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Just to confirm I have taken the great ideas presented here as advice only and have no intention to do some dodgy diy reno's. With the exception of a couple of quirky exposed timbers as you can see in my pictures there are no other exposed beams. As you can also see from the pictures there is a large roof space on the right (east) side of the house but the ceilings themselves are flat with a slight dip on the north wall. Based on my own personal experiences I would have to agree with Two's Company that there is a tendency towards rendered brick in WA (although there are still many exposed brick houses in my suburb) while double enclosed double garages are also highly desirable. I would also agree that toilets within the main bathroom and non traditional laundries may be considered unusual by many (but not all). Ensuites with toilets however are still very common. Also due to the nature of our work we would prefer the laundry separated from food/kitchen area. For a 4x2 house it is only around 155m2 excluding carport/alfresco which makes the rooms feel quite cramped, hence the desire to open up the family room. However, as Two's Company suggests we will need to first get a builder/eng in to check load bearing walls etc as this will undoubtedly affect what we can achieve within our budget. Having said that I still excited by many of your ideas and with luck hopefully can work some of them into the budget. Cheers all :)

Please excuse this quick dodgy recolour , but just wanted to show the difference some kind of contrast would add to the effect of the exterior. Whether it is painting the roof (because it is such a big part of the facade), rendering or painting the bricks or refinishing the windows in black or white, something to let the architectural features is the key to sprucing up the outside. I think someone mentioned adding a verandah too. That would depend on how much light already comes through the front. I can imagine one of the windows on the side being transformed into french doors leading to a lovely flagstoned garden. I love the black and white interior photos someone posted above too. anything to bring some contrast to all that mud coloured brick. What an inspiring project to have ahead of you, so many possibilities! I wish this were my little house :)))

Is the concrete slab the size of the whole bathroom , or just the new shower area , or just the old shower size ? And where is the drain , especially in relation to the shower head ? Or are you going to bore a new one ? It is therefore maybe possible , depending on the existing floor , to lay a concrete overlay , or even a tileable tray , with a suitable 'fall' to the corner . A tray ensures no leaks , and is often easier to seal against the wall and the glass side wall too . It would probably be 25-30mm taller at the 'open' end , but I'd actually do a cedar or similar raised slat 'mat' area outside the shower to disguise the step or hob .