I had another idea over lunch. See what you think of this. I was thinking it might be nice to be able to invite people into the living area without having to go through the kitchen. This one opens up the back hallway and gives you a new swanky kitchen with an island bench. The old entrance is opened up and becomes a porch, you can reuse the windows elsewhere, try and save the framing as well, for example near the dining area. Now, I gracefully retire and look forward to seeing what you decide to do in the end. :)

Thank you for these colours Lesley! I MUST put a verandah though - the front garden is heavenly - 9 metres to the front with roses and fruit trees (though it looks rough here) and is high up opposite a park for a view. I plan to play guitar here of an evening and add more white, blue & purple flowers to the middle and a pergola with climbing roses for a Moon Garden.

Thank you so much everyone for taking the time to respond. Your first photo siriuskey is the colour scheme I'd love to go with so good to hear that you'd think it would match with the blonde brick. I also like the shale grey roof idea butterflyroof and you're right that you don't see much of the roof at all (mainly when looking out the upstairs bedrooms). The olive green is definitely another possibility to look at oklouise and I've made a note to use 'mid-century' in search terms. Definitely plan to pressure clean bricks and a bit relieved to hear that leaving them is the better option. I'm still finding it hard to imagine a darker grey cladding like monument with the blonde brick debluc but it's certainly been suggested a few times so I'll keep searching for inspiration. Thanks again :) (attached is a photo of a house near us that I like and that has a brownish tinge to the cladding that would hopefully work with our bricks as it seems to work with their sandstone - maybe dune colourbond?)

apologies for the poor quality pic..anyway hopefully u can see. My design features a cantilevered upper floor over the existing living/dining/kitchen using exposed engineered hyspan beams, it's hard to say but the new ceiling could be around 9 feet high, giving enhanced space downstairs. Upstairs there should be enough room for the master bed, study and additional lounge area (approx 8mx5m). Northfacing windows will provide ample sun in winter but shaded by the overhanging skillion roof in summer. A balcony overlooking the garden can be created using the cantilevered beams. Flooring can be particle board floor sheeting (again in keeping with the modest nature of the original worker's cottage). Southfacing windows will give expansive views of the lake and surrounds. Another feature I am proposing is a light well to light the downstairs, and connect the downstairs with the upstairs, so when you walk into the room, you see the fireplace, lookup and see the lightwell, look outside and see the views of the garden and lake. The exposed timber beams and high sheet ceiling will add interest to the downstairs as well. To complement, and soundproof the masterbedroom I am proposing a japanese style screen which can be pulled across for privacy and restrict noise from downstairs. The existing kitchen and bathroom can be demolished, and placed into a new wing, in the form of an old 'colonial' style (for want of a better descriptor) brick or sandstone extension (harking back to previous times). Complete with corrugated roof in the same colour as your existing roof. The extension will include a small walkin pantry, bath, shower, wc, and laundry utilities. All up these are modest extensions which I believe will enhance and encapsulate your existing workers cottage without costing a bomb. The chimney will be kept and will need extending either in brick, or steel flue up over the new roof. Steel might look nice.