I'm amazed that this discussion has carried forward for nearly two years! In that time I have moved to another coastal area (cooler climate and better proximity to children) and this time found most of the discussion still rings true. Finding another home here was an incredibly frustrating journey made all the worse by a mad investor rush in the area just when we arrived to start our home search. That search took the best part of six months and in the end there would only be three or four houses to choose from in any week. Result? A rushed purchase, a desperately inadequate building inspection and failure on my part to notice poor bathroom tiling, shortage of closet and storage pace, just how small the lounge room really was, and etc. I disappointed myself because I had let the pressures beat me and now we are trying to resolve all of these issues in a home designed and built by one of this states most respected project home builders 25 years ago. Having now studied the floor plan with more care I realise it was put together (designed) in modular fashion - most bedrooms have similar dimensions and the living areas are all approximately the same size as if the designer simply juggled three boxes of one size and four of another size and then worked out traffic flow. Then he must have thrown them all in the air to see how they would land and that was design number two! And etc and so on. This house aside, we looked at a great many during the six months because we had to broaden our search above and below budget trying to find something. There were massive termite problems, leaky roofs, asbestos galore, gazzumping at every turn, almost all but the most expensive properties suffered at least one substantial fail for the most basic of needs and to top it off the best home in our price range just happened to be built on flood prone land - approved by council who put the flood signs up less than five years earlier. We live and learn. Then there were the real estate agents, but that would take another two years and I doubt the internet has enough free page space available!!! OK, I hear you, they're not ALL bad...

I think that the problem that you have is that you have too many flat surfaces and angles with nothing to lead your eye away from the blandness. You have grey concrete, grey roof, grey walls and the emotional response to that is a feeling of flatness and blah. The only thing that brings any kind of relief to the view are the plants and the steps that introduce different levels. My suggestion would be to look at adding texture, different levels for contrast to the flat surfaces and colours that unite those elements. Take a look at how the red lid on the rubbish bin pops out amongst the muted tones. Maybe bright red pots with taller (and healthier) looking plants in them on either side of the bench with a textural artwork or screen as mentioned above in between. You could be really bold and paint the steps red!, but don't do the pot plant suggestion if you do that. Once the air conditioning unit is removed I would put more boards down the front to cover up the gap and dirt underneath the pot plants. If you have the available space in front of that, place some seating and maybe a table, perhaps toning in with the grey tones but with a colour pot or cushions that tie in with the plants in the coloured (I suggested red, go with what you like) pots. I would also like to see what sort of door you have to access the room and yes, put the bins somewhere else if possible, they are unsightly.

I'm like telperien in that it depends on the season. I love hanging out on my leather sofa with a nice fire and a glass of scotch in the cooler months, and on the front veranda in more temperate months. We're on the side of a mountain facing northwest so we get some fantastic sunsets.

bigreader I'm okie..thanks for caring ..just need time to readjust kind of walked out on my job..so looking for stuff to fill in my time ..I hate being bored and sitting sround fiddling my thumb been looking for courses to do and taking my camera out.. these I took yesterday in Warrandyte..