perhaps a winding path to the front door Use Woodland grey for the new garage door If you really want to change the roof tiles, make them a greenish grey too With medium sized shrubs - magnolia, camellia, mock orange as well as soft grasses, the garden will finish the project nicely You don't have to do it all at once - it's nice to let the process evolve as you develop confidence Have fun and let us know what you decide