Hi eleanorgreen1 Love the house, as others have stated above "great little hat" on the house, Good slope on the roof and great veranda for breezes and sleeping outside. I would be delighted if someone asked me to design a house in NT and I came up with that design. There is a few things that I can suggest and I hope they are of some use. 1. If possible I would dig a trench next to the perimeter of the slab of about 600 wide and 300 deep and fill it with pebble and gravel stones. This is to remove any excess water that may come of the roof (connect it to your drainage system - or lowest point of your block) and also to reduce the possibility of termites and other small critters coming through into your house. Termites do not like ground that might move as they build a tunnel in front of themselves as they proceed forward and any "gravel" or water of any kind they tend to avoid. (Love the termite mounds by the way - fantastic landscape design - at no cost). The CSIRO has fantastic information on termites - I don't think the trench would keep snakes away - hate the little critters! - Taipans - those horrors follow you home. 2. Providing a topping to your slab externally might improve the look especially on the exposed veranda - but the topping should have some form of "non slip" surface - maybe with some carborundum in the mix so that it might not get very slippery when wet. However I think plain concrete if finished with 'hard topping" is an excellent solution. 3. Love the idea of "Screens" but they will have to be securely fixed as they become missile in high winds. 4. I can not see any water tanks or solar energy equipment on the photos - I just wonder if this could be an advantage in your situation. As you have some very large verandas I wonder if large garden pots, something to the size of 800 round and 800 in height, these could still be moved but may break up some of the straight strong line of the house. Even two or three would do he trick. I would paint these with a strong colour to give a focal point and arranged strategically around the veranda. 6. Defining the entry to the house might also provide interest. I think it can be done with the large pots and also with a maybe a little bit of tilework and some form of path leading to the entry. 7. Painting the elevation that contains the entry a different colour might also brighten the place up a bit. I would not paint the whole of the elevation if its the long longitudinal side - just the central part up to a defining area like the first two windows. 8. Some nice landscaping at some distance from the house to be enjoyed from the veranda view might also help (Keep the termite mounds - they look great) There is no plan and no north point so its a bit hard to comment further especially in relation to orientation and internal plan layout. I think you have a great house and some subtle design improvements will make it even better. I would be happy to comment further on this project. Best for the future Regards Michael Manias - mm407p@gmail.com - web: newhomedesign.com.au

The rear looks a lot more modern than the front ( I realise it isn't -- just the colours do that ) , so that would be my starting point . So focus on the rear to start with ( just in your mind -- personally , I'd leave it as it is until you are happy with the front ) . The charcoal eves look good , the dark windows look good , in fact what the minor things are the one white upstairs window ; also the basement being a muddy brown grey whereas the eves look contrasting , the basement looks dirty and mismatched in comparison . And then the fence is fawn . Okay , so fix that -- buy 10 litres of charcoal and 2 brushes and it will look planned . Paint the railing in bright red or sunshine yellow ( it looks better , but arguably safer too ) and you are there for that side . The front though -- I think you are versa vice with your idea of white trim . Look at the rear picture , and take the cues . Paint the fibrolite and battens in off-white . Paint the bricks of the front fence in white . Do the eves , almost all the window frames , the base and the fence pailings in charcoal . Almost all ? Yes , the front door and the window frames around them , the garage door and the numbers on the gate I'd do in the bright red or sunshine yellow , the same as that back railing . Add a couple of modern black framed outdoor lights ( $100 ones , not $20 ones ) , and it suddenly looks 40 years newer for $2k if you do the labour yourself .

What a great house, yes definitely do all your trims in a dark colour , railing looks good and will look great in the dark colour even the garage doors , don’t rip up your paving until you have lived with it for awhile, it’s a valuable asset and it can become an outdoor living space. Love Kate’s ideas, you can see how a dark colour would look fabulous. They look like silver birches you have and they are beautiful planted like that, the other two trees look well established and expensive, just up the under planting, could look beautiful. Consider a stone mulch in a dark colour.

Staining may last a little longer, won’t crack or peel from the coastal climate, leaving it natural would certainly have a beach feel, specially with plants and grasses growing through, I would cut the little decorative bits off at the top to produce a straight line fence, would look beautiful.