We recently did a splash back in our new kitchen using 41 x 41 mm square stainless still tiles from a company in Western Australia called ALLOY. They look amazing and everyone comments on them. They make tiles out of lots of different metals and in larger (and smaller) sizes.

Agree about the paving stones - a mistake to be repaired & pulling them up & allowing someone on eBay to reuse them where they may match, sounds good. However, don't agree that the bricks are a mistake. Personally, I love textured bricks as you can pick out a colour from them to do trims & in 15 years, change the colours & refresh & still go well with the brick colours. I think yours are particularly nice. Removing shutters - great. If you can, take the opportunuty to take off the ornate screens on doors & windows & replace them with the very simple looking security screens. Renewing the roofing material to something that lets in more light is also a good idea. If it's not feasible to do at this time, it can always be planned in steps, but it's good to know ahead what the plan is/will be. Re colour choices. I would suggest not going with the current fashion completely. Remember when everything in every suburb was "mission brown"? Everything that has that colour is immediately dated. Best of luck, and enjoy

Without more information: remove front two bedrooms and extend the 2500mm to front and out to boundary. This will build your double enclosed garage. Enter from garage into laundry and mudroom/shower room, created by existing bathroom and ensuite/WIR. Creating new dining room in bedroom 1. Create stairs in bedroom 4, create storage and pantry in old dining and laundry. Create new second level, with your four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Existing family and living can be either kids space or adult space. The outside room would be ideal for a kids space. Maybe for studies. I have found that bedrooms or a quiet space, maybe front lounge room are the best place for student study. Away from distractions.

I am sorry you feel anything said to you was "rude". I am sorry I couldn't find a way a way to explain how serious the matter is in a way that you like. This conversation was for your benefit, to help you and your neighbour avoid bigger problems later. Please try to understand that. So you say you are in Canberra? Canberra has heavy clay soil. Your structural engineer friend cannot say the wall is good without talking about the drainage. Drainage is an important part of the structure. Correct drainage is even more important where there is heavy clay soil. Canberra does not have 'council approvals'. So I am not sure what it is you think you have when you said it is "council approved". Please respect that I am saying this because it is important. I am not trying to be negative and rude. It is important for you and for your neighbour that the wall is built correctly. The pictures look wrong. That is why people talked about it, instead of simply answering your question about how to make it "not look ugly". No proper drainage is visible behind the wall as shown in the diagrams provided in a previous reply. The idea of drilling drainage holes afterwards is wrong as explained in a previous reply. No-one is trying to be negative and rude. Everyone is trying to help you complete your build safely and correctly so that you and your neighbour do not have bigger problems later. I hope it works out alright for you and for your neighbour.