Before and after! It's been awhile since I've posted anything but right now we have just finished the backyard it's been a major mission. Still got a lot more things to do around the house but I just thought I'll share these pictures. I'm not sure if the Japanese buxus will grow nicely as the soil is very damp in that area.

Appreciate the feedback guys! Decided to complete the render on the brick walls and ended up getting rid of the brick rangehood (seen on the left hand side of the previous photo). This allowed more light into the dark kitchen. Painting the cupboard doors has also lightened up the space. The kitchen feels light and breezy now... though it's not completely finished, as we still have more painting and rendering to do, including the additional cabinetry and a rangehood to install. Because of the festive season, we decided to put the project on hold; putting the doors back on for Christmas lunch. Future plans include installing cabinetry (below) - where the plant is -which will house the stovetop, and also cabinetry above where the brick can be seen (top LHS). We'll install a rangehood above the stove top and cut a whole in the cabinetry (on the RHS) for the fridge. Where the fridge was previously, we'll put up a wall which will hold wooden shelves for tea, coffee, mugs etc.

To Modernise this without rendering or retiling the roof I would probably recommend to go darker with the trims. My top pick as a colour consultant would be Dulux's Domino for the trim. It will be a little bolder and create a more modern contemporary feel. You can see it pictured below as the trim. Obviously this house has painted their bricks in the shade "teahouse" however it will still look much better on your 1980s "peru" colour bricks! Don't hesitate to contact me if you need any more help colour wise!

I was thinking something like this