Hi there I thought I would jump in here a touch as you are on the right track but there are some glaring points that need to be cleared up for you before you go and purchase flooring. Laminate flooring is a Hi Def image of Timber flooring/oak/Natural Species etc and then transposed using a heat method to a MDF or HDF core, then profiled with a click system for ease of installation, maintenance relocation and repair. Good laminate flooring (Quikstep or Krono Swiss) can be very rewarding , look very much like natural timber, and be very durable against scratching and indentation. Laminates nemesis is high saturation of water or moisture. Good e budget solution for all living areas and rooms except toilets bathroom or laundrys. Engineered boards are a veneer of Natural timber and are just as durable as the solid version of whatever species you choose. Whether that be Spotted Gum, Jarrah or Oak. Sorry but you CAN re sand engineered boards. When re sanding occurs through a professional sander, the top .5mm is the depth of the product that you generally ever really need to remove. Some engineered flooring has a 6mm wear layer/ veneer and that's more than if you purchased a solid 19mm raw timber floor. Engineered boards are less likely "cup"(edge of the boards rising so that you can see a little lip) than a solid. We would recommend that if you are considering a timber floor please consult a retailer that only handles timber and specializes in that medium. Hope this helped

Hi Adelaide again - been giving more thought to my suggestions and they are not going to work. For some reason I just can't get my head around metric sized rooms, I have to convert back to the old imperial. So assuming you are going to build up the alfresco area to make it a walk out from the house, look at taking that right across the rear of the house. With the master bedroom I was looking at walking into a hallway with a walk-in wardrobe opening off it but you will basically want the whole 3rd bedroom to achieve a decent sized wardrobe and give you maximum storage. I'd have the ensuite where the void area is, which basically leaves you the laundry for the bedroom - way to small. However if you were to extend the bedroom across the alfresco area, this would give a great sized room, with large windows looking across the back garden and doors opening out to the alfresco area. I'd then extend the house and the alfresco area to the end of the Activity room, slide the family room to that end and put the laundry in at the void end, which could be accessed from the outside or from the family room, whatever suits. This also has the advantage of keeping all your plumbing together except for the kitchen. Don't think about excavating, it can cause massive water problems. No matter how much you might add drainage, or seal the structure, there always seems to be those on in a hundred year events that can cause unexpected flooding. Water problems have to be the worst nightmare.

I like the blue touches already in the room, which reflect the brickwork. Agree with lots of creams/ neutrals, just adding some blue in cushions, artwork. Maybe a bluish/cream rug, with a subtle pattern, not a solid color. Also I think the lights are a little lost. The high ceilings could take some quite large shades, maybe drums. And I agree that the central column could be painted to become the focal point as stated. Either white or quite a dark grey/ blue, ( it might darken up things too much, but it's only paint, can be changed). It might be sinful but I think I would replace it with plaster, then paint it. Finally maybe a dash of 60s burnt orange or mustard if you want to want to keep the retro theme.

Hi all, I'm back again! We're almost there and just trying to decide between using axon sycon cladding or weathergroove for the vertical cladding. Would really appreciate your thoughts on whether the axon would look too modern for the house? We're keen on it for durability, low maintenance. We're thinking of the narrow board, smooth and painting it a colour similar to this https://www.haymespaint.com.au/index.php/explore-colours/colorbond/view/12/4941 I've reattached the external photos.. the plan is to replace all the brown cladding and leave the brick as is. Any help would be great. I'm very much a novice! Thank you 🙂