Having a closer look at the house, it could be possible to replace the small window next to your fireplace on the left with a door, and still enclosing the side if the garage, I would also install a timber balustrade form the original front door between all posts, so hat door could remain, but be within an enclosed walk corridor rather than wLk our onto a drive. The ballustrading could become a real feature, and be somewhat of an enclosed verandah if people were en lined to need fresh air, or may want to pollute it with a cigarette?? Either way, it will make better use of this side of the home, your windows are too beautiful to conceal and the light they bring in would be priceless. I think removing the brush front fence and installing a picket fence further beyond your front window could tie into the new balustrade m suggesting, and create a new front of house, and still enclose enough behind this feneline for a private and safe yard. I think I can see a timber gate or fence? This is where I would at a minimum put the new picket fence. Maybe say 1500mm high, which is still a nice view fence height from the street but dprivate enough not to see clothes hanging etc. Glad I could be of some help.

Yes, I agree they are fairly narrow and I think practicality must trump original design in this regard. You can still remain true to the era, and simply widening the steps to flush with width of verandah will only improve upon the original design. I believe it will also future-proof the steps as I can imagine as people age, they sometimes require the firm arm of someone else to assist them safely up and down the stairs. I have to agree with Mel about the letterbox. IF you are set on mixing styles, then perhaps use the same timber you used for the letterbox to face facade (street facing) of new steps.

what a great house!! make sure all the paint and trim is in excellent condition, what about Colorbond Cove and/or Evening Haze for over the windows and roller door with bright white trim and a startling front door (turquoise?) is the flue being used? remove or clean and paint, move the tv aerial out of sight, remove or replace the awnings with better fitting blinds that fit inside the window frames (Sarlon roller blinds will be more discreet and reasonably priced) remove the old planting near the house and add a mowing strip along the walls, clean the concrete driveway and create a gravelled parking area instead of parking on the grass with just a triangle of generous plants between the drive and parking area, level the lawn closer to the house with a low curved retaining wall made of of railway sleepers and prune back the big shrubs to see the edges of the house, improve the lawn and add planting along the retaining wall or right down to the front fence...Dietes, Grasses, and other architectural plants will look good

Judy, do you know if the stepped facade on the art-deco extension is hiding a roof gable or is it purely decorative? If it is only decorative (and heritage regulations allow) I would remove those top 2 courses to make it a simpler box shape. Not essential, but in my opinion that stepped gable is not very attractive, and makes it look more like a public building than a residence. This would simplify and give it more of a modern look, but still be genuine art-deco. The house is already a combination of different eras, so adding a bit of a modern touch will not detract and is more honest when you are renovating anyhow. I would paint the driveway terra-cotta to match the tiles, garage door green to match the roof and change the cladding on the garage front wall to flat fibre-cement panel rendered and built up to a straight line parapet on the front. Paint all walls white, including the rendered panel over the garage door (IMHO this is the only colour that really works with art-deco). Remove the shutters and paint window frames and other trim the dark charcoal you already have on gutters and other trim. The middle section of the column should be that same colour as the top and bottom for its shape and proportions to read well. I would probably leave the stone paths as they are, as they seem to match the dark surround to your front porch tiles. With the front fence I would remove the wrought iron, then extend the pillars up to 2m and fit batten screens between them. To alleviate the sun-load on the western window after those shutters are gone I would instead plant a screen of high growing vegetation inside the front fence, e.g. a row of bamboo. That would give you a better outlook and still provide sun shading and street privacy.