I couldn't tick one or the other of the boxes – I think the choice has to be made contingent on so many variables. In fact we have painted timber, double-glazed bifolds (with a fabulous retractable pleated fly-screen) at the end of the dining room leading out onto a terrace and a painted timber, double-glazed slider (with a timber-framed sliding fly-screen) on the other side of the kitchen (but on the same axis) opening onto a raised timber deck. Each works really well in terms of function and aesthetics but they would not be interchangeable as the different locations determined which was more suitable – but they have been made by the same highly skilled window craftsman and have given us nothing but pleasure. And on a hot, steamy evening with both open we have the most wonderful cross ventilation.

1) My cost saving suggestion to you is PAINT, this is going to give you the cheapest tool to change the Miners cottage appearance to attract attention. 2) Leave Roof as is, no Paint ,the roof being left natural to me gives it a studio edge.(and saves precious dollars 3) Wall colour in a darkish grey with all white trim, I was going to suggest a beige colour but it looks like your neighbour has these colours so that's why I'd go bold with wall & fence colour. 4) Perhaps you could build a small fence like the metal one I sent you, this would be made up with scrape material nd place to the R/H side of the driveway, can't see whats on that boundary 5) Gutter and eaves same colour as walls 6) Gates shinny black 7) Keep existing window & door shades and paint them all white, no stripes 8)Front door of your choice, Red and make the studio door a different colour to help students find there way, Yellow 9) Looks like you have a crushed gravel path running along the side of the house to the studio, try to define this from the gate so that you don't have everyone cutting across the verandah, 10) It would be good to have some screening on the Verandah, mesh or other affordable material. 11)Trim the grass, plant some hedging behind the fence and plant some red NZ flax plants off to the right side of the garden 12)Paint garage like house this would help to bulk out the building and make it look a bigger property 13) PAINT good luck

No offence Dreamer , but personally I think all those pictures reinforce my thought , that a sloping roof above the garage door is too predictable , too cliched , too expected . I assume the designer put the gable there to take it away from the expected , but by having the 'other' roof style ( I think its called a hip roof ? ) above the balcony , it doesn't look right . Risky , but thats why I'd be tempted to do 2 gables ( a 3rd one above the 2 upstairs windows would look too square IMO ) , as they don't offend , but conversely aren't what 95% of people would do -- adds some individuality without looking too outside the square .

You'd need to check out whether any of the walls are load bearing and the like , but I'll offer a slightly different opinion . The kitchen looks a bit dated and a bit dark in one of the pictures , but I reckon all it needs is a change of colours and maybe appliances or blinds or similar -- the mousey/mushroomy walls are dated , the cupboard doors are dated but with modern colours they'd probably pass muster . The oven , for example , looks modern and stands out ( in a good way IMO ) . The microwave doesn't . From memory , K Mart has a microwave in a similar finish to your ovens , and no doubt others do too . I think the K Mart one was under $200 -- generally their stuff is reasonable quality , but I'm not saying you have to have that , if that makes sense . The point though is that $500 of paint , maybe new handles , maybe some small shelves in that lighter golden tone of the existing wood , and a couple of appliances , will lighten the kitchen ( in both senses ) and make it look better . The extra space you get , and even the extra Wow you would get , from spending $30k or $60k , doesn't seem like a good use of $$$$ IMO -- I'd be at the $2500 end of the budget !