How about whitewashing the bricks in this entrance alcove? If this idea appeals build on this aesthetic. When the shade cloth goes and you have repainted the pergola, how about a beautiful coloured flowering vine (pink, mauve, white)? The potted cordyline only serves to restrict your available light so pop it elsewhere in the garden. For a pop of colour how about picking up that lovely fuschia colour or a colour in that hue from the bromeliads that are in the forefront of your entrance photo. The two horizotnal lintels above the door and window would be candidates for this pop of colour. It doesn't have to be fuschia but I think it has to complement whitewashed bricks. Your outdoor ight fittings age your home and there are plenty of good designed ones out there that don't cost the earth. The door and window I'll have to think about but if I was you I would google the whitewashed bricks idea and build on from there. Your security door make your whole entrance look very unwelcoming and uninviting but I realise it is there for a reason. If you have a bit of money to play with I would look at getting rid of your present door, the half window and the small vertical one beside the door. Open it right up with a wall of glass, but this is a costlier option. Your paved foyer would fit in with white washed bricks also. Regarding your deck. Too much of the brown going on. It doesn't have to match your house. Tie the house to the outdoor environment and paint your railings in a shade of green and choose a pop colour for the top handrail. Repeat his colour in the lintel above the sliding door. I would leave the deck floor the brown colour. It is what it is and it's very serviceable.

Nice pool, but a shame that your neighbours can see you through the fence, and therefore, you get no privacy. If you were wanting privacy of some kind, bamboo, tikka plant or even lovely conifers will look quite nice, also as a backdrop to your pool area. I would also place a beautiful urn or two strategically near the pool, to add character and colour. I would finally add an order of large stones for good effect.

Hi Laura, I have been through the same dilemma myself. I could not find an option short of getting second hand doors. Sliding doors are, to me anyway, a poor option especially if they are used all the time i.e. your main ingress/egress. Given the cost of the windows/doors I have not done anything at this stage. I will later but I will ensure that I can have exactly what I want. If I was to put in something that was not I wanted I suspect that I would regret it. In the mean time I would be looking on the second hand market and see if there is anything appropriate. Bifolds and French doors look fantastic and will really open up the area. Good luck with it.

First step would be outline what and why the railing and deck needs replacing , so that you ( or we ) don't repeat the mistakes . Like oklouise said , what is the front and rear deck made of ( sounds like they are concrete slabs , but just checking ) , what are the rails currently , do you know how solid the pillars are ( they look a different brick to the house , so may have been added later and/or have steel uprights in the middle , etc ) . The answers to those questions will give 'us' a base -- a concrete deck or two is harder to replace than wooden ones , same with steel poles imbedded in 2 metres of concrete etc . Just some general comments though -- what is the material between the 2 windows on the upstairs front ? And you say about not replacing the windows , but possibly changing the rear door ? Is that because of cost ? The brown frames will always date your house , but they are no where near as bad IMO as the yellow glass . Personally , that glass would be the very first thing I'd change ; 2nd thing would be doing charcoal on the gutters and garage doors ; THEN I'd update the decks and rails . Depending on what the fill panel between those 2 upstairs windows above the garage doors is made out of , maybe paint it off-white or charcoal -- add some interest in a subtle way . If you keep any part of the blue rails , paint them . Also look at some landscaping , a solid brick or maybe charcoal coloured concrete mailbox , charcoal stained fences -- but I still shiver at the yellow glass haha .