@creativelychallenged the paint colours are grey - Luna Eclipse by New Look (paint place) and dulux quarter lexicon for trims the door and stairs are monument grey :)

Going through the photos these are my thoughts. - Personally I do not mind the contrast between the colours of the house but it is a strong contrast and might not be to everyone's taste. Do you dislike either of the colours? Changing either colour involves cost and possibly increased ongoing maintenance but if you hate the colour scheme you might feel it's worth it. - The change in driveway material is visually distracting. It looks like a tight turn into the driveway? As has been said, reducing the amount of gravel would help. I'm not sure what else you can do in the short term. - The PVC downpipe needs painting so that it doesn't stand out. - What is the tree on the corner of the house? I think when it gets bigger it will improve the kerb appeal. When it comes to landscaping sometimes what is needed is patience - Do you need the path to be so wide. If you don't need it for say trailer access or something like that I suggest extending the garden bed on the left further across towards the front door. - What is the upper lawn for? I lived in a rental property where I had to mow the lawn at the top of a sleeper retaining wall and if possible I would always design such things with a garden bed along the edge to avoid needing to mow right up to the wall. Bonus benefit, you can plant something to spill over the wall and soften it. - The plants in front of the garage look too large and random and distract from what is quite an interesting modern roofline. I see something like a larger garden bed with more variation in colour and texture, or perhaps more uniformity and one feature plant? And the house number on the brick wall in the same colour as the upper part of the house. - How's the drainage? I finally worked out what else was bothering me. Not strictly aesthetic. But it looks like you front door is not very high above the surrounding ground level? - I think the bush garden style with the rocks and strappy plants suits the house.

Hi Linda, I agree your house looks great, you could create a garden bed along your driveway to add more curb appeal, using a mixture of architectural and shrub type plants could really look great and compliment your existing garden, you could make this bed as wide as you like and even clip a few (buxus) to add a stylish look , could look gorgeous.

Hi Lauren, I agree with the idea of a gate/portico structure between the two buildings and this should come out proud of the two wall lines at present to create some impact. Also, large planters can add some character to the entry as long as they remain well watered but don't resort to fake plants if your not interested in watering or an irrigation system. Succulents, cactii or other drought tolerant plants will work if this suits your needs better. For colours, I would down play the white or off white features you currently have in terms of the garage doors, gutters and downpipes and even the soffits. Grey will work well with the brick and make it a mid grey so it is a similar tone to the brick so it doesn't stand out or you could go with charcoal too, which will modernise the whole look. You can then add some colour to the new gate in the protico to be the main focus. Is your roof blue or grey? I can't quite make it out in the photo. If it is blue then stick with a blue for the gate but it could be brighter than the roof but make sure the hues do not clash. If the roof is grey and you paint the other trims in grey as I suggested above, you are almost limitless of the feature coloure of the new gate. It could even be black. It depends on the style you end up with and the material. Also, if it is not protected from the direct sun, be careful how dark you go as it may peal with the heat. You could make the gate a timber feature as contrast in cedar or go for an antique 'moroccan' style door/gate!! The options are endless. Try to hide the dowpipes with the portico structure but don't make them inaccessible for maintenance. Also maybe do the portico in steel or something pretty modern and tie it in with one side wall, probably the house and not the garage. See image attached for some inspiration. Its a bit tricky with the hip roof overhang structure as I presume you don't want the expense of re doing that for the new entry so either have the portico below the eaves, be careful it is not too low, or if you can, put it at the same height in front of it so it hides it. Hope that helps and gives food for thought. C:)