I was going to suggest a nice horizontal timber design -- and then I see the Deco-Clad post , which looks similar . Personally , I'd want samples , to see how 'real' it looked , and also do a cost comparison with actual timber . Depending on budget and how long you are wanting to live there , I'd also look at a light to mid-coloured stonework , or some of the veneers are very realistic too , but more expensive than nicely stained wood . Or for a real Wow factor -- how about some stonework , some timber , and even a water feature , possibly water rippling down the wall around 1.2 metre wide , maybe with a 300-400 wide vertical fern and herb garden either side -- takes advantage of any 'spray' , and adds life and vibrancy , as well as looks and variety ? No disrespect to Dr Retro and Julie Herbert , but my personal thoughts on Sycon and similar cladding is that it looks too modern for the existing brick ( what I'd term an 'old style' brick ) , but that's just me -- to implement successfully you'd want to work your way around the house and update quite a bit more , or it would look too obvious IMO .

I am guessing this is not in Australia? You could do any colours. But what would fit in tonally with neighboring properties? Are you looking to stand out, or be restful? So many options, you need to give some more information

cladding over brick creates challenges around windows and doors so unless there's a structural problem with the bricks and they have to be covered over i suggest that painting the bricks would complement the cottage look and be much easier and cheaper than more cladding although another option could be to paint the bricks and reclad the garage with smooth cladding and i wonder if painting the garage a darker colour and the house a lighter shade of the same colour would also help balance the look of the different walls

Pottsy99 - here’s the pic I wanted to share. My original Reno floorplan - minimum disturbance of existing asbestos cladding inside & out - but extending footprint requires council approval so I reworked it into the floorplan I posted here I the first place. Thanks for your suggestions. That kind of thing is down the track at some point!