Hubby and I have stayed in Venice twice, once with our young children. We took a vaporetto to Murano to visit the glassworks. Fascinating to watch the men work. The kids each were given a beautiful clear glass horse figurine, which all these years later they still treasure and display. On our last trip, we visited a small shop run by siblings. We purchased the last of a collection of seven pendant light globes their father had blown for the shop. They were all the same shape but different colours of glass. We purchased them for the new modern house we planned to build the following year or so. We are pleased and grateful to have such unique, handmade and time-honoured beauty embellish the spaces in our home, and the lights always interest guests and we then have a story to tell.

I'd say there's not a lot you can do with the garage, overall height limits and ceiling height to garage perhaps? Limited info and unfamiliar with site, etc. so just really guessing here. The stairs however could be changed as could the balcony, etc. Can't see issues here why it can't be amended to suit your requirements. You never mentioned the issues with the designer but perhaps stay with them as redesigning through another may not be ideal either! Some won't touch another designer's work and will start from scratch. Give them another chance to explain why it is all done this way. Allow them the opportunity to amend it and depending on your council, use a SECTION 96 if possible. Council will soon let you know if they can accept it. Remember they've been submitted so I'd have to presume you were happy with them beforehand. Clients changing their mind or have difficulty making decisions happens regularly as its all quite new to them. I too have had clients that love the plan's, get submitted then decide that want to change something that has been there from the beginning.... Windows and doors are usually what my clients change. Frustrating for client and equally if not more so for the designer as it affects the whole plan set and documentation in many cases. I do know many designers will railroad their clients into decisions based on their own visions but this is never a good thing. It's a collaboration between client, designer, council, engineer, builder, etc. and sometimes a bit of compromise by all parties.

I suggest the very first thing to do , would be to decide your budget and what you want to achieve , and to a certain degree what the suburb is like ? If it's the 'worst' house in an upmarket suburb , then $100K or even $200k may really lift its value , but if its in a 'cheaper' suburb , you may over capitalise . Like others , some things I'd look at -- -- Do the gardens , trim the tree , looks more like rank grass along the side of the driveway ? Maybe a white stone garden , with a Yukka ort similar . -- The concrete driveway looks 'drunk' , but that may be because of the shapes it was laid in ? Level it , take the front out to the street , talk to an expert about doing a one-run top coat of concrete . -- Remove the fairy lights , relocate the satelite dish . -- Personally , Id frame upwards on the top of the carport and lounge roof , and also the first floor roof , and put bright 25-30cm tall painted or powder coasted alloy panels -- cover the gutters and 'hide' the solar panels . Paint or coat them whatever colour you like , but I'd go for something like bright yellow or orange or red , mid blue , a crisp green ? -- Someone suggested brown wooden 'louvres' full-length over the upstairs windows . I'd be tempted to go with that idea ( buy 30mmx30mm pine , and a mid brown stain -- 6 or 8 'rails' along that upstairs on the side and front you can see in the pictures . Instead of mid-brown stain , a black/charcoal may suit better , especially if you go with those bright panels . -- Maybe a fence in the same 30 x 30 horizontal wood , same stain colour -- ties the upstairs to the 'ground' level ? Relatively budget , and can be done in several steps , but would 'lift' it no end IMO .

I agree with all the comments about back rests and white stools getting dirty easily. My friend was devastated when her guest sat on her brand new white chair with jeans and the indigo dye from her jeans stained the chair forever. I’d also be wary that the white you choose for your stool blends with the white of your kitchen. From memory, your kitchen and bench tops are a warm white. The stark white of those stools could be jarring to the eye. Just saying....