After I had finished my Archi Masters I was working for an architecture firm who also did a small amount of work for a volume builder. They were actually a pretty good quality builder and at least got the orientation of their 'pre-designed' plans correct. We had the ability to make minor changes to every job and it pained me to see so many simple to implement passive options not being incorporated. Had most of their clients known that they would be saving MONEY over the longterm by making a few minor changes to suit their site, they all would have done it. The problem is unless someone can sell this idea to them as a financial/lifestyle choice, many just think it is about saving the world. It is a no-brainer if you have in interest in it, but for those who don't know, there is no-one there selling it to them, especially on the lower end of the market.

Hi Molloy15, have you thought about buying an old Queenslander or two, cannibalizing them to form your ideal home, that way you'll get inherent period elements and easily be able to incorporate new modern elements? If you're going to go from new, then perhaps it'd be wiser to present tributes rather than trying to produce a true facsimile - for instance rather than use fancy lace ironwork in the balconies as railings - use one piece as wall art etc. Ideally, an interior and exterior should work together - any home should be a reflection of it's owners tastes and if you love period elements then incorporate them - it's your home. One of the things that I love is showing the demarcation lines between an older building and a newer section of the home as sstop has done. Good luck - we'd love to see how you get on.

Yes we possibly could have, however then the Entertaining, Living areas of the home would have been on the First Floor which would have meant incorporating a larger Patio on this level. You also must remember over 80% of owners of Two Storey homes prefer bedrooms on the First Floor, so you we need to take this into consideration for our clients potential resale of their home.

With most old houses walls and floors are not straight and perfect, however wall tiles can go some way concealing this. I don't know if a reputable tradesperson will fix glass panels to old tiles and be happy to guarantee the job. Seems like an ideal opportunity for mould growth between the old tiles and the new glass if any shower water gets an opportunity to seep around the edges or joints of the glass. I think you may be surprised just how much this type of glass costs to install, and you would probably be better off doing the job properly with new tiles and a proper waterproof membrane as required by the building regulations (which your old shower recess doesn't have). In the future your potential new buyers will probably appreciate a freshly renovated bathroom that conforms with the current building regulations (with standard tiling) rather than a glass panel over mould in a bathromm that doesn't comply with the regulations. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls