Penny the Raku is on our house & carport & we love it! Our house is timber (white) & hardies composite painted Raku along with the carport to the right. White Duck weatherboards (Dulux) & Windspray (Colorbond) roof, gutters, fascia & timber poles . Though we have no brick we do have a patio & gates in a rust colour along with Merbau stained timber decks which all seem to work together nicely.

To minimise costs, frame your windows, I would place a canopy above the front door (if this is the front door near the garage - if it isn't don't do) to draw your eye and paint the front door with strong wow colour - even if it is a few shades darker or lighter to what you have chosen for your window trims/roof line. Maybe large number near door also will drawn your eye to the door. Landscaping around the front will also add punch/wow - you don't have to do everywhere - but at least at the front and then you can work your way to the rest of the garden, but keep the rest of the lawn mowed (even if they are weeds) and edges trimmed. Look at a couple of other houses and pretend you might buy and note what your eye is instantly drawn to... go back to your house and note what you are instantly drawn to.... do you want to be drawn to those features? If not, make them blend and highlight the areas you want. I have just had another look at your photos - is the front door near the garage door or it is the one on the left hand...... if left hand don't place canopy at the garage end but would place some large planters (large plants too) to accentuate the front door entrance - you would have the space - but again do some landscaping in that area (the large pots can be placed in the garden beds (on a large paver) and smaller plantings around them, make the front door pop and place something i.e. large number on the wall next to the door. If the door next to garage is garage entrance not front door, then blend that door with the exterior (unlike what I had initially said when I first thought it was the front door). Tip - Just cause something is colourbond - you CAN paint it - don't think you are stuck with that initial colour thought when installed. i.e. paint your facia and gutter same colour and that will make it wider. (I have personally painted cutters and downpipes many times (when I want to change colouring). Just cause downpipes are connected to your guttering doesn't mean they need to be the same colour - I would colour them the same as the wall colour to make them blend - downpipes are not a feature. Good thing about paint, you can paint it again. A lot of paint shops will have colour consultants.

Hi, I like the overall concept of the darkish grey, it suits the home. I am a colour consultant and have been working with the Dulux range for 17 years and you are on the right track with the Guild Grey. The Dulux Signature will give you a dark blue house. Another option if Simone Weil which is just a bit lighter than the Guild Grey, if you find that one too dark. Sample pots and A4 brush outs onto white cardboard are the best way to decide, because computer programs give an overall impression of the "look" but are not accurate with colour choices, you can't beat the human eye. All the best, it's going to look great.

Hi Sophie - if you are stuck for ideas Bodo Boards has online paint concepts for $89.95 which come with complete interior and exterior colour choices, trims, feature paints and external finish suggestions including paving, decking, tiles etc. as a downloadable file. All products can be purchased Australia Wide. Takes the hassle out of combining colours and saves you the time of selecting paint colours etc. Head over to our colour concepts page and take a quick look - http://www.bodoboards.com.au/collections/paint-concept if you want any help with suggestions ask away, we are happy to help wherever we can.