You are rendering the brick, is that correct? If so, that will change the look completely. Are you removing the European balustrade and replacing with something like the inspiration photo? If you are adding arches.....where would you begin and stop them. Your balustrade top is not on the edge of the eaves as per the inspiration photo. Your home, the eaves hang over the balustrade. If you have the arches from ceiling inline with the balustrade I think it would look very different to your inspiration photo.

You are looking at a weatherboard home and it’s softer detail, in the inspiration photo. Not a home that is robust and has strong lines like yours. The following photos show a renovation more accurate to your home facade and era.

Thanks dreamer, interesting insight. Yes definitely changing everything about the facade, that house is a blast from the past that we want to do up.

The "after pic" was actually part of an architect's mansion, think I'm was hoping for something a little more modern farmhouse, but I get where you're coming from with the "robust" look, everyone does say our place looks like a concrete bunker!

At this stage, we were thinking to start with just the rendering and steel/iron balustrades. Then maybe a phase 2 to get rid of the flat boxy look, somehow. For all we know, maybe refreshing the entire facade will do the job.

I really like your vision, if I understand you are rendering and using Tiber look cladding over the right side. I think that will look great with the inclusion of the arches, I imagine is a modern Queenslander.

You seem to have overlooked one small detail Bianca -- your house looks to be two storey , the rest are single storey . Arches will make it look narrower and taller IMO , as the 'holes' will be narrow it up . So its never going to look Queenslander or similar .

Rendering will improve the look , but I suspect it will still look like essentially a square two storied box , with a terrace . Whilst almost certainly more money , I'd look at maybe adding a downstairs room on the right side , with a gable roof maybe ( to create interest ) and a big picture window ( downstairs or cut into the bricks updtairs , or both ) . If rendering everything , it wouldn't look tacked on hopefully , add a frameless smoked glass barrier upstairs , it'll maybe work , and look more modern .

No doubt you like the area , you might even like the house , but personally I'd look at selling and buying something you want , if you are in a position to do that -- my guess is that the interior you aren't all that happy with either -- so do you start and in 5 years realise you've spend $200k or even $500k and its still got the same bones , or is there something else that you would love more , thats already done .