I personally prefer rendered facades as well (although bricks suit certain types/style of houses better and some bricks can be nicer than others), but I don't mind painted bricks either, which would also be a good way to save some $$... whichever way you go I would certainly contrast the main wall against door/windows/garage/roof to create some depth... either dark windows, doors, etc and light walls (harder to maintain if painting bricks in e.g. white)... or my personal preference would be like a mid-grey for the main walls with white windows & doors, and darker roof & garage door (e.g. charcoal/monument)... good luck and if you want to get an idea of what it could look like before making a commitment, then have a dab at the different materials and colours on: http://www.digitaldecorator.com.au oh and P.S. I would definitely also consider changing that handrail at the front porch steps, and like the above suggestion of timber, will create warmth... but not sure about merbau, can be quite reddish, personally would stick to a more natural looking timber with a clear finish

Hi Lilith - your cottage has lovely charm - and a fascinating past! I can see you are seeking to introduce some contemporary elements - but my strong suggestion as per some of the above is to keep the heritage front and reinstate the bull-nose verandah. The verandah and front 2 rooms are 'the face of the house' - it's how people understand the style/period of a home, and helps place a house in context, and belong to a neighbourhood, even in country areas. The traditional design of the bull-nose verandah across Victorian cottages is not only an identifying period element, It also has practical purposes like providing an appropriate entry point, cover from rain as you arrive home, a threshold for greeting guests, as well as providing shade from the hot summer sun. Trust me - keeping and reinstating the bull-nose verandah will maximise the eventual resale value in your home especially as time goes on. I thus have several comments and a few big-picture suggestions for you! And I am deliberately not asking what your budget is; think of these as masterplan suggestions! 1. Don't just keep the verandah as is - reinstate it for its full length by removing the entry portico and built-in wardrobe. Tile it for the full width with your lovely tile pattern, and a selection of plant pots of lavender and succulents, or balls of lily-pily etc. Source a second-hand victorian doorway with stained glass above to let light into the corridor, and reinstate the north-facing window into your main bedroom - you won't regret it! 2. Ahh but that means you've lost your walk-in? The current walk-in actually blocks the north light, and removing the walk-in will radically transform how this room feels..........Building a built-in robe along one wall would be the cheapest option, for only the cost of the robe itself. However if you MUST have a walk-in, it will cost about $3-4K/m2 to add in a small new area of walk-in to the side. HOWEVER.... 3. Radical suggestion.....I observe that the contemporary addition at the back of the house reflects a large, modern-sized open-plan space, and yet 2 big chunks of it are taken up by bathroom and laundry. In fact the bathroom corner, poking out from the side of the house, actually looks like it gets north sunlight throughout the afternoon. SO..... 4. You could plan for a renovation that moves the bathroom, laundry and walk-in robe (accessed from the main bedroom) into the living-room zone, extending the corridor through it. Then you have created a large open-plan kitchen-living-dining at the back for the entire room, which has access to a north-facing wall in the corner perfect for afternoon entertaining which you could link with an extended deck! Just add big double-glazed doors to this corner. (I know I know - it will be looking straight at the water tank, but you could relocate this to the other side OR just landscape in front of it). You could modernise the back verandah to look more like the verandah images you posted above. All of the above can be done without adding any new floor area, just the relocated bathroom and laundry/robe, plus the cost of new floors, plaster repair and painting to the rear space.. Anyway hopefully I have given you some ideas about the possibilities over the longer term! Good Luck!

What a charming home - I actually quite like the warm mustard render contrasting with the deep blue. If your style is "Hamptons with an industrial edge" it is really at odds with the exterior Tuscan style. Painting the trim is not going to make it look like a Hamptons style home. I think you need to also paint the render, probably a white or soft grey, which would be a pity as it has a lot of aged character. If you decide you want to keep the render I would be looking at the deep olive greens which will work better with the render than the blues, but it won't make it Hamptons style due to the heavy masonry construction. Architecture style is more about the building materials and forms than the colour of the paint, so I always try to work with colours that complement the existing style rather than try and make it into something else. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

Pottsy99 - here’s the pic I wanted to share. My original Reno floorplan - minimum disturbance of existing asbestos cladding inside & out - but extending footprint requires council approval so I reworked it into the floorplan I posted here I the first place. Thanks for your suggestions. That kind of thing is down the track at some point!