light colours around the windows? I don't think so tim. but paint paint paint. that unbelievably foul disgusting colour of brick that is so prevalent in much of my city must be painted. how it ever became so specced and remains unpainted is a cause of constant bewilderment. that driveway really adds to it, sumptuous. and that bit of white balustrade and unpainted downpipe, simply brilliant. anyway this is all too simple and obvious and I'm struggling not to be rude that you ask for help. so i'll throw you a bone, the tree/bush..chop it. the house sits low and wide which the architect has balanced with the floor to skillion windows and the verticle lines really compliment the cross slope street view elevation. accentuate this with tall plantings, like palms or poplars or a tall skinny conifer. if you repaint in timelessly elegant and goes with anything white black or 15 shades of grey then the green of the tree will look quite delectable.

Trying not to be rude hey? Try harder.

This is a great facade. It has modernist bones about it, although its likely looking outdated due to the 1980s colour choices. The windows are the single most impressive element, and the asymmetrical roofline is a plus.

To put a modern spin on it though, I would urge you to consider bagging the brick instead of rendering it, ad the visual texture would soften the lines from the street front, and would be in contrast to the high glazed windows.

I would actually leave the render in a natural state- grey, so it's not coloured, and looks almost like a soft skimmed concrete, then paint the windows and trim work in a charcoal or woodland grey, doing this will make them disappear into the horizon when looking out, and also will minimize the mullions and glazing bars that break up your panes. Lines highlighted in light colour will do just that, be highlighted and stand out, whereas if you want to take advantage of an uninterrupted view, minimize them with a darker colour. Landscapers often do this with boundary fencing, so everything in front will really pop and your eye won't focus on obscuring details, like the fence, and like the window mullions and transoms. (these are the timber lines that divide your windowpanes).

The professionals above I agree entirely with, and the garage door in itself is a mod con that detracts from the front as its the single biggest element in your line of sight. I would address this by minimizing it's impact making the door an invisible system, whereby the door is a horizontal timber batten and the entire lower section of the brickwork is all battened out flush in line with the door. When closed, it will be hard to spot, the horizontal lines will help ground your structure, making it feel more substantial and add another natural material for warmth against a contemporary colour palette.

Timber battens can be again referred to in a new fence, screens or even ballustrading. Landscaping will look great against weathered timber, and the house will appear to float above it all. Incorporate a timber deck and stairs in timber to again blend into the cladding below, and let the real features above stand out and steal the attention.

I hope all the feedback you recieve is welcomed, and constructive.

Despite some people thinking theyre doing you a huge favor by dazzling you with obvious and brilliant observations, the pros above and many more of us hope you get something you can help make hard decisions a little easier.

There's definately something useful from everyone.

Good luck

Agree with Lume, work with the blonde brick and architectural windows, they are not offensive and reflect the provenance of your home. Invest in high performing energy efficient windows in a similar profile, new entrance door and clever landscaping. While 15 shades of grey might be current trend, and the refrain to enquiries such as yours is mostly to render and paint it too will date and eventually be the new mission brown or heritage green. It is a personal choice and you should be comfortable with your decision whatever you decide. Keep us posted on progress and good luck.

wow I really injected some life into this ay? nothing since april 4 and now.....aw shucks. anyway, nice responses people. thanks for bettering me, I obviously needed it. ;-) but dark windows and dark frames against a light wall still rule, I mean who hasn't fallen in love looking into the eyes of a wallaby before?

sorry, I forgot to add......invest in energy efficient window glass on those puppies? really? wow, it must be great to have money. and why is the roof being replaced? do you really want to be spending these huge amounts of cash on these things? this whole thing is starting to do my head in.

lets start with the roof. why replacing? does it lack insulation? is it some 'orrid old clay or concrete tile heat absorbing monster or just a badly done tinny? here's something to consider...if you're have an issue with heat radiating through the roof/ceiling and want to add insulation did you know that batts in the cavity will give you a much higher r rating than anticon blanket. the roofers won't like it but do some research. depending on the depth of your rafters you might be able to achieve an r rating of say 3 (if the batts are installed nice and snug and proper) whereas anticon blanket is much less than 2 and suss at that due its unknown compression. ceiling lining above the rafters? consider building up the cavity. it depends how much you want to spend on what you are trying to achieve.

me and the other nicer members of the community all agree that your house looks cool and there are heaps of ways you can make the streetscape look really classy. my final attempt at redemption will be to raise the point that you can improve the street facade simply and without spending too much cash because it's already a nice design finished badly.

but hey, if you got pots of dosh, go hard.... heaps of glass, heaps of stone, heaps of hardwood and hire a pro, they know more than internet forum morons like me and they'll say things that you want to hear.

peace y'all

House looks pretty cool. I'd always stay away from render because it needs painting and is fairly easy to damage. If it gets damaged from kids riding into it on their bikes it needs patching and painting. Face bricks just keep looking good. Yes these bricks look good! Windows look good even in brown! I would only change roller door and redo driveway. Landscaping will also make the biggest difference though. When this house was new it would of been a stunner.

I agree stay away from render. I think its a look that already dated. You've got great height and light in those windows so I think updating the windows and replacing them with more modern timber windows and a new front door would make a real feature. Keep the brick as is... Then add some pretty bushes in the front garden and something that spills over the wall... maybe some grevilleas. Draw the eye to the greenery and not the garage door.

The Bletchley Loft · More Info

Sorry if I'm hanging around like a bad smell but I saw this and thought of you. It's pretty nice, yours could be heaps better than this.

I'm no designer - and have no ideas about colour. I'm just concerned about the nasty crack in the brick fence - which suggests the fence may need replacing? Perhaps start with that - and then go from there.

Can you bring guests in from the top of the hill, rather than bringing them down the hill, in the drive and then up 8'(2.5 m) of steps to the level they just left?

KERB!