I would have a door onto verandah for flexibility and cross breeze.
Consider adding a second toilet. Also hall to bathroom in your design to add privacy between bedrooms and bathrooms. I assume at least 3 bedrooms. And storage

“Hall to bathroom” not sure what you mean by this? Bathroom is accessed by the lounge area. Keeping the four bedrooms. On the back of the bathroom we are thinking we will do an en-suite to make the room with the fireplace the master bedroom...

Also thanks so much for your input Kate... curious what you meant by the above

Which rooms are bedrooms? The bathroom is accessed through lounge. Could you add a wall or screen for privacy. Also, where is the ensuite going?
where is access from kitchen to butlers pantry? Does the mudroom door go directly outside? Where will your washing line be? I would install a door from laundry to verandah. Saves going through the house to access laundry room from that side of home.

Looks like you have a lovely old QLD home, is that a fireplace chimney in the kitchen, would love some photos interior and exterior. Where is the driveway/parking, you have marked the mudroom at the rear of the house so will that be your planned access from the car

Like this maybe

Agree with Kate, this gives a hall to bathroom, with private access for all occupants of home.

My suggestion is to swap laundry and pantry. This would omit to going through pantry to get to laundry from mudroom. Since a laundry and mudroom are similar in use. It appears that the door from mudroom would go into the kitchen. I would suggest a door goes directly into pantry from kitchen, as these rooms are similar in use.

Ok bear with me because I fear I’ve already confused people.
Red is entrance so not sure what you mean about accessing bedroom through lounge.
Yellow will be main bath
Blue will be en-suite to make the room with the fireplace the master bedroom.
Purple is where we are wondering about laundry, butlers pantry and mud room and yes mud room accesses rear yard to what will be the carport.
The dark green line indicates where we are thinking of bifold doors and the whole circle of light green is where my brain mushes... open plan to fit kitchen, lounge and dining.
Orange line is driveway which 3m wide.
Dreamer - the suggestion of the door will require more planning which isn’t impossible but this is the original external wall of the house.

Sirius key... Husband has instagram @Birdwood Manor for more images 👌

sorry I dont have instagram, but can I still access the file?

Blue en-suite would remove bedroom window

It is bathroom through lounge, not bedroom through lounge, in my post.

New ensuite would benefit one room. Installing new, full bathroom, as Per Kate's plan, would benefit everyone.

Here is my suggestion. Removing one wall in existing kitchen to make that the dining. ( install beams where required) Move the kitchen to other end utilising existing door to access into pantry.
Either removing wall completely between dining and living. Or utilising wall and making it a feature.

I like that a lot Dreamer! It’s even cheaper than current ideas floating around as it’s little disruption to what is existing.

@Siriuskey

Dreamer sorry I miss read... what I’m hearing here though is no go with accessing the bathroom from the lounge?
I’m concerned about putting a bathroom where Kate suggested as we aren’t going to forfeit any of the casement windows in the design and then the bathroom would have to exist up entirely along the wall. Plus it can get hot that side of the house and I can only insulate so much.

There is a lot advice available re Queenslanders. This is a good start https://qbis.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Heritage-building-restrictions-Bris-City-Council1.pdf

I am helping with the repair maintenance of Noosa’s ‘Wallace House’. Queenslanders are easy, but costly, to work on. Full of surprises. It would be great to keep some of her original and distinctive ‘Queenslander’ features coloured glass windows, fretted air panels above doors, and the use of local. timbers, eg silky oak or hoop pine. Best of luck

Regarding the position of bathroom on verandah. Maybe install new bathroom the same but on the other side. Then it won't be on the hot side of the home. And all your new building work will be on one side of the home.

Hi olivia, just what I envisaged what a lovely project bringing back to life this beautiful house. Not that you will miss my contribution so busy but a basic uncompleted idea

A good example of a ‘Queenslander’ kitchen

i have to agree with other's suggestions that the family bathroom needs to have a more private access and the old bathroom would make a better ensuite but what do you plan to do with all the other rooms and what is the purpose of the bifold doors at the back of the house..assuming the room is at ground level do you plan for some outdoor entertaining area but where is north and how many people will live in the house?..and you should add furniture to any plans to make sure that the spaces suit the purpose but we need more details to be more precise

Siriusky, thank you for drawing our thoughts up, properly.

