Wow, that's a lot of function for a small space! Make use of Houzz to search for a local landscape designer. Even a one-hour consultation may help you sort your priorities and determine how to get the most from the space, and a master plan will help you stack functions and really nail the space planning. Designing for a small space is like designing the interior of an ocean-going boat: everything needs to fit perfectly!

This is really a job for a professional, as there are so many implications for town planning, fire and acoustic separation between dwellings (covered under the building regulations), legal (are you on seperate titles, or is it strata titled), front setbacks, and structural implications. I haven't seen too many houses that have been subdivided into two units that are on two seperate titles in recent times as the complexities are so challenging with the current planning and building regulations. Your project will need a lot of research and careful management of the bureaucracies, depending on where you live. Your best bet would be to start with a local professional who is familiar with the local planning laws and council requirements. You will find it a lot easier to limit your new work to the existing building envelope. Best of luck, Dr Retro

Here's my plan . Go and buy 1 ( it may take 2 ) 10 litre pails of charcoal fence stain and a brush . Paint everything except that gazebo thing . So yes , area 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 . Theres heaps of wood , do the lot . The entrance is as bad as everywhere else , and that should be your showpiece . The existing plants are straggly but also old-fashioned . If you like them , keep them , but i wouldn't . The pathway is too narrow , but the pavers may come up okay with a waterblast or chemical clean , but it needs to be 1 or 2 pavers wider . So I'd either get all new , or dig up the existing ones , clean them and redo that area , but get say some reddish brown or charcoal ones and go for a chequerboard effect -- half in that existing beige , half in your other colour . Now you could dig up all the stones and grass there , and that would be my choice , but it wouldn't be easy -- do it once , do it right , get rid of every stone otherwise they'll surface at some stage . If you don't want that much work , get 2 or 3 big glazed pots in your favourite colours , and put plants of different heights and leaf colours in them -- everything from grasses and cactuses to shrubs with red and yellow and green leaves . That will take some of the 'workshop yard' look away , but there will still be stones . Thats probably enough for this year haha -- carry through those themes next year to the other areas .

Thanks everyone for your floor plans - really interesting options that I would never think about!! So many things to think about and play around with! Unfortunately can't extend as that would require full DA and we don't have the budget for it 😢 May make the fireplace into a wine rack or something (is isn't currently a working fireplace and we don't have gas) so that would give it more rationale for being in the kitchen area if the kitchen does stay there... Bedroom is 3 bed (3rd bedroom would probably be more of an office/nursery) so not a big family place but this is the only entertaining/ living area... with an undercover, tiled & heated area out the back of the glass doors.