I would keep the balustrade but paint it a very dark grey but not black. Get a really nice feature front door, maybe something moderne or "P & O" style, paint it yellow to make it pop. Install a new window , suggest louvre window, but make sure the frame is in a light grey. Remove the fibro and replace with Eco clad in the vertical ship lap profile. Paint the walls in a warm light grey, including the red brick below. Make sure the Eco clad is slightly proud of the brickwork so it creates a small shadow line, like a belt. Plant out the base of the walls with some suitable natives. You might find the book "the Fibro Frontier" by Historic houses trust press worth a look. Yes, this is ubiquitous Aussie suburbia, the style is often referred to as Post War moderne, in a very loose sense. It's classic 1950s style project home. It may be a Hudsons Ready Cut. Hope this helps Sarah, studio renew

Gryphon Garage Door can supply and install custom garage doors with glass inserts (check the pics in their custom garage doors page). They operate in Melbourne and Perth but if they can, I assume other can in Sydney? I think it i a great style, some people even use them instead of windows within their homes.

sounds like a good use of space, you could install a pull out hotel clothes line, you know the one with the round fitting on one wall with a single pull out line which clips into a fitting on the other side. Attaching some photos the first is a bathroom that I would love to use to replace our existing ensuite (without replacing the window) which is as you enter the WC is behind the door to the left, right side is a nearly sunken bath with shower plus a large sliding window beside the bath, we think the architect hadn't allowed enough showering space so by adding the window gave extra width. Then we have a full width vanity and mirror on the third wall. The last should have a swimming pool style hand rail. Did you build your house, would love to see some more photos of the bathroom etc. cheers

oops with the diagrams.. Note that the "shed like" part of the extension joins onto what must have been the original lean to that extends all along the original villa part. Note the pillar in the living area, that is structural. Another strange aspect is that the toilet juts out into the open plan space ( I think that could be remedied with $$s and it could fit into the main part of the family bathroom by taking out the old corner spa and putting in a smaller freestanding bath for example) . By the way, the "retreat" is actually a courtyard that could be a nice feature if properly landscaped etc. A new roof (to get a new roof line) might work on the shed like part, but the walls around the west and southern perimeters of the space are just windows/doors so I don't think they could support the weight of a "proper" roof rather than glass? Can you see that plan well enough and what info do you still need OkLouise (and others)? Thanks again for any ideas :)