ah exactly i want to make it more welcoming. as for bringing the wall out. not really. I kind of want to keep that area there. But yes more welcoming even if it means putting a glass door or something?

also want to make the wrought iron balustrading look better temporarily and i endeavor to replace it with frameless glass. maybe hehe.

Hi John, It looks like the ceiling of the garage is timber (decking) if so I would continue that horizontally down the back wall, sealing both to match, Keep the black entrance door and bricks natural colour and clad the wrought iron post with the same timber.

If that works out to be too expensive just paint the back wall black and only clad the wrought iron post, and paint the balustrade black.

If the ceiling of the garage is metal panels you could do the same with that and paint them to match cheers

This from your ideas book, I would keep the bricks uncovered as they are a feature in them selves cheers

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sorry the bricks where exactly? on the side or in the middle? yeah thanks i forgot i book marked that

all of the bricks are a feature, it's the back wall that's not

ah interesting. was really looking forward to covering those bricks though. just not a fan of the blonde brick look

what else is blond brick, id the ceiling timber or metal

ah the top is metal. i wouldnt mind covering the metal as well. Also I dont even mind knocking the wall down to make the entrance more inviting with a nice looking commercial glass slider (not the automatic ones) or glass door

Is that the opening to your office or house

office. its a double garage converted into an office. one side is customers waiting other is where i work from.

So what we are seeing in the picture is the parking space?

Great light for entrance or office low ceiling

https://www.beautifulhalo.com/industrial-edison-bulb-wrought-iron-8-light-large-led-semi-flush-ceiling-light-in-black-p-254987.html?currency1=AUD&track=PA_G_dAUPL&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlv_XBRDrARIsAH-iRJR7pMSxPC6ip1veNcr-9k5UObKCwZOWrBvEvEicVt3IdCDjTzvAHJYaAhs2EALw_wcB

wow very nice!

You're a creative person being in IT you should express that, so are we just looking at the parking space and you enter the office Via the door.

yup correct its actually a big carport in front. I will eventually knock down the carport and put another but thats plans in 2019. so for now the eyesore is there haha.

so don't spend too much money on it paint can make a big change Try painting the ceiling Matt dark grey/Black along with the rear wall,clad the wrought iron post in timber and perhaps add a timber and metal sliding barn style door as a feature and close off the office at night. So you will have

Concrete floor

Cream Brick,

Dark grey ceiling and back wall

Timber post and timber with black hardware sliding barn style door

A great light if needed for night time or just a track light with spots to high light things and tie in with the door.

Then you just need to park your sports car in there Wella!!

interesting. so no timber over the bricks?

Have you considered terrazzo tile? It was commonly used in up-market houses of the 1970's and works well in a commercial environment. It looks a lot classier than timber, and is maintenance free. You could do the brick walls, and floor in terrazzo tile then batten and sheet the underside of the deck incorporating some downlights.

The current infill wall with the single door looks cheaply done and has poor proportions so there is room for improvement, possibly with a wall of well designed windows and a handsome door.

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Best of luck,

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls

Yes, No timber over the brick, you need to work with the textures, Bricks, Timber, Polished concrete, metal and paint

Some ideas for you,

wow that last one i really like jason & thats how i wanted my lighting. Ive actually got cabling ready for that type of lighting.

as for the cladding. what would you suggest? left and right and back? the roof? paint black or dark charcoal?

the door in the picture u provided siri is great! love it.

Hi JV, Have you considered using copper paint on the rear wall and metal ceiling

https://www.porterspaints.com/paints/speciality-finishes/liquid-copper-patina-green/

Love that door within a door too, a family member did that with their large sliding fence/gate they had a smaller door within it for when the large gate is closed.

Can you take more photos so the space is more defined, I would like to see how much brick work there which is exposed and how to this office entrance.

Definately worth trying, would still like to see a photo stepped back from the building so that I can get a clearer idea cheers

Hi JV,

I think unless you are planning to do a huge facelift to the home, I would just embrace the retro feel rather than trying to mask it and have it looking too random and shoddy.

I actually think the cream brick at the sides is quite cool, it looks in really good shape, I would definitely leave that! And the trellis, I just think you can't fight it as it's all the balustrade too. Replacing that with glass will just look like a 70s home with bad out of place glass added.

I like your timber idea, though I'd just go a regular cladding rather than decking which will look... well like decking on the wall! Get a cladding (Even a Scyon style product), paint it a light charcoal (or even a dark olive/khaki colour) and it would look stylish, retro and actuallypretty cool as I'd expect from an IT guy. Add some plants (mother in laws tongue, a crassula, another succulent) in a few pots of varying heights (say 3), add a stylish outdoor light, maybe a plaque wiht your business name, a cool doormat, remove the screen door and I think it would look great.

Look up mid century modern references, there's a lot. Even though it's not mid century, you could stretch to that. I think it would look far better than trying to mask what you've got and have it come off as looking really amateur.

Here's some photos, otherwise google Mid Century Modern / Palm Springs. Hopefully you can see it has potential by embracing it's original style!

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Oh and it seems a bright front door would complete it! for these retro colours go for bright but muddy/earthy version, not too clear. So a beautiful ochre orange would look great with your timber, white brick and charcoal cladding...

wow and thank you @sarah_eddy6 what a game changer definitely has changed my perspective