Hi plankandtrestle The undertones are tough to pick until it's in the flesh! Monument could be a good contender... if you want a true charcoal you could ask the paint counter to use only pure black and white to get your desired charcoal... I have monument on my gutters, downpipes and trim see below. I've paired it with wallaby which is a brown grey (you could darken) Hope this helps K x

I would hold off repainting until the front yard is done, the driveway and the lawn. It will look entirely different against the fresh green of a lawn! I personally like that colour, it's a nice change from all the greys around.. It's warm and inviting and I think it balances well with your garage door. And by the way terracotta and similar hues are coming back in fashion! .

Hi, I can understand that it is hard to find a starting point in the kitchen since this space is being used all day long (breakfast, lunch, dinner preps...). Maybe you could try sitting down for a quiet moment and have a look around to see what you like in your kitchen: Do you like the colour of the walls? What do you think about the wall tiles? Sometimes - if you are unsure where to start - try finding out what you don't like. I can see quite a few wooden objects in your kitchen: the cabinets, the kitchen table, the chairs and by the looks of it, the floorboards are also wood. All this in combination can make a kitchen look small. Try changing the colour of some of them for example, the cabinet doors or the floorboards, to get a different look. You could repaint parts of the chairs (white/wood combination) or add a chair cover – or if budget allows and you're not too sentimental about the chairs, swap them out for something "lighter". I would probably also go and replace or alter the colour of the bench top. Adding an additional storage space with closed doors will help to "declutter". I also agree about the curtains :) I am curious to see how you're going!

If this is just a budget improvement then I would try to fix the cracked tiles and missing grout, paint the window frame white and add white shutters on the window, paint the vanity white (although I don't like doing that either) and get new handles and taps, toilet roll holder etc., install a lovely white potted plant, as shown above and white fluffy towels. A new white frame on the mirror or replace it with a slightly smaller white framed one. Then I would save up for a white stone bench top or stone overlay bench top and the cream will go nicely with all of it. Unfortunately your shower seems to be the most dated part. If you try to change the door you may find that you have missing tiles, although new floor tiles in the shower would probably look OK and add a glass hinged door. Good luck.