They've made a comeback Felicia ;) Yes, please post photo if you can. An easy change is to white wash it. Otherwise, plasterboard over the top of want to get rid of look altogether. You might find [this discussion[(https://www.houzz.com.au/discussions/want-to-achieve-a-soft-rendered-look-for-internal-brick-walls-dsvw-vd~1200219) of interest. It came up in the side bar of Related Topics.

couches, angled island, powerpoint on island are good bt having dining table so far away frm kitchen not practical...I can imagine a tiff everytime the table is to be laid...who is going to ferry all the food and cutlery up and down?

There are bricks available as a cladding product for this purpose. They are the face of the brick not the weight or thickness of the real thing. This is used quick regularly to achieve what you are looking for in aesthetic. Check out Havwoods.com.au for example but there are many places available that stock what you are looking for. A lot of these products can be laid by tilers or the companies will be able to advise you or certified professionals who will be able to complete the installation for you.

Look for a home in an area that you can afford and is close to your preferred social places. Any home can be changed internally, to what look you are after, but the floor plan of a home is more difficult to change. Look for a home that has a good layout For you, and only in need of small structural changes or only cosmetic changes.