SWH, what you're describing pretty much mirrors what I've been taught since I started flying charter. That is, every approach is required to be stabilised (yes, even in a 210) - the only thing that changes with type/weight/size of aircraft is how far out this must occur. And that "stabilised" doesn't have to mean a perfect 3 deg slope - it just means being able to continue the approach to the runway without any gross changes in configuration or attitude, and with airspeed continually reducing to reach threshold speed on short final.
What I was taught way back was:
1) Don't select full flap until a landing (on the runway) is assured,
2) Don't select flap, when the result will be the requirement to add power to overcome the associated drag.
Again, number 2 here describes how I was taught - approach stabilised from X miles out, with gear and flap extension on schedule to bring you to your landing configuration and airspeed, without any changes to throttle setting from 1st flap extension onward (of course, throttle adjusted as required on final, but in a perfect approach, shouldn't be required until the flare).
I experienced what I see as the "opposite" view a few months ago - riding in the back of a 210 with a pilot I'd never met - he kept around 20" on with an aiming point a few hundred metres past the threshold, then on very short final, cut the power to near-idle, dumped full flap and shifted his aim point to the threshold, resulting in a very steep approach for the last half-mile or so. Nothing really out of whack, airspeed pretty much where it should be and a good landing not too far past the threshold - but it hit me as a completely opposing theory on how to fly a piston single approach. Not what I'd call stabilised. If he'd had an engine failure on short final though, he may well have been in a better position than I'd got used to flying a C206/210. But I wouldn't like to jump out of the 210 into a PA31 and use the same technique.
I'm not saying this is "wrong" though - some here will probably say this is how they do it and any other way is crazy. Don't know.
The concept of always flying a stabilised approach has always been completely logical to me though, and make the transition to heavy piston twins (and I assume turbines and beyond, not there yet) a lot more straightforward and logical.