Californian Bungalow, brick so probably Sydney not Melbourne, but the casement windows are throwing me off as is the unusual porch design?! You've got a gem! ; D Otherwise the architrave shape and any other remaining original interior features could further clarify for you.

To add texture and softness to a room i would always recommend a curtain.. For bedrooms I always recommend a blockout with a sheer curtain hung very close to the cornice .. Depending on the “fall” of the fabric.. ( how it sits) your window treatment professional will recommend a style ( double pinch pleat, reverse pleat, s fold) but they will recommend the best pleat to showcase the fabric you choose .. However here is a cheap but smart alternative. Firstly.. very rarely do I hang either curtains or blinds within the window “reveal” I always go at least a minimum of 150mm above the window for blinds and generally always up to the cornice for the curtains. When you hang in the reveal you lose the height and a portion of the view.. You want to highlight a view so this is why I’m suggesting it! Plus it always makes your room look bigger. But .. if this is not for you then Alternatively you can get a sunscreen blind hung within the reveal and hang a curtain above roughly 150mm about be the reveal. The curtain should “frame” the window on either side of the window frame wall .. NOT covering a good portion of the window.. you want most of the fabric to sit in the wall when open. The combo blind / curtain is your most economical.. But I have always always hung curtains in bedrooms without fail.. It gives you that element of texture and luxe that is very hard to beat!!

" It is sooo tricky to get the balance right between modern and sympathetic to 70's." 100%, and if this stuff was easy, us Pro's wouldn't have a job ;) It's always ALL about balance, and when it comes to questions of what to do to existing dwellings it's probably just as much about what you don't do. You need to get the scaling , articulation and detail right. You don't want to do something that looks tacked on and incongruent with the existing. If you are extending a deck to the side on an upper level you'll need to take into consideration potential overlooking to neighbouring private space. We're currently working on a similar upper level deck extension to an existing 70's dwelling, and what we've done is use a combination of different balustrade materials (charcoal random depth timber battening & frameless glass) to simultaneously control the overlooking, focus the outlook, and achieve a balanced complimentary design. It depends on what the deck is for, is it for private use or are you trying to gain access to a view? These things will all influence the design. Budget of course will also influence what you do. The design solution ultimately should begin with responding to the function first and foremost, and then what it actually looks like will (should) naturally spring from this in conjunction with a sensitive response in balance with the existing & with consideration of your budget constraint Good luck! PD www.pauldistefanodesign.com

Hi there, I love the look of your 50's kitchen: takes me back to my childhood home but our kitchen was about 4 cupboards and 3 overheads!! By todays std it was like one of the pantries people are putting in!! I was impressed with the "see what you need to store first": that is the best place to start, then thought glass display cupboards were all the go but you have those! Unless you could copy them for the corners? Then I thought open shelving with micro on one: NEVER on the bench. Timber shelves could have bright multi coloured glass or china which was all the rage! Please tho do not go for the lounge curtains with red, orange and every other colour large squares: nothing subtle or quiet about them and nothing nice about them either!! Cheers Margot