Lots of great stuff here for you Olivia V.!

My ideas are along the same lines. Follow me here!

Looking at the plan as you put it up on here with kitchen/living across the top.

left side: mud room, laundry, pantry. verandah for light air to bed, bathroom tucked between two beds using verandah.

Centre: kitchen and living one big room.

Four bedrooms. fireplace in master. Borrow existing bathroom for ensuite with another bathroom tucked between other two bed.

Put in a hall between bedrooms (one side or other) if you must but might be better for guests to sneak thru bedrooms to use bathroom and have bigger rooms.

Without measurements that I can read, I believe this will work well. Just remember too NO Dead Corners!!

Cheers Margot

Proposed works quite well - mud room/butlers/laundry.

I know! I am so grateful for all these wonderful ideas. I've taken Kate/DreamerSirius's concept to the draftsman today!

Amazing what you can think of when at 2am in the morning and not being able to sleep, I'll just do a floor plan that should fill an hour or two to get it just how you would like it for yourself and why not, so envious of the old QLDer. Look forward to seeing what the draftsman puts together from all contributions and not just a few, as there's a lot of time spent doing the floor plans. Big pat on the back everyone

Undercover Architect is running a free course on home layout. I have no affiliation with her at all but do follow her, she gives good professional advice. Check out her site or Instagram.

Siriuskey! Unbelievable, so grateful.
My only hesitation is the bathroom being on the verandah and all the windows. The husband is pretty not negotiable on loosing and of the casements and although they’re private they allow a lot of heat in and restrict the room to being on one side. I’m still umming and arring about that one. On paper it looks fantastic though.

Thanks Kbodman - we are Ipswich City Council and already in touch with a certifier 😊 👌

I did take into account all of those lovely windows, but having had a Federation House, some of these windows can be moved and used else where in the house to great advantage. Can you show where the casement windows are and the orientation of the house. These houses weren't always built to deal with heat and cross ventilation which is needed in your climate. It's so pleasing when people like yourself try to respect everything with sensitivity , is there any internal Fret work, I have my fingers crossed for that . More photos are always useful when access to the property isn't possible.

Was the house originally built with the enclosed verandahs? I would open as much as possible to let the breeze cool the house, Strip internal walls and insulate. Replace wall lining.

I would hate to see the original walls stripped, it is better to work with any possible cross ventilation and ensure that the ceiling has insulation

Depends, often they have been wallpapered to death or replaced with non original board

I'am thinking hoping original that they will still be OK, wall paper can be removed with a hired steamer, still a lot of work but worth it

should mention the Federation house we bought was wall papered from top to bottom The beautiful ceilings were a bit tired and flaking so husband found and used a wonderful product Bindanol which you paint on and binds the surface together before painting

Love the metal window hood at the back. There are so many great original pieces in the photos. Ipswich suffers the extreme of temperature, it does get cold in winter, so the built in verandahs May be original.

These Verandahs were often converted to "sleep Out" bedrooms when extra room was needed. I think these Lead light style sliding? windows would be original. Love that Metal Hood as well

I have re arranged the rooms on the verandah so that fittings, toilets etc are now against the house, you would need to sound proof behind the toilets. Now to work with the windows to fit the rooms. I have taken space from the front bedroom for a WIR for the master Iam hoping that this will work with any of the house details

Love you work Siriuskey. An index from a previous house of mine where the Walk-in wardrobe was a door in the tongue and grove and a false t&g behind.

The area for the proposed main bathroom

Where the Bifolds will be

Access to proposed mud room

Proposed master bedroom

some more ideas to consider

The verandah where the mudroom laundry pantry main bath is I suggesting that you work with the windows and add a wall between them to accommodate the separate spaces, you will most likely have to remove a couple of the windows and reuse them else where. The Pantry would still have a window positioned above the bench top, the laundry the same, you wouldn't have storage above the counter top. The main bathroom is the same with every now away from the external wall and windows.

another solution for the mudroom. Access from the car and in via the other back door I still don't know where North is? I have reduced the width of the pantry to 1600 which allows 4300 for the whole Mudroom WC